Use Google Docs AI to Expand Proposal Drafts
What This Does
Google Docs' "Help me write" feature turns your rough bullet-point notes about a cleaning account into a professional, fully written proposal section — so you spend time reviewing and editing, not staring at a blank page.
Before You Start
- Free Google account and access to Google Docs (docs.google.com)
- Notes from your walk-through of the prospective account
- Your company name and standard service offerings in mind
Steps
1. Open a new Google Doc
Go to docs.google.com and click the + Blank document. Give it a title: "Proposal — [Client Name] — [Date]."
What you should see: A blank document with your cursor ready to type.
2. Type your raw notes as bullet points first
Before using AI, quickly type out your rough notes:
- Building: 2-story office, ~8,000 sq ft
- Needs: Mon-Wed-Fri evenings
- Client concern: restrooms especially
- Special: locked server room, skip
This gives the AI the context it needs.
3. Use "Help me write" to generate each section
Highlight your notes, then look for the pen/sparkle icon on the left margin of the document. Click it and select Help me write. Or go to Insert → Help me write in the top menu.
Type your instruction:
"Using these notes, write a professional scope of work section for a commercial cleaning proposal. Include a table listing each area, cleaning tasks, and frequency. Professional and confident tone."
4. Review and insert the generated text
Click Insert to add the AI-generated text to your document. Review it for accuracy — does it capture your notes correctly? Add any specific details the client mentioned (e.g., "client requested green cleaning products").
What you should see: A fully written scope of work section with proper formatting, ready to include in your proposal.
5. Repeat for other sections
Use "Help me write" for the cover letter section and pricing overview:
"Write a 2-paragraph cover letter for a commercial cleaning proposal. We're a licensed, insured cleaning company with [X] years of experience. Address it to [Client Name]. Focus on our reliability and quality standards."
Real Example
Scenario: You finished a walk-through of a law firm's offices and have 5 minutes of rough notes on your phone.
What you type into "Help me write": "Turn these walk-through notes into a professional scope of work for a cleaning proposal: [paste notes]. Include a frequency table for each area."
What you get: A complete scope of work section that took 3 minutes instead of 45 minutes.
Tips
- Start a "Proposal Template" Google Doc with your standard cover page, insurance info, and company bio already written — only the scope of work and pricing needs to be generated fresh for each bid
- Use "Refine this" after inserting text to make it shorter, more formal, or to change the tone
- Share your proposal template as a Google Doc with your owner for easy collaboration and feedback
Tool interfaces change — if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.