Proposal Writing Done Effectively: Utilizing Sample Business Proposals
There's not a business on the planet that couldn't use a new customer. Particularly in the moody economics of this day and age, learn-as-you-go business proposals simply aren't going to cut it. Forget about improvising and pick up a sample business proposal and use it as a template to create a great business proposal to secure new customers.
One of the most overlooked and simple tasks to help your efforts is pre-writing. Being your first draft, there's no reason to worry about what your customers are going to think -- they're not going to see this draft, so calm down and try to enjoy yourself. By pre-writing you can determine exactly what you're going to pitch, including your goals and any important qualities you have that make you more qualified than anyone else.
Try organizing your thoughts. Break down any goals you may have into simple steps and take notes on what is needed to make each step safely. Be certain to write each of these steps in such a way as to lead the reader to the inevitable goal you stated during your pre-writing.
Now, write a cover letter to place at the top of your proposal. It should be short, so use only two to three paragraphs and simply state the major points of your proposal, i.e. "Our company will assist your business by delivering x, y, and z services. We serve X number of businesses in the region." Though there is nothing wrong with elaborating, keep it simple so you don't overwhelm your actual business proposal.
Next, the hard part: actually write your business proposal. Proposals are usually split into five pieces: the executive summary which states what you do and who you are, a statement of work dictating what services you plan to give your client, a list of steps to achieve your goal, a list of reasons why you are better than the next guy, and last but not least the legalese terms of your contract and payment arrangements.
Don't let yourself freak out over mistakes, as this is still your first draft and will probably be prone to more than a few goofups. Imagine your client sitting with you right now. What could you tell them that would cause them to invest in your ideas?|
Since this is the first draft, quality is not overly crucial at this stage. Realistically, the only thing you need to worry about here is finishing your proposal and fitting your information into the well defined structure of a proposal. If there's anything you want to change -- spelling, grammar, anything else -- it can be done later.
Think about your contract terms and pricing. Look into similar companies to your own and see what they charge. If you have to find out you're overcharging people, it's best to do so when you're in front of a computer screen by yourself rather than when you're sitting down to discuss business with your client.
When you have finished your first draft, you can begin the rewriting stage. Get a friend to read through your proposal so you can find any typo trouble or glaring errors. If there was anything you wanted to change or fix or if you wanted to add another section, do that now before continuing to the final stages.
When you believe you've got your proposal in a finished state, try a little role-playing to head off troublesome customers. Why not try putting on your customer's shoes for a little while? Consider how they'll see your proposal. Is there anything that might hang them up? Brainstorm as many reasons for the client not to buy from you as possible, and then create counterarguments to squash their anxiety.
Building a business proposal on your own might seem like hard work, and it is -- but if you find a sample business proposal to use as a template, the pieces will fall into place faster than you might think. Use the above suggestions and you'll be able to churn out intriguing business proposals that will lead clients to you over the long haul. - 23210
One of the most overlooked and simple tasks to help your efforts is pre-writing. Being your first draft, there's no reason to worry about what your customers are going to think -- they're not going to see this draft, so calm down and try to enjoy yourself. By pre-writing you can determine exactly what you're going to pitch, including your goals and any important qualities you have that make you more qualified than anyone else.
Try organizing your thoughts. Break down any goals you may have into simple steps and take notes on what is needed to make each step safely. Be certain to write each of these steps in such a way as to lead the reader to the inevitable goal you stated during your pre-writing.
Now, write a cover letter to place at the top of your proposal. It should be short, so use only two to three paragraphs and simply state the major points of your proposal, i.e. "Our company will assist your business by delivering x, y, and z services. We serve X number of businesses in the region." Though there is nothing wrong with elaborating, keep it simple so you don't overwhelm your actual business proposal.
Next, the hard part: actually write your business proposal. Proposals are usually split into five pieces: the executive summary which states what you do and who you are, a statement of work dictating what services you plan to give your client, a list of steps to achieve your goal, a list of reasons why you are better than the next guy, and last but not least the legalese terms of your contract and payment arrangements.
Don't let yourself freak out over mistakes, as this is still your first draft and will probably be prone to more than a few goofups. Imagine your client sitting with you right now. What could you tell them that would cause them to invest in your ideas?|
Since this is the first draft, quality is not overly crucial at this stage. Realistically, the only thing you need to worry about here is finishing your proposal and fitting your information into the well defined structure of a proposal. If there's anything you want to change -- spelling, grammar, anything else -- it can be done later.
Think about your contract terms and pricing. Look into similar companies to your own and see what they charge. If you have to find out you're overcharging people, it's best to do so when you're in front of a computer screen by yourself rather than when you're sitting down to discuss business with your client.
When you have finished your first draft, you can begin the rewriting stage. Get a friend to read through your proposal so you can find any typo trouble or glaring errors. If there was anything you wanted to change or fix or if you wanted to add another section, do that now before continuing to the final stages.
When you believe you've got your proposal in a finished state, try a little role-playing to head off troublesome customers. Why not try putting on your customer's shoes for a little while? Consider how they'll see your proposal. Is there anything that might hang them up? Brainstorm as many reasons for the client not to buy from you as possible, and then create counterarguments to squash their anxiety.
Building a business proposal on your own might seem like hard work, and it is -- but if you find a sample business proposal to use as a template, the pieces will fall into place faster than you might think. Use the above suggestions and you'll be able to churn out intriguing business proposals that will lead clients to you over the long haul. - 23210
About the Author:
Writing business proposals can be intimidating -- why not download a sample proposal as an example? Not only will they give you a better idea of what is acceptable and what isn't, but they can also be guides to improve your own writing. To guarantee it is genuine, find your sample business proposal at a legitimate web resource.
posted by X - Men @ 5:29 AM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home