Must-Have Items in Your Business Proposal
Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2025 6:33 am
Below, you’ll learn what your proposal should include, how to write it, and some proposal best practices to help you win new business.
What is a Business Proposal, and Why Do You Need One?
A business proposal is a formal document: that outlines a business idea or solution to a problem and presents it to a potential client or investor. It's part persuasive argument and part detailed scope of work. The goal is to convince your audience that your product or service is the right choice for their unique needs.
You’ll want to include some items and exclude others to create a winning proposal. Here’s our take on what a proposal that helps you close the deal will include.
Title page: Starting with a visually appealing title page that india telegram data states your company name, who the proposal is for, and the date it was created can set a nice, professional tone. Use your company logo and a well-designed image to start things off.
Executive summary/cover letter: Next, you can add a short description of your company’s background and qualifications, why people in your industry trust you, your mission statement, or whatever you feel is important to include. The goal here is to set the stage in a way that builds trust.
A problem statement and solution: Before you jump into the details, sell your potential clients the “why” behind your proposal. Recap all of the problems you’ve previously identified and the solutions that your company has for them. Paint a picture of the future state and expected outcomes you’ll create.
Service and project details: Now that you’ve shown what problems you’ll solve, it’s time to describe how you’ll solve them. Here, you can detail your services and the details of the project. If you’re an accounting firm, you would list things like bookkeeping, tax returns, financial reporting, and payroll. For each service, provide a description of what it entails and the expected results.
Project deliverables timeline: Knowing when they can expect results can help build urgency in your prospects. If you’re selling software, for example, you could add an expected delivery timetable for data migration, implementation, training, and go-live dates. This will make the picture even clearer and help get you closer to the finish line.
Pricing: Proposals are a great place to present your pricing because it’s wrapped in all the benefits that you provide. Rather than just telling them the price information you would see on a menu, you can strategically place the pricing within your proposal. Describe each line item you’ll be charging for from the scope of work and services earlier in your proposal. Make it crystal clear so there are no surprises later.
What is a Business Proposal, and Why Do You Need One?
A business proposal is a formal document: that outlines a business idea or solution to a problem and presents it to a potential client or investor. It's part persuasive argument and part detailed scope of work. The goal is to convince your audience that your product or service is the right choice for their unique needs.
You’ll want to include some items and exclude others to create a winning proposal. Here’s our take on what a proposal that helps you close the deal will include.
Title page: Starting with a visually appealing title page that india telegram data states your company name, who the proposal is for, and the date it was created can set a nice, professional tone. Use your company logo and a well-designed image to start things off.
Executive summary/cover letter: Next, you can add a short description of your company’s background and qualifications, why people in your industry trust you, your mission statement, or whatever you feel is important to include. The goal here is to set the stage in a way that builds trust.
A problem statement and solution: Before you jump into the details, sell your potential clients the “why” behind your proposal. Recap all of the problems you’ve previously identified and the solutions that your company has for them. Paint a picture of the future state and expected outcomes you’ll create.
Service and project details: Now that you’ve shown what problems you’ll solve, it’s time to describe how you’ll solve them. Here, you can detail your services and the details of the project. If you’re an accounting firm, you would list things like bookkeeping, tax returns, financial reporting, and payroll. For each service, provide a description of what it entails and the expected results.
Project deliverables timeline: Knowing when they can expect results can help build urgency in your prospects. If you’re selling software, for example, you could add an expected delivery timetable for data migration, implementation, training, and go-live dates. This will make the picture even clearer and help get you closer to the finish line.
Pricing: Proposals are a great place to present your pricing because it’s wrapped in all the benefits that you provide. Rather than just telling them the price information you would see on a menu, you can strategically place the pricing within your proposal. Describe each line item you’ll be charging for from the scope of work and services earlier in your proposal. Make it crystal clear so there are no surprises later.