It's 12:45 PM on a Wednesday, and Shane, a business development associate, is just finishing lunch when a Teams notification pops up:
Manager: "Hey, can you pull together a proposal deck for the client meeting at 3 PM today?"
Shane's heart skips a beat. That's just over two hours to build a polished, client-ready presentation. There's no formal brief—just a few scattered notes from a discovery call last week, a spreadsheet (Pricing.xlsx), and a handful of emails outlining the client's preferences and pain points.
Shane opens Copilot Chat and takes a deep breath. The clock is ticking.
Shane's situation is one many professionals face:
- Tight deadline
- Fragmented information
- High expectations for polish and clarity
The goal is to create a compelling proposal deck that reflects the client's needs, aligns with internal pricing strategy, and looks professional enough to present to executives—all in under two hours.
There's no single "right" way to approach this scenario. Depending on Shane's strengths, the available data, and the team's expectations, there are multiple ways to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to get the job done.
After considering how you would approach this scenario, select each workflow to see ways you could proceed:
Goal: Extract client needs from emails and build a polished proposal deck using Outlook and PowerPoint.
Step 1: Summarize client preferences from email
Shane starts in Outlook's Copilot Chat and types:
Summarize client preferences and key discussion points from emails with [Client Name] over the past two weeks.
Copilot scans Outlook and returns a summary of the client's goals, pain points, and any specific requests mentioned in the email threads.
This step helps Shane avoid rereading long email chains and ensures nothing important is missed.
Step 2: Review and refine the summary
Shane reviews the summary and asks follow-up questions:
What did the client say about pricing flexibility?
Were there any concerns about implementation timelines?
This follow up helps Shane clarify any vague points and gather more targeted content for the proposal.
If Copilot misses something, Shane can manually search for keywords like "budget," "timeline," or "concerns" in Outlook.
Step 3: Build the deck in PowerPoint
Shane opens PowerPoint and prompts Copilot:
Create a proposal deck for [Client Name] using the email summary. Include slides for Client Needs, Our Solution, Pricing, and Next Steps.
Copilot generates a structured deck with placeholder content based on the email insights. Shane customizes the slides by adding branding, adjusting tone, and inserting visuals or logos.
With Copilot's help, Shane transforms scattered notes into a client-ready proposal—just in time for the meeting.
Goal: Build a narrative proposal using insights from Teams meetings and chat, then convert it into a presentation.
Step 1: Summarize meeting notes and chat threads
Shane opens Copilot in Teams and types:
Summarize the last client sync meeting and the #client-proposals channel.
Copilot returns a concise summary of what was discussed, including client goals, objections, and any action items.
Tip
If Copilot doesn't return expected results, Shane should check that the meeting was recorded and the chat is accessible, and can also specify keywords like "budget" or "timeline" to refine the summary.
Teams often holds informal but critical insights that don't make it into email.
Step 2: Draft a narrative in Word
Shane opens Word and prompts Copilot:
Draft a proposal based on the Teams summary. Include sections for Client Background, Challenges, Proposed Solution, and Benefits.
Copilot creates a narrative-style proposal that Shane can review and edit. Shane could further define the prompt to include directions about tone or structure. If the draft is too long, Shane asks Copilot to condense each section into bullet points for easier conversion to slides.
Step 3: Convert to PowerPoint
Shane then asks Word Copilot:
Turn this proposal into a PowerPoint presentation with one slide per section.
Copilot generates a slide deck with the narrative broken into digestible slides. Shane applies a branded template and adds visuals or charts to enhance the presentation.
This workflow helps Shane turn informal insights into a polished narrative that resonates with the client.
Goal: Visualize pricing strategy and integrate data insights into a compelling proposal deck.
Step 1: Visualize pricing data in Excel
Shane opens Pricing.xlsx and asks Excel Copilot:
Create a chart comparing pricing tiers and highlight the most cost-effective option.
Copilot generates a bar or line chart showing the differences between Standard, Premium, and Custom tiers.
Tip
Shane can ask Copilot to apply conditional formatting or annotate the chart to highlight key differences.
Visuals help clients quickly understand value and make decisions.
Step 2: Analyze trends with the Analyst agent
Shane opens Copilot Chat, navigates to the Analyst agent and types:
Analyze pricing trends and client preferences from recent proposals. Highlight what similar clients chose and why.
The Analyst agent returns insights like:
- Most clients in [industry] chose the Premium tier due to added support.
- Clients with fewer than 50 users preferred the Standard tier.
If results are vague, Shane refines the prompt to focus on specific industries or client sizes.
Step 3: Build the deck in PowerPoint
Shane opens PowerPoint and prompts Copilot:
Create a proposal deck for [Client Name] using the pricing chart and analysis. Include slides for Value Proposition, ROI, and Pricing Options.
Copilot builds a data-backed deck that Shane can fine-tune for tone and visuals. Shane adds a summary slide with a clear recommendation and call to action.
With Copilot's help, Shane transforms raw pricing data into a persuasive, insight-driven proposal—ready to guide the client's decision with clarity and confidence.