Step-by-Step: How to Write a Business Proposal That Wins Contracts
SEO Specialist with a passion for elevating Salesforce content.
It’s 2024, and the B2B market is thriving. Introducing one’s business is one important step to reaching out and attracting potential clients. A well-written business proposal is the perfect way of presenting the products and services your business provides. The bottom line is pretty simple: the success of your business is 100% guaranteed if you don’t overlook the importance of a business proposal the next time you reach out to a customer.
What Does a Business Proposal Look Like?
First, let us look at the definition: A business proposal is a document (digital or handwritten) that traces a potential business plan and provides detailed descriptions of the products or services offered by a business to future customers. Business proposals contain predicted outcomes after the said business plan is executed. Typically, these outcomes include increased profits, improved customer satisfaction, and more efficient operations, depending on the company’s specific needs. A proposal puts the buyer’s needs in a context that benefits the seller’s products and services and shows the buyer how the seller can meet those needs.
Types of Business Proposals
Now that we understand the nature of business proposals let’s dive into the different types of these documents. Although most of them serve the same purpose, the means vary. One of the primary factors that differentiates business proposals from one another is whether they’re solicited or unsolicited. One is very similar to what we call a cold email, while the first is a response to a customer’s request.
Formally Solicited Proposals
Solicited proposals can be formal and informal. Say the company is a regular seller client and has already received services or products from the provider. The client wants to place another order and needs a formal document to double-check the terms and conditions before signing a contract. This is when a seller writes a formally solicited proposal. The company must respond to a seller’s offer within an agreed time.
Informally Solicited Business Proposals
If there has never been a business relationship between two companies and one finds the other’s products or services attractive, it may ask for a business proposal informally. The document, in this case, is written upon informal solicitation but still contains details about the quality of the product, shipping terms, pricing options, etc. The company is not obligated to respond to a seller’s offer.
Unsolicited business proposals
A company writes an unsolicited business proposal when it’s looking to attract potential clients and customers and is the first one to reach out. The document includes information about the seller, its products and services, terms of cooperation, successful cases, etc.
How to Write a Business Proposal Letter?
In this section, we will walk you through the complex process of writing a business proposal that actually translates into increased sales.
Begin with a Title Page
Start your proposal by presenting your company’s name, client’s name, proposal date, and, of course, a proposal name. You can include additional information, such as telephone number, email address, etc. We suggest including visuals and graphics which catch the eye for starting strong.
Write Executive Summary
This is the part where you get to set a scene. Talk about your company, your products and services, and the purpose of your proposal. Briefly summarize the advantages the client will get from working with you.
State the Problem or Need
Focus on the reason for reaching out: what do they need your help with? What issues are on the table? Describe how these problems will affect their business if not addressed correctly and on time.
Propose a Solution
After you’ve shed light on the problems the company’s going through, propose your solution. Give them an action plan and a time frame, and tell them precisely how you will solve the issues.
Share your Qualifications
Talk about your qualifications to create a sense of professionalism and trust. Include your success stories that are relevant to your potential client. Emphasize the value of your services and how they can help the company reach its goals.
Create a Pricing Table
Carefully create a pricing table. Enter the total sum and clarify payment details. Include shipping terms and costs if you provide physical products.
Lay Out the Terms of the Agreement
Include legal language and/or an electronic signature request at the bottom of your document, depending on your goals and sales process. If you want to avoid creating a legally binding contract, note that in your document and prompt the reader to contact you.
Summarize with a Conclusion
Finally, summarize your proposal one last time. Provide contact information and give the client a deadline to respond. Review the agreement one last time before sending it.
The latest software solutions make the proposal-writing process neat and easier. With the help of automated proposals, your prospective customers will receive the document faster and with less effort.
Business Proposal Templates
To win new customers and secure profitable deals, you need to create compelling business proposals. To generate sales proposals that truly stand out, businesses often rely on professionally designed business proposal templates. These templates serve as a foundation, offering a well structure that can be customized to suit specific needs. The advantages of using business proposal templates are:
- Time Efficiency
- Consistency
- Professional Appearance
- Customization
- Ease of Use
Companies such as PandaDoc, Proposify, and Canva provide user-friendly business proposal templates, ensuring that entrepreneurs can create visually appealing and persuasive documents without the need for advanced design skills.
PandaDoc
PandaDoc is a platform that simplifies the process of creating, editing, and sending business documents, including business proposals. Known for its user-friendly interface, PandaDoc allows users to choose from a variety of professionally designed templates, making it easy to craft visually appealing and effective sales proposals. The platform also offers features for e-signatures and document tracking, streamlining the entire proposal management workflow.
Cons: Some users might find that PandaDoc’s advanced features may require additional effort for newcomers to grasp, potentially requiring more time for new users to become fully proficient.
Canva
Canva, widely recognized for its graphic design capabilities, also offers business proposal templates. The users can customize pre-designed templates to suit their branding and messaging needs. With a drag-and-drop interface and a vast library of design elements, Canva allows users to create an eye-catching business proposal.
Cons: While Canva offers great design flexibility, its business proposal templates might be seen as less specialized compared to platforms dedicated solely to proposal creation, lacking certain advanced proposal-specific features.
Jotform
Jotform stands out as an all-in-one platform for creating online forms and collecting data, but users can also leverage its features for creating professional business proposals. Customers use Jotform’s user-friendly form-building tools to gather important information and effortlessly integrate it into proposal templates. With its dual functionality Jotform is a convenient choice for businesses searching for a solution for proposal creation.
Cons: For businesses wanting to create and manage content-rich proposals, the way Jotform’s pricing is set up, mainly centered around form creation, might not be the most budget-friendly solution.
Proposify
Proposify’s platform is designed exclusively for creating and managing business proposals. Proposify streamlines the proposal process, and provides a variety of customizable templates, collaboration tools, and analytics to help businesses create persuasive proposals and track their effectiveness.
Cons: The cost of Proposify’s robust features might be a drawback for smaller businesses or individuals with budget constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the basic format for a proposal?
A basic proposal format typically includes an Introduction, Executive Summary, Objectives/Goals, Methods/Approach, Timeline, Budget, Qualifications/Experience, Conclusion.
How can I write a good business proposal?
Understand what your audience needs and likes, clearly share your ideas, highlight the advantages your proposal brings to the client or partner, use relevant data and research to support your proposal and build trust.
How long should a business proposal be?
The length depends on the complexity of the project, but generally, proposals range from 5 to 25 pages. Aim for clarity and completeness without unnecessary details.
Build Successful Business Proposals with Titan Docs
If you want to build successful business proposals with a robust document generation tool, we are happy to say that’s kind of our thing at Titan. Titan Docs extends Salesforce’s Document Generation Software and allows you to build custom dynamic documents from Salesforce.
The no-code approach to designing and generating documents is brought to you by Titan’s powerful drag-and-drop builder. Titan offers static and dynamically generated documents with a simple click of a button. Use Titan Docs to reduce the time and effort required to generate customized documents and automate the creation process.
We hope to see you soon!
Disclaimer: The comparisons listed in this article are based on information provided by the companies online and online reviews from users. If you found a mistake, please contact us.
