How do I make a proposal in an English negotiation?
Put the proposal on the table in one sentence: "We'd like to propose a two-year contract." Link your offer to a condition: "We could lower the price by 4%, provided that you order 5,000 units a year." Briefly name the benefit for the other side and invite a response with a question: "How does that sound?" Then listen.
- The three steps: put the proposal on the table, attach a condition, invite a response.
- "We propose that you pay …", not "We propose you to pay …" — the same goes for "suggest".
- "Would" and "could" make an offer sound open and negotiable: "We could …", "We'd be prepared to …".
B2 · Negotiation · 10 minMaking proposals in English negotiations, taught brick by brick.
A structured ten-slide lesson for B2 learners. Hear a proposal in context, meet the three steps from a tutor — put the proposal on the table, attach a condition, invite a response — then practise them in the interactive drills before a final quiz. The whole arc is under ten minutes and nothing requires a signup.
- CEFR levelB2 · Upper intermediate
- Time to completeAbout 10 minutes
- SkillsSpeaking, Vocabulary, Listening, Business English
- Bricks10 blocks
01 / 06
What a proposal has to do in a negotiation
At some point in every negotiation, someone has to make the first concrete proposal. Until then, both sides have stated what they want and asked questions; now, for the first time, there is something on the table to talk about. A good proposal is therefore clear enough that the other side knows exactly what is on offer, and open enough that they can respond to it without losing face. To do that, it needs three steps. Step one puts the proposal on the table: one sentence that says what you are proposing. Step two links your offer to a condition, because in a negotiation you rarely give something without getting something back. Step three briefly names the benefit for the other side and invites them to respond with a question. In its shortest form, all three steps fit into a few seconds: "We'd like to propose a two-year contract: we could lower the price by 4%, provided that you order 5,000 units a year. How does that sound?" Proposal, condition, question — the other side knows what is on offer, what it costs them and that it is now their turn.
02 / 06
Step 1: put the proposal on the table
The first sentence says what you are proposing — not why, and not how long you have thought about it. The usual openers are "We'd like to propose …", "Our proposal is that …" and the slightly more relaxed "What we're suggesting is …". "We'd" is short for "we would", and that "would" is what makes the sentence polite and open: you are putting something up for discussion, not announcing a result. Three patterns are especially useful after "propose". A noun: "We'd like to propose a two-year contract." A that-clause: "We propose that we fix the price for the full two years." Or an -ing form: "We propose fixing the price for two years." "Propose" plus a to-infinitive also exists, as in "We propose to fix the price"; it sounds formal and usually means "we intend to". What "propose" does not normally take is an object plus a to-infinitive — "We propose you to fix the price" is not idiomatic. Keep the first sentence short. A proposal hidden behind three sentences of introduction sounds unsure, and the other side has to search for what they are actually being asked to decide.
03 / 06
Step 2: attach a condition to the offer
In a negotiation, an offer with nothing asked in return is usually a gift. So you link what you give to what you get for it. Three phrases do this especially clearly: "provided that …", "as long as …" and the more formal "on condition that …". "We could lower the price by 4%, provided that you order 5,000 units a year." "We can deliver by May, as long as you confirm the order this week." You can also leave out the "that" after "provided": "provided you order 5,000 units". For the offer itself, "We could …", "We'd be prepared to …" and "We'd be happy to …" work well: they present it as a possibility rather than a firm promise. "If" works too, and here you have a choice. "If you order 5,000 units, we can lower the price" sounds like a firm offer. "We'd be prepared to extend the warranty if you paid half in advance" sounds more tentative: the past form "paid" does not refer to the past but to an imagined future. Both are correct; the more tentative form suits a first proposal, and the firmer one suits an offer you really mean as it stands.
04 / 06
Step 3: name the benefit and invite a response
Before you hand the floor to the other side, say in one sentence what the proposal does for them. Their benefit is often not yours, and you should not leave them to guess it: "That would give you a fixed price for two years." "That way, you would have the stock before the busy season." "Would" keeps this sentence open as well — you are describing what would happen if they agreed. Then ask a question that really expects an answer: "How does that sound?", "Would that work for you?" or "What do you think?". And then stop talking. For many negotiators this is the hardest part, because a pause quickly feels uncomfortable. But if you fill it with more reasons or small extras, it can sound as if you do not believe in your own proposal, and you may give away more than you need to. If the other side hesitates, ask rather than improving the offer straight away: "Which part doesn't work for you?" That way you find out where the real problem is.
05 / 06
The German traps: propose, offer, Angebot, eventuell
Four places where German gets in the way. First, "propose" and "suggest": "Wir schlagen Ihnen vor, die Hälfte im Voraus zu zahlen" tempts you into "We propose you to pay half in advance". In English, "propose" and "suggest" are not normally followed by an object plus a to-infinitive; use a that-clause — "We propose that you pay half in advance" — or the -ing form: "We suggest paying half in advance." Second, "offer": "Wir bieten Ihnen an, die Ware kostenlos zu liefern" easily turns into "We offer you to deliver the goods free of charge". The correct versions are "We offer to deliver the goods free of charge" or "We can offer you free delivery" — in these examples, "offer" takes a to-infinitive with no person, or a person plus a noun. A noun on its own is also possible: "We can offer free delivery." Third, "Angebot": a written price offer is usually "a quote" or "a quotation"; "offer" fits better for what you put forward in the conversation. Fourth, the false friend "eventuell": "Wir könnten eventuell den Preis senken" means "We could possibly lower the price" or "We might be able to lower the price". English "eventually" means "in the end" or "finally".
06 / 06
Open, but not unsure: getting the tone right
"Would" and "could" make a proposal sound open, but too much caution can weaken it. "I was just wondering if maybe we could possibly think about a slightly longer contract" can sound hesitant because it piles up several hedges, and it may give the impression that you lack confidence in your own proposal. One softening expression per sentence is usually enough: "We'd like to propose a two-year contract." With figures, dates and conditions, on the other hand, be precise: "4%", "5,000 units a year", "by the end of May". A vague condition such as "if you order a bit more" only invites misunderstandings. Watch the order, too. Many negotiators state the condition first and the offer second — "If you order 5,000 units, we could lower the price" — because that makes it clear the offer is not free. Others lead with the offer so that it is heard first. Both work; what matters is that the offer and the condition come in the same breath. And if the other side makes a counter-proposal, that is not a failure but the normal next step: now you are negotiating about something concrete.