Balancing consistency and creativity in AEC proposals
- Kayla McCause, LSSGB, CPSM
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
In the AEC world, proposals are our currency. But too often, we find marketing and technical team members don't share an understanding of the basic tools and terms we use in the proposal development process—mixing up boilerplate with templates, tailoring with custom. The result? Misaligned expectations, wasted effort, and submissions that fail to connect with clients.
It's time we set the record straight on what these words truly mean, in definition and to your proposal strategy and process. Understanding the difference and when to use each strategy will save time and headaches.
Boilerplate is the starting point.
It is the foundational language your firm relies on, such as descriptions of services, processes, or qualifications that are generic by design. Boilerplate gives you a baseline to build from. It creates consistency, saves time, and ensures you do not start from zero every time. But standing alone, boilerplate will not inspire confidence or connection.
Templates are the framework.
A proposal template should never be a prison. Too often, they are treated as rigid boxes: if it does not fit in the space, it does not belong. But the real purpose of a template is to provide guardrails. Fonts, headers, margins, graphics, and colors keep your brand cohesive while still giving your team room to shape the story.
Tailoring is the difference-maker.
Tailoring is editing with intent. It means adjusting the language, emphasis, and examples to reflect what matters most to the client. You are still using the starting point and the framework, but you are shaping them so the client feels understood. Tailoring is where most proposals should live, because it strikes the balance between efficiency and relevance.
Custom is the exception.
Custom is the blank slate: new design, new structure, new messaging. It is powerful, but resource-heavy, and only sustainable for rare, strategic pursuits.
Consistency meets creativity in proposals
Boilerplate and templates are not bad. They are essential. They create brand consistency, save time, and free staff from reinventing the wheel. But consistency alone does not close the deal.
And here is the key: consistency does not mean sameness. A consistent brand shows up with the same level of quality, clarity, and polish every time, but the story still adapts to the audience and the opportunity. Consistency should make your pursuits recognizable, not repetitive.
Creativity comes in when you tailor. That is where you demonstrate that you get it: the client’s project, their pressures, their goals. It is where your firm’s experience intersects with their needs in a way that feels personal rather than mass-produced.
Off-the-rack, tailored, or custom?
Think of proposals like shopping for clothes:
Boilerplate is off-the-rack. It works as a starting point, but it rarely fits anyone perfectly.
Tailoring makes it yours. A few thoughtful adjustments transform it into something that feels made for you.
Custom is couture. Gorgeous, bespoke, unforgettable, but expensive, time-consuming, and not sustainable for everyday wear.
Most pursuits do not require couture. They require tailoring, because tailoring is what makes an otherwise standard suit look like it was made just for the client.
The 85/10/5 rule
Here is how it plays out in practice:
85% Tailored = the sweet spot. You begin with boilerplate as your starting point and a template as your structure, then make intentional adjustments to highlight client-specific needs and project details
10% Custom = the truly unique pursuits where a one-of-a-kind response is worth the lift
5% Boilerplate Only = the quick-turn, low-value submittals where you stop at the starting point and do not invest in tailoring
And here is the hard-hitting truth: if a pursuit is not worth tailoring, is it really worth pursuing at all?
The pursuit litmus test
Before your team jumps into the next RFP, pause and ask:
Have we identified where tailoring will make the difference?
Does the pursuit deserve more than the starting point?
Is this a rare case that warrants a fully custom approach?
If you cannot answer yes to at least the first question, then maybe it's time to rethink whether the pursuit is worth your team’s energy.
The bottom line
Boilerplate is the starting point. Templates provide the structure. Together, they create efficiency and brand consistency. But the real differentiator—the part that makes clients lean in—is tailoring. It is the bridge between consistency and creativity in proposals, between being another submittal in the stack and being the one that feels like it was written for the client.
In a competitive market, where margins are tight and expectations are high, tailoring is not a luxury. It is table stakes. Boilerplate starts the story, tailoring closes it, and custom is the special occasion when you build a story no one else can tell.
