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AI Is Everywhere. Here’s Why Better Proposals Refuses to Drink the Kool-Aid

Oct 10, 2025

7 mins

AI is the hottest buzzword in software right now. But here’s the dirty truth: most companies are getting it completely wrong.

Why everyone is suddenly “AI-powered”

If you’ve opened LinkedIn recently, you already know. Every other post is some founder announcing their “AI-first product.” Every SaaS company suddenly slaps “AI-powered” on their homepage like a magic sticker that’s supposed to increase conversions.

Let’s call it what it is: marketing theatre.

Most of these features don’t solve real problems. They exist so someone in the boardroom can brag, “We’re an AI company now.” The irony is that in chasing the trend, they’ve made their product worse. Cluttered. Confusing. Bloated with gimmicks nobody asked for.

Imagine logging into your CRM and suddenly every field has an “AI suggestion” button. You click one by accident and now your client’s company name is replaced with SynergyCorp Global Solutions™, your notes are rewritten in corporate buzzwords, and the interface takes twice as long to load because it’s “thinking.” None of this helps you close a deal. It just slows you down and makes you look ridiculous.

Here’s what customers actually care about:

Does this save me time?
Does this help me look more professional?
Does this help me win more business?

That’s it. Nobody ever said, “I really hope this software has a mediocre AI chatbot I’ll never use.”

At Better Proposals, we refuse to join the AI arms race just for the sake of it. We use AI where it makes sense. We ignore it where it doesn’t. We’re not “anti AI.” We’re anti-bullshit.

Where AI actually makes sense in proposal software

Proposals are a strange hybrid of art and science.

The science: structure, formatting, consistency, best practices that we know convert.

The art: your voice, your story, your ability to connect with the client on a human level.

AI can help with the science. That’s why we’ve introduced smart features that save you from staring at a blank page.

Kickstart your proposal: No more “new document” paralysis. Get a draft started quickly.
Design cleanups: Automatic adjustments so your proposal doesn’t look like something from Microsoft Word circa 2003.
Conversion nudges: Data-backed suggestions that improve readability and boost sign-off rates.

But let’s be clear: these are tools, not crutches. They don’t replace you. They don’t talk in that sterile, over-polished, “unlock your full potential” nonsense tone. They help you move faster so you can spend more time adding the details that actually close the deal.

What we refuse to do with AI

It’s not just about what we build. It’s about what we will never build.

AI support bots. You’ll always get real human support. Because when you need help, the last thing you want is to play 20 questions with a script that dumps you back into the FAQ. We’ve all been there and it’s frustrating.
AI spam generators. We won’t help you blast out soulless, copy-paste proposals. Your clients will see right through that.
AI everywhere, for no reason. Some companies bolt AI onto every feature, then shout about it. We only ship AI features that actually help you win business.

We’re allergic to bloat. If it doesn’t solve a real problem, it doesn’t go in.

Why human proposals beat AI every single time

This part is non-negotiable.

Proposals aren’t just documents. They’re your first real chance to show a client why they should trust you. AI can draft sentences. But it can’t:

Understand the nuance of your client’s pain point.
Frame your solution in a way that resonates with them.
Add those personal touches that show you actually give a damn.

Clients aren’t dumb. They know when they’re reading generic AI slop. They can spot the empty buzzwords. And they’ll associate it with you.

We’ve all learned to see right through the AI generated content. To paraphrase the Oracle from the first Matrix movie:

”Reading an AI generated proposal is like being in love. No one can tell you you’re in love, you just know it. Through and through. It’s the same with AI content”.

That’s why our philosophy is simple: let AI handle the grunt work, so you can focus on the human work.

AI with common sense: our stance

We’re not anti AI. Far from it.

Think about a woodworker.

They don’t throw away their hammer just because power drills exist. They don’t abandon pencil and paper because CAD software is available. They use each tool for what it’s best at. Sometimes the CNC machine is the right choice. Sometimes nothing beats the simplicity of a handsaw.

That’s how we see AI in proposals. It’s a tool. A powerful one, sure. But it doesn’t replace the fundamentals.

We’ll use AI to strip out the friction. To make formatting cleaner. To help you build faster. But we’ll never position it as a replacement for your expertise, your creativity, or your ability to connect with clients.

Gradually rolling out AI features that matter

Here’s how we’ll approach AI going forward:

Tested in the real world. We’ll experiment, measure, and only ship features that actually move the needle on conversions.
Time-savers, not time-wasters. If a feature doesn’t shave minutes or hours off your workflow, it doesn’t make the cut.
Human-first by design. Everything AI does inside Better Proposals is built around making your work stand out, not turning you into another cookie-cutter sales rep.

Over the coming months, you’ll see more AI features that will help you create awesome proposals. They’ll be smart, they’ll be subtle, and they’ll keep you firmly in control. What they won’t do is take over.

Because that’s the point. The AI doesn’t win you the deal. You do.

The AI hype cycle will pass. Winning deals won’t.

Right now, AI is everywhere. But the hype cycle will end. Every hype cycle does.

When the dust settles, clients will still be signing proposals. And the people closing those deals won’t be the ones who relied on “AI slop.” They’ll be the ones who put thought, personality, and care into their proposals and used smart tools to do it faster.

That’s where Better Proposals stands. AI with common sense. AI that makes your work sharper, not shallower.

The bottom line

Better Proposals isn’t here to be an “AI company.” We’re here to be the best proposal company.

AI will play a role, but on our terms. As a tool that helps you, not a replacement for you.

If that’s the kind of software you want to bet your business on, then you’re in the right place.

👉 Create your first proposal

Does Better Proposals use AI?

Yes, but only in ways that add real value. We use AI to speed up proposal creation, clean up design, and give subtle nudges that improve conversion rates. What we don’t do is slap AI onto every feature just so we can call ourselves an “AI company.” Our focus is proposals, and AI is one of many tools we use to make them better.

Do you use AI for customer support?

No. And we never will. Customer support is one of those areas where AI usually makes things worse, not better. Everyone has had the experience of being stuck in a loop with a poorly trained chatbot that can’t answer your question. At Better Proposals, when you need help, you’ll talk to a real human who knows the product inside out.

Can AI write my whole proposal?

Technically, yes. But should it? No. AI can generate drafts, filler text, or even structure a proposal for you. But winning proposals require your voice, your story, and your understanding of the client. That’s something no AI can replace. Our stance is that AI should help you move faster, not take over the work that makes you credible and trustworthy in front of your clients.

Why doesn’t Better Proposals have more AI features?

First of all, we do have a lot of AI features, but some of them are just not obvious. We are not slapping the “AI” label on everything we do. Second, because more isn’t always better. We’re not interested in bloating the product with gimmicks. We release AI features gradually, and only when they’ve been tested in the real world and proven to actually help users close more deals. Adding AI for the sake of it might sound good in a press release, but it doesn’t help our customers win business.

How is Better Proposals’ approach to AI different from other software?

We can’t speak for everyone but we see a lot of companies chase the AI hype. They build features that sound impressive but don’t solve actual user problems. Our approach is the opposite: we focus on solving the boring, real-world pain points of creating, sending, and closing proposals. If AI can help with that, we’ll use it. If not, we leave it out. That’s why our customers get useful, practical AI, not just flashy add-ons.

What’s the roadmap for AI inside Better Proposals?

We’ll be rolling out more features over time, but always with common sense. Expect smarter drafting tools, better design suggestions, and even subtle pricing optimizations that help you frame offers more effectively. Each feature will be built around one principle: it should save you time or help you win more deals. Nothing else makes the cut.

Will AI replace proposal writing in the future?

Not with us. We don’t believe that replacing human creativity with AI is the right move. The human element, your ability to show empathy, tailor a solution, and build trust, is the reason proposals close. AI can support you, but it will never take your place. Think of it as the difference between a woodworker using a CNC machine to cut shapes versus sketching a custom design by hand. The machine speeds things up, but the vision still comes from the person.

Can AI proposals hurt my chances of winning a deal?

Yes, if you rely on them blindly. Clients are getting very good at spotting generic AI generated text. If your proposal sounds the same as ten others they’ve read, you’ll blend into the noise. That’s why we encourage you to always personalize your proposals. Use AI to do the heavy lifting, but put your voice and expertise into the final draft. That’s what makes you stand out.

How do you make sure AI in Better Proposals doesn’t generate “AI slop”?

We’ve all seen it: em dashes everywhere, corporate buzzwords like “synergy” and “unlock your true potential,” and paragraphs that say nothing in three sentences. We test and tune our AI features to avoid this. But more importantly, we encourage users to edit, adapt, and add their human touch. The AI is there to get you moving faster, not to spit out a finished proposal that reads like everyone else’s.

What industries benefit the most from Better Proposals’ AI features?

Any industry where proposals are a standard part of doing business. That includes marketing agencies, freelancers, consultants, SaaS companies, real estate, construction, IT services, and more. If you’re sending documents to win work, you’ll benefit from having a tool that drafts faster, formats cleaner, and gives you insights into what converts. AI doesn’t replace your expertise in your industry, it just makes the proposal process smoother.

Sašo G. Kastelic

For more than 12 years, Sašo Kastelic has been helping SaaS companies grow smarter and faster. As a Growth Manager at Better Proposals, he’s focused on turning data into decisions that boost signups, retention, and revenue. When he’s not busy optimizing campaigns or building automations, Sašo enjoys spending time with his daughters, building furniture in his small woodworking shop, and heading out on off-road adventures to explore the unbeaten path.