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Before You Send That Proposal: The 5-Minute Cyber Pricing Check
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Before You Send
That Proposal.

Check your next cyber project quote against 5 pressure points before it goes out.

You're about to send a proposal. You've got a number in your head. And somewhere underneath it there's a quiet voice asking: is this too cheap?

It probably is. Not because you don't know your worth. Because the pressure of a live deal and an impatient client makes founders compress their pricing every time.

Run these 5 pressure points before it goes out. You'll know in 5 minutes whether to hold the number or change it.

That's not pricing. That's pressure with a number attached.

Use this before you send the next proposal. One live project, not your whole portfolio.

How each level works
Low
Included in the base quote. Standard delivery. No change needed.
Medium
Price needs protecting. Add tighter scope or clearer boundaries before sending.
High
Quote needs changing. Raise it, split it, start with a diagnostic, or pause it.
Questions answered
5 pressure points
1
Business risk
What happens to them if this goes wrong?
Low
Defined task, clear outcome, low business exposure.
Medium
Supports compliance, client confidence, board reporting, or operational continuity.
High
Deadline pressure, regulatory risk, reputational exposure, or serious commercial consequence.
2
Delivery load
How messy is this actually going to get?
Low
Known process, clear inputs, familiar delivery path.
Medium
Some customisation, extra meetings, multiple stakeholders, or extra reporting.
High
Messy inputs, unclear ownership, multiple decision-makers, urgent turnaround, or likely rework.
3
Your judgement
How much of this lands on me personally?
Low
The team can deliver using an existing process without you.
Medium
The team can deliver, but you'll need to review, advise, or make a few calls.
High
The sale, scope, risk, client confidence or delivery quality still depends heavily on you.
4
Scope creep risk
How likely am I to end up doing extras for free?
Low
Clear boundaries, clear exclusions, clear client responsibilities.
Medium
Client likely to ask for extras, clarification, additional calls, or small changes.
High
Client doesn't yet understand what's included, excluded, or what decisions they need to make.
5
Asset value
Will I ever use any of this again?
Low
This could become a repeatable offer, case study, retained service, or template. The work pays twice.
Medium
Parts are reusable: some process, reporting structure, or proposal language carries over.
High
Pure one-off. Nothing reusable. Every hour is a cost you'll never recover on another project. Price it fully.
So: too high, about right, or too low?

Answer all 5 pressure points above to see your result.

Mostly low
Your number is about right. Send it.

Standard delivery, contained risk, and the work feeds the business afterwards. Use your normal price and stop second-guessing it.

The only risk here isn't the price. It's letting small extras creep in unnoticed once the work starts.

Mostly medium
The number might be fine. The quote isn't.

Your price only holds if everything goes perfectly, and it won't. Before this goes out: clearer scope, named exclusions, client responsibilities in writing, and a change request rule.

Send it as-is and the gap between what you quoted and what you'll actually do comes out of your margin.

Mostly high
Too low. Don't send it yet.

That quiet voice asking "is this too cheap?" was right. Before this goes out, one of these needs to happen: raise the price, split it into phases, add a paid diagnostic first, turn part of it into a retainer, or pause until the scope is clear.

High risk, high judgement, priced like standard delivery: that makes you the margin buffer. You'll feel it around week three.

Reply with your highest pressure point.

I'll tell you what I'd change in the quote before it goes out.

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deirdremartin.ie  ยท  The Built Beyond You System