A result, a name, and a short quote.
Most people handle this by guessing or by copying what someone else posted. That tells you what is common, not what works for your studio. A better starting point is to work backwards from your own numbers and write the decision down.
1. Name the outcome
Write one sentence for what should be true when this is done. For Proof on a sales page, that sentence should include a number, a name, or a date. If you cannot name it, you are not ready to send anything.
2. Gather the inputs
List what you already know. Price, hours, tax, the client name, the deadline, and who has to approve it. A rough figure is better than a blank page. You can correct it after the first pass.
3. Do the work in one sitting
Open the matching tool or a blank document and complete a first version. Do not polish yet. The goal is a number or a paragraph you can react to, not a perfect artefact.
4. Check the assumptions
Read it back and ask three questions. Is the currency right? Is the tax line honest? Are the names and the date correct? Most mistakes in client work are one of these three.
5. Add a buffer
Add 10 to 30 percent for revisions, late payers, and the hour you did not plan for. A rate or a quote without a buffer is a survival number, not a sustainable one.
6. Put it where you can find it
Move the number, the date, and the scope out of the chat thread and into the document, the invoice, or the project notes. If it is not written down, it will be renegotiated later.
A simple rule
If the client cannot answer what happens next without calling you, the document is not finished.
Related reading
See also how to write an invoice and setting a freelance rate.
Try it
Pick one live project this week. Write the current situation in one sentence, run the matching tool, and keep the result with the project notes. Adjust the wording to your voice. The structure is what gets you paid.
