proposal writing tips

How to Write a Compelling and Effective Business Proposal

July 25, 2013

As a business owner, one of the most important documents you need to be able to create is a business proposal. The difference between success and failure is very thin is today's competitive world and a well-written business proposal can make or break your business.

Most business owners spend a lot of their time working on new business proposals and sending them to potential clients to try and win new business, only to rarely get their proposals accepted. However, there are some business owners who have the Midas touch and are able to get their proposals accepted a lot. These business owners have learned the art of how to write powerful business proposal that gets their prospects exited about doing business with them. In this blog post we will provide you with tips to make your business proposals more powerful so you win more business.

First of all, writing a competitive business proposal is an art form that needs subtle mastery and the understanding of human behavior. Creating a business proposal is marketing, and marketing is all about human psychology and influencing buying triggers.

Here are a few basic rules on how to draft a spectacular business proposal:

Learn the Basics of Writing a Business Proposal

Before you start writing a business proposal, you must understand and learn the basics of it. Under most circumstances, a business proposal is a created to offer a service or product to a potential client. The proposal can be either solicited or unsolicited, and you must customize your document depending on if it is solicited or unsolicited.

The proposal should be written using a clear, concise and simple language. You should never use jargon that is not widely known or can be misunderstood. The most important aspect of the proposal must be its communicative efficiency; it should deliver its core message to the audience effectively.

Keep your proposals to the point and focused on the benefits your product or service will provide to your prospective client. Long proposals are usually neglected as many professionals are very busy and don\'t have the time to go through long proposals.

Understand that your prospective client does not care about you. The only thing they care about is how you can make their business better. Your business proposal must be focused on the wants and needs of your prospective client and how your product or service meets those needs better than any of your competitors.

Framework of a Compelling Business Proposal

A successful business proposal communicates the core message of your product or service benefits in a compelling and effective manner. The first few paragraphs of a proposal are crucial, and you should provide your prospective client with all the information they need to know about how your product or service and your company will improve their business. The company that does the best job of proving how their product or service will improve the prospective client\'s company better than anyone else and at a fair price has the best chance at winning the prospective client\'s business.

The Kickoff

You can begin by introducing your company and your product or service and how you help your clients achieve their goals. Try to be creative and attempt to grab the attention of the potential client. The main goal is here is to compel the reader to keep reading and not get bored.

Try building a personal relationship with the reader by sharing a few snippets about your business. Establishing your brand\'s integrity and worthy nature must be top priority if you want to create sense of trust in the client\'s mind.

The Persuasion

Learn the art of sales persuasion. One of the main goals of a business proposal is to offer a solution to a problem that potential client is facing or will face in the future. Cover all the benefits that the client might be able to extract from your product or service.

One key aspect to remember is that you should make the proposal centered on the benefits that will be received by the client rather than what you can offer. Show how your company will suit their unique needs.

The Solution

Once you've showcased the problems that your client is facing or may face in the future, it is time to suggest how your company can provide the best solution. Make sure to back up your solution with credible facts and figures. Include 1-2 page case studies to prove the benefits you provide to your clients.

Include testimonials from your past clients to add credibility to your claims. A testimonial from a high-profile client can work wonders for your overall brand image and improve the success rate of your proposal being accepted. Always remember: never include fake testimonials. It takes just a moment of deception to lose respect built over the years.

The Finish

Once you've completed the above sections, it is time to include a call to action. You've convinced your reader to take action, but give them an activity to partake in to bring them in closer to accept your proposal.

As it may be, you can provide your contact details such as email address or phone number to take the discussion forward. Perhaps you can guide them towards your online portfolio to take a look at your samples of previous work. Drawing the client towards your company to explore further options must be your main goal.

Always take time to craft your business proposal. Each project is unique and the proposal should reflect that, even if the project is with the same company you've worked previously. Provide as much information as you can about your company and how your services will benefit a potential client. If you follow the above guidelines, your business proposals will win more business for your company.

BONUS TIP

If you really want your business proposals to stand out and give you the best chance at winning new clients, use ClientPoint Business Proposal Software. It makes creating professional business proposals fast and easy.

Win more clients by creating impressive digital business proposals, price quotes, and contracts using ClientPoint Software

If you want your business proposals, price quotes, and contracts to stand out above the competition and give you the best chance at winning new clients, use ClientPoint's Business Proposal Software. It makes creating and formatting professional business proposals, price quotes, and contracts fast and easy.

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