Business Writing: Fleshing Out 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.
Consider your business proposal and what you're offering. Cut your goals into numerous steps, writing down what will be needed to win each step. Organize your steps so that your reader is led to believe that by following your proposal, they will without question be led to success by way of that goal you wrote about in the pre-writing phase.
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.
Again, this is only the first draft, so take it easy on yourself and write what you would like your client to know. Imagine your target seated at the table with you. What could you tell them that would convince them to hire you?
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.
Next, consider your pricing and your contract. Keep your prices competitive by doing a little footwork to find out what similar companies are charging. Now's the time to find out you're overpriced -- you don't want to be sitting down at the table with your client when you realize your prices are less than stellar.
Rewriting begins when your first draft is finally complete. Try having a friend give your proposal a once over to see if they can find any obvious typo's or other mistakes. If you're still holding on tight to what you needed to fix and doctor up from your first draft, do so at this time.
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. - 23221
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.
Consider your business proposal and what you're offering. Cut your goals into numerous steps, writing down what will be needed to win each step. Organize your steps so that your reader is led to believe that by following your proposal, they will without question be led to success by way of that goal you wrote about in the pre-writing phase.
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.
Again, this is only the first draft, so take it easy on yourself and write what you would like your client to know. Imagine your target seated at the table with you. What could you tell them that would convince them to hire you?
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.
Next, consider your pricing and your contract. Keep your prices competitive by doing a little footwork to find out what similar companies are charging. Now's the time to find out you're overpriced -- you don't want to be sitting down at the table with your client when you realize your prices are less than stellar.
Rewriting begins when your first draft is finally complete. Try having a friend give your proposal a once over to see if they can find any obvious typo's or other mistakes. If you're still holding on tight to what you needed to fix and doctor up from your first draft, do so at this time.
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. - 23221
About the Author:
If you're looking at writing a business proposal, obtain a sample business proposal to give you a better idea of what will work and what won't? You can use them as guides, or simply as an example of what will work and what won't. Ensure you obtain it from a trusted source to make sure you're looking at a real world example.
posted by X - Men @ 5:29 AM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home