When you start a new business, the most important part to keep everything up and running is to secure customers and clients. One of the best ways to do this is by providing a business proposal. However, it’s a bit challenging if you don’t know how to write a business proposal properly. But fear no more, because today, we’ll walk through all the steps of creating a professional and well-crafted business proposal to help you grow your client base by targeting all the necessary fields and answer all the questions!

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Step 1: Know the Basic Structure of a Complete Business Proposal

It’s critical for you to understand the basic structure of a successful business proposal. For such a proposal to do its job, it has to:

Provide all the basic information about your business

Target the client’s issues and propose competitive solutions

Shows your competency in fulfilling the client’s needs and solving their problems efficiently

Guide the reader towards inquiring or even singing with your company.

That’s why it’s important that you “walk the client” through the proposal as if you’re talking to them. 

It should be well organized with reasonable steps. Also, it shouldn’t be too long that it becomes boring or too short that it lacks some critical details. 

A title page should include all the necessary information about you and your company. This includes:

All your business contact information (social media, websites, phone numbers, addresses)

Make sure to keep things in a visually appealing neat design to catch the client’s interest and give them insight into your professionalism.

Step 3: Wordsmith an Introductory Cover Letter (Pro Tip)

One of the criminally underrated aspects of a business proposal is adding a nice cover letter to the client.

This counts as an excellent way to break the ice between you and the client. In the letter, you can introduce yourself personally and give a short overview of your company in a friendly manner. 

Always close the letter by thanking the client for taking the time to read the proposal as well as your handwritten signature whenever possible. (gives a white-glove treatment impression to the reader)

The decision of including a table of content depends mainly on the amount of information you have in the business proposal.

In the majority of cases, you’ll need to provide one to help the client navigate easier through the proposal.

Keep in mind to research the attention span of your industry’s clients and fill the proposal accordingly.

If it’s an online or electronic proposal, make sure that each section is clickable for a streamlined and intuitive experience. 

Step 5: Add an Executive Summary About the Proposal

An executive summary simply answers the “why” question that your client might have. It gives an outline of the benefits of doing business with your company or a quick insight into the products or services that you offer.

It’s also a great idea to provide assertive clients with a clear idea about your business and benefits, as such types of clients usually like to cut to the chase and skip through introductory elements of the proposal.

In that case, it’s always better to make it as concise as possible with bolding the main selling points of your business.

Step 6: Start by Stating a Problem or Need (Pro Tip)

Another frequently ignored step is stating a problem or need before offering a solution. Showing that you understand the client’s problem well will encourage your clients to do business with you.

Now that you’ve paved the road towards your business capabilities, it’s your time to shine!

This is considered the main body of your business proposal where you demonstrate your proposed solutions to the client.

Make sure that your solution is tailored to the client’s needs, so it maintains the impression that the entire proposal is specially made for them.

Don’t forget to provide the methodology of your solution as well as the expectations within specific timing, such as deadline and due dates. 

Step 8: Supply Your Qualifications in an “About Us” Format

Once you’ve delivered your solution successfully, it’s time to show your competency and your company’s abilities to live up to the promises, you’ve just made.

A smart move here is to provide various success stories that resemble the one you’re offering as well as all the qualifications that “put a good word out for you”.

If your services or products are on the pricey side, another pro tip here is to include that before the pricing section to justify the prices and prepare your customers for the hefty premium you deserve.

Unless you literally have a single price option for your services or products, it’s always recommended to try and format them in a tabular form.

This makes it a lot easier for your client to calculate the total amount they’re expecting to pay. For online proposals, try to make it interactive with the products or services you’re offering where it calculates the total costs automatically.

Step 10: Clarify Your Terms and Conditions

In this section, you go into technical and legal details about the product or service you’re offering. This includes everything from the project timeline to payment methods and schedules. It’s crucial to consult your legal aid while formulating this part to avoid any future troubles. It’s also important to show the client where to sign clearly to encourage them to make the deal.

How to Write a Business Proposal

There you have it! A complete guide that shows you how to write a business proposal efficiently through 10 easy steps.

Remember to make the proposal as visually appealing to the customers as you possibly can. Also, it’s always a great idea to make an online version of your proposal, as they’re technically free and easier to adjust for each client.

How to Write a Business Proposal

How to Write a Business Proposal

Wrap Up

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