Intro to Proposal Writing
This page will discuss how to begin writing a proposal for any service or product.
Use the paragraphs below to pick and choose which areas apply to your proposal.
What is a Proposal?
Proposal Writting
A proposal provides a customer a communication document or a written plan or offer to the buyer. It is a decision making tool for the buyer to review and analyze from which to make an informed buying decision. Put yourself in the decision makers place.
What would you want and need to know?
How can it reduce costs, avoid costs or increase revenues
Does this product meet our company’s needs
How will our company benefit financially and non-financially from implementing the product
What process does the seller use
What makes the organization selling, the product a good choice for our company
Identify 20% that is customer specific in the proposal.
Structure of a Proposal
Overview
Overview
- Intro/overview/executive summary:
- what’s our service is and what we have to offer
- Problem:
- what’s a problem they might be facing in this industry better yet specifically their business
- Solution:
- What’s the solution to this problem? And how are our specific/unique services/abilities going to solve this for them?
- Benefits:
- Specific things that will be good for the business – “the sell” how/what about our service feature we talk about above, translates to a benefit for them
Structure in Detail: For a Longer Proposal
Title Page
- Focus your proposals reader
Executive Summary
- Focuses your proposals readers
- Provides summary information on all key points contained.
- Alerts readers to critical information
- Gives reasons for presenting proposal
Table of Contents:
On all proposals follow this structure
1. Background Information
Everything you have learned about the customer during the sales process
- Industry Background
- Buyer Background
- Current Operations
- Improvement Opportunity identified
- Needs and Objectives
2. Proposed Solution
Everything your customer needs to know about your proposed product, description, features and benefits.
- Link the First part to Proposed Solution
- Product Description
- Product Application
- Non-Financial Benefits
- Financial Benefits
- Explain what’s in it for the client; what are the hard dollars and soft dollars; provide possible financial summary
- Use an ROI and/or Payback Method
3. Implementation
The Who, How and When you will implement our services
- Ease the buyers uncertain feelings about you
- What is the business risk
- If the customer makes the wrong choice it will create operational problems for the company
- Possible Personal Risk Mitigated
- Write about the Team
- Use a Resume
- Chart or Schedule
- Seller Profile
- Things your customer wants to know about your company
- Spot light Frontier and yourself
- Company Overview
- Customers
- References
- Quality
- Why us?!
- Business Issues
- Pricing; Payment Schedules….
10 Things to Present in Your Proposal:
- Make sure the buyer can read your sales proposal in advance
- Give every decision maker an original copy
- Use your sales proposal to organize the presentation
- Give your presentation and sales proposal the same look
- Keep it Simple
- Avoid too much Text
- Use Builds
- A slide that builds upon bullet points
- Use charts, tables, maps
- Refer to the proposal during presentation
- Practices
10 Things a Buyer Expects to See in Your Proposal:
- Description of the buyers improvement opportunity
- Description of the buyers needs and objectives
- Description of the proposed product and its application
- Buyers clearly defined Value Proposition
- How you plan to deliver
- Customer References
- Info about Frontier
- Complete description about fees, prices and other costs
- Quality
- Professional Looking