Preparing A Sales Proposal

A proposal is an offer or bid to carry out a project for someone else.  A written proposal is the kind of document that gets you or your company approved, funded, or hired to carry out a project.  It is the leading and generally expected approach and means by which someone will decide to retain your services.

Before you put yourself on the line to produce a proposal, make sure your pre-proposal work is done:

• Have your resume or profile and complete graphics package ready to represent you or your company.
• Make sure that you or your company is impeccable.
• Make sure that your company image is appropriate for the business or corporate arena.

The purpose of the proposal is to sell your client on the project and your ability to carry out the project, but without giving away the “how to” details.  A proposal defines the expectation and deliverable in the greatest detail, yet must be very concise.  At the same time, the proposal presents an example of you or your company’s work.  It’s you or your company’s image in print.  It’s one of your most important tools for bringing in business.  The better your proposal is written, the better your chances of being hired.

Because of the importance of a proposal, you must spend the necessary time it takes to prepare a basic or model proposal.  The model contains information you consider basic for any proposal with selected sections or items that can be tailored, customized, or adapted for your clients, and with only a few necessary changes.  This will speed up the proposal writing process significantly while retaining customization for the client.

With a model proposal ready to work from, you can go from your potential client meeting to immediately prepare the customized version.  It is said, ideally that you should deliver the finished proposal to your client within 24 hours of your initial meeting.  However, initial research about the company may certainly take longer.  The point is, don’t dawdle.  The faster, the better.

Once you become a known quantity in your field or industry and area of practice, you may discover that you can do without a written proposal. Instead, you may meet with the client and simply discuss the details of the project, agreeing on schedule and costs.  You then follow up with a letter or contract of agreement for review and signature.

Remember, the written proposal is primary a selling document. Many companies don’t even know that they need your products or services.  You must identify the problem, the need for a certain product or service, and the value of this opportunity.  Successful selling is in direct relation to meeting the client’s needs.

To write a successful proposal, you must put yourself in the place of your potential client, the recipient, and the reader/s of your proposal.  Try to think of what sorts of information that person/company would need to feel confident in hiring you to carry out the project.  If company leaders are aware of the supposed problem and recognize the need for improvement or value, you must demonstrate that you understand and appreciate the complexity of their problem and convince them that you will help them and produce the results they seek.  The bottom line, you must sell your ability to do the job.

Note: This article was previously published in Issue No. 14 of The Corporate, Guide and Style for Professionals Magazine.