Business Proposal
Business proposal is necessary for every business. Every business, despite the essential differences with other businesses, is the same with others in one issue, and that is earning money. Every business is formed with the aim of making money, and this creates a competitive market among businesses. Because each of them tries to keep their current customers and attract potential customers by providing unique and higher quality products and services.
For this purpose, writing a strong business proposal can act as a link between our business and our potential customers and attract them to us. During the entire launch process and to achieve the best market and win over competitors in the existing competitive environment, we should not neglect the direct impact of the business proposal.
The Difference between a Business Proposal and a Business Plan
A business plan works like a road map. In fact, the business plan shows the direction of a business to managers and employees and guides them in the right direction. But the proposal is actually a guide for the customers trying to convince them to sign a contract or use certain services. The shortness or length of this plan depends on the amount of information we intend to provide to the customer.
Therefore, the business plan shows the structure of a business and the necessary activities to achieve internal goals. And on the other hand, the proposal is a way to attract customers and increase sales.
Types of Business Proposals
In the business proposal space, we are faced with 3 examples, all of which focus on the business problem, its related solutions, and the estimation of the necessary costs.
1. Formal Proposal
The presentation of this proposal is at the customer’s request. The style of this proposal can be oral or written. If the client requests such a proposal from us, we will have the chance to receive all the important information related to the client in order to design and present it and design a stronger proposal accordingly.
2. Informal Proposal
This type of proposal is also at the customer’s request, with the difference that it may happen during the conversation. When we encounter such a request from the customer, we must ask our questions from the other party and collect the necessary information in this way. Because there is no need to obtain the necessary information voluntarily from the customer; Rather, we are the ones who should do the initial research on him/her.
3. Unsolicited Proposal
This sample of the proposal is sent to potential customers and we have not received any requests from them. This style of proposal can be seen as a marketing. By using the facilities provided by market research, we can turn an unwanted business proposal into a personalized proposal to attract customers.
Steps of Writing a Business Proposal
1. Title Page
On the title page, we will see the author’s name, brand name, company logo, customer name, contact number, proposal submission date and finally an attractive and distinctive title. Since this page is the first image that the customer sees, we should do our best to make it attractive and use visual elements.
The attractiveness of the title page should also convey the message of our business. In this regard, the use of typography, the use of fonts and fonts that are visually attractive and suitable for our business, special colors, etc. can be useful.
2. Table of Contents
In designing a business proposal, we should also consider the audience’s patience. For this reason, it is necessary to include a list of presented materials at the beginning of our proposal. This list must be commercial in nature; That is, a summary of executive plans, pricing and terms and conditions should be included in it. In this way, it will be possible for the customer to get an overview of the content at a glance and to quickly refer to the things that are most important to him/her.
3. Executive Summary
The executive summary in the proposal provides an overview of the business to the audience. Actually, in this section, we try to convince the customer why our business is the best solution to solve the problems. We should also express the competitive advantages of our products.
4. Problem Design
The problem design should be in the form of a question. This should be done in a way that makes the customer believe that we really understand their problem and have a solution to solve it. Understanding what problem, the customer is really facing and what are the obstacles in his/her way and concern for such conditions will help the customer to feel close and encouraged with our business.
5. Solution Presentation
When we assured the customer that we are well aware of his/her problems and challenges, it is time to provide the right solution for his/her problems. At this stage, we must also assure the customer that we have considered the best solution for him/her. In this case, along with our proposal, we can provide a timetable so that the customer knows how long he has to wait to solve each part of his problem.
6. Team Introduction
The number of team members is not important. What is important is to introduce our employees by mentioning their characteristics and capabilities along with their personal photos. Placing a section under the title “About Us” can both increase our credibility and increase the trust of our customers.
7. Pricing Section
Designing a structure such as a pricing table for each part and payment methods can also save us from financial confusion. In this way, the customer can easily access the price of the desired product.
8. Terms and Conditions
In this section, we define our terms and conditions for the agreement between us and the customer. At this stage, we should pay special attention to legal issues and things like transaction time, necessary permits, payment method, payment time, and the possibility of canceling the contract.
9. Suitable Space for Signature
Be sure to include a section to register your signature and that of your business partner. With this, we give official validity to our proposal and the commitments between us.
Up To Sum
Despite its similarity with the business plan, the business proposal has a completely different atmosphere. Because the proposal is actually a tool to attract customers and has a marketing nature. In order to write a business proposal, we must consider things such as executive summary, understanding customer problems, providing solutions, etc., which were explained in detail in this article.
