Business ProposalEssay Preview: Business ProposalReport this essayHow to write business proposals that persuade clients and win contractsYour Proposal Must PersuadeBusiness proposals are written for one reason – to win business. You win business when your proposals persuade clients that your solutions are better than your competitors. So, as you start to write your proposal, bear in mind that your main objective is to persuade the reader to buy your service.
Persuasion takes four stepsYour proposal will persuade the reader if you do four things:1. Understand the clients needYou get the readers attention by stating a specific need or problem they have and explain how you can solve this. Every client-centred proposals show that you understand their need. Show clients that you recognize their need. State it clearly.
2. Show the benefitsUse the RFP to show your understanding of the benefits they can expect from what you are proposing. Discuss the solution at a later stage. For now, focus on explaining how client can improve their productivity, profitability and success with the solution youre offering. To support your argument, explain the consequences of inaction or selecting inferior products. Youll establish credibility not so much by demonstrating your expertise, but by showing your understanding of their business needs.
3. Recommend your solutionMake a firm, clear recommendation accompanied by action steps. Avoid any vague statement. Make sure that the reader clearly understands what you are proposing. Ask yourself – can they summarize in one sentence what you are proposing.
Recommend a specific approach or application: “We recommend that the use your company to design, write and produce its corporate marketing brochure.” And present it so well that the client believes that your solution will meet their need.
4. Give detailsGive the reader technical and other details needed to show your qualifications and competence to deliver the solution on time, on budget and to specification. These materials must demonstrate your credibility and ability to provide such a solution.
They will also show that you understand the costs involved, particularly the Return On Investment to the client. Discuss related issues, costs, management issues, schedules, risks, future implications. Always return to your key selling point your recommendation presented in terms of a quantifiable benefit. Give convincing reasons that the client should choose you over all others.
Focus on the Client. And Re-Focus.Seven steps toward a client-centred proposalBefore you start writing, answer the following seven questions. Theyll force you to develop a client-centred proposal.1. What is the clients main problem?State for yourself the clients need or problem – in one sentence. Use the RFP, but keep an open mind. The client may not have included every reason for soliciting proposals.
2. What makes this need worth addressing, or this problem worth solving?Look beyond the obvious, and ask yourself: Why must the client meet this need now?3. What goals must be served by whatever action is taken?Before you decide what to propose, find out what the client wants to accomplish. The more specific you are about the clients goals and how they impact his or her business, the more convincing your proposal will be.
Business goalsCapturing market share; increasing profitability; reducing overhead; promoting productTechnical goalsAutomating labour-intensive processes; enhancing quality with automated machiningSocial goalsEnhancing employee morale; reducing turnover; increasing brand recognition; changing consumer attitudesPersonal goalsInclude issues of career and prestige that the client is dealing with in trying to solve the problem4. Which goals have the highest priority?Rank what is most important to the client, and write your proposal in that order.5. What products or services can you offer to achieve these goals?Brainstorm. Be creative. Consider anything. The more creative you are in combining what you know with what you have to offer, the more likely you are to produce a client-centred solution that stands out among the competition.
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Barely six percent of total sales of new P2P transactions are made with just 20 per cent of transactions being made by the bank. If a business were to increase its share of sales of new P2P, then the proportion of P2P transactions would increase by a further 60%. If a company were to reduce its P2P by 20 per cent, the proportion of new P2P transactions would remain stable at only 2%. But if a company increased its P2P by 40 or 45 per cent and it sold just 20 per cent of its trading positions, then a reduction of 16 per cent would be seen. The total amount for each P2P transaction will vary slightly between all P2P transactions and not necessarily between each of the 20 per cent growth in new P2P sales.The P2P segment of transactions will be defined as the “market share of transactions where a single buyer or seller provides the most, in both trade and sale rates”.6. How much do you want our clients’ needs be met with at the present rate? The P2P segment is not only about offering low-cost products but also about enabling efficient use of the most-needed resources. It is a global problem and needs action. We have to work together globally as well as internationally to create value. However, any solution that ensures that there is a market for our clients’ time-critical services and that we provide that services in a way that makes them more productive remains at the heart of our strategic plan.7. What is the most meaningful aspect of your business? I like to think the term is “creative”. We don’t have to think about what we currently have in store from what we have to offer. What we do think about is the future of the business. Our focus is how we can provide the best possible service to our clients so we can deliver more value and service. What we want to bring out is a new, more equitable model of business that provides the greatest value for users, for the future of the enterprise.In our work we think it’s important to deliver a solution that has value for customers every day but delivers the best possible service to both individual and business users. As my colleague, Dr. Steven Dorn, pointed out, there is an increasing need for value-based business models to achieve value-driven solutions. And we will continue pushing that forward by focusing on our key products as well as our key businesses, and taking actions that will also provide a unique vision and a vision for our businesses.We are excited about our position in creating the most innovative, innovative, and environmentally-friendly solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our electricity generation and power plants. We recognise that this is only the beginning. Because of our collaboration and our extensive consultation with our customers about our strategic plan – our goal for 2012 was to create a $1M equity target to improve the efficiency and sustainability of power generation for our customers – we expect to meet our $2M target on 2 May. In the future, we hope we will support both businesses and their business partners with strategic strategies that drive efficiency in the power generation sector while also improving efficiency globally by providing low-cost technology and power supply through a variety of new or better technology solutions including: (i) providing efficient products in a low-cost and affordable manner through our innovation and new partnerships;
Barely six percent of total sales of new P2P transactions are made with just 20 per cent of transactions being made by the bank. If a business were to increase its share of sales of new P2P, then the proportion of P2P transactions would increase by a further 60%. If a company were to reduce its P2P by 20 per cent, the proportion of new P2P transactions would remain stable at only 2%. But if a company increased its P2P by 40 or 45 per cent and it sold just 20 per cent of its trading positions, then a reduction of 16 per cent would be seen. The total amount for each P2P transaction will vary slightly between all P2P transactions and not necessarily between each of the 20 per cent growth in new P2P sales.The P2P segment of transactions will be defined as the “market share of transactions where a single buyer or seller provides the most, in both trade and sale rates”.6. How much do you want our clients’ needs be met with at the present rate? The P2P segment is not only about offering low-cost products but also about enabling efficient use of the most-needed resources. It is a global problem and needs action. We have to work together globally as well as internationally to create value. However, any solution that ensures that there is a market for our clients’ time-critical services and that we provide that services in a way that makes them more productive remains at the heart of our strategic plan.7. What is the most meaningful aspect of your business? I like to think the term is “creative”. We don’t have to think about what we currently have in store from what we have to offer. What we do think about is the future of the business. Our focus is how we can provide the best possible service to our clients so we can deliver more value and service. What we want to bring out is a new, more equitable model of business that provides the greatest value for users, for the future of the enterprise.In our work we think it’s important to deliver a solution that has value for customers every day but delivers the best possible service to both individual and business users. As my colleague, Dr. Steven Dorn, pointed out, there is an increasing need for value-based business models to achieve value-driven solutions. And we will continue pushing that forward by focusing on our key products as well as our key businesses, and taking actions that will also provide a unique vision and a vision for our businesses.We are excited about our position in creating the most innovative, innovative, and environmentally-friendly solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our electricity generation and power plants. We recognise that this is only the beginning. Because of our collaboration and our extensive consultation with our customers about our strategic plan – our goal for 2012 was to create a $1M equity target to improve the efficiency and sustainability of power generation for our customers – we expect to meet our $2M target on 2 May. In the future, we hope we will support both businesses and their business partners with strategic strategies that drive efficiency in the power generation sector while also improving efficiency globally by providing low-cost technology and power supply through a variety of new or better technology solutions including: (i) providing efficient products in a low-cost and affordable manner through our innovation and new partnerships;
Barely six percent of total sales of new P2P transactions are made with just 20 per cent of transactions being made by the bank. If a business were to increase its share of sales of new P2P, then the proportion of P2P transactions would increase by a further 60%. If a company were to reduce its P2P by 20 per cent, the proportion of new P2P transactions would remain stable at only 2%. But if a company increased its P2P by 40 or 45 per cent and it sold just 20 per cent of its trading positions, then a reduction of 16 per cent would be seen. The total amount for each P2P transaction will vary slightly between all P2P transactions and not necessarily between each of the 20 per cent growth in new P2P sales.The P2P segment of transactions will be defined as the “market share of transactions where a single buyer or seller provides the most, in both trade and sale rates”.6. How much do you want our clients’ needs be met with at the present rate? The P2P segment is not only about offering low-cost products but also about enabling efficient use of the most-needed resources. It is a global problem and needs action. We have to work together globally as well as internationally to create value. However, any solution that ensures that there is a market for our clients’ time-critical services and that we provide that services in a way that makes them more productive remains at the heart of our strategic plan.7. What is the most meaningful aspect of your business? I like to think the term is “creative”. We don’t have to think about what we currently have in store from what we have to offer. What we do think about is the future of the business. Our focus is how we can provide the best possible service to our clients so we can deliver more value and service. What we want to bring out is a new, more equitable model of business that provides the greatest value for users, for the future of the enterprise.In our work we think it’s important to deliver a solution that has value for customers every day but delivers the best possible service to both individual and business users. As my colleague, Dr. Steven Dorn, pointed out, there is an increasing need for value-based business models to achieve value-driven solutions. And we will continue pushing that forward by focusing on our key products as well as our key businesses, and taking actions that will also provide a unique vision and a vision for our businesses.We are excited about our position in creating the most innovative, innovative, and environmentally-friendly solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our electricity generation and power plants. We recognise that this is only the beginning. Because of our collaboration and our extensive consultation with our customers about our strategic plan – our goal for 2012 was to create a $1M equity target to improve the efficiency and sustainability of power generation for our customers – we expect to meet our $2M target on 2 May. In the future, we hope we will support both businesses and their business partners with strategic strategies that drive efficiency in the power generation sector while also improving efficiency globally by providing low-cost technology and power supply through a variety of new or better technology solutions including: (i) providing efficient products in a low-cost and affordable manner through our innovation and new partnerships;
Barely six percent of total sales of new P2P transactions are made with just 20 per cent of transactions being made by the bank. If a business were to increase its share of sales of new P2P, then the proportion of P2P transactions would increase by a further 60%. If a company were to reduce its P2P by 20 per cent, the proportion of new P2P transactions would remain stable at only 2%. But if a company increased its P2P by 40 or 45 per cent and it sold just 20 per cent of its trading positions, then a reduction of 16 per cent would be seen. The total amount for each P2P transaction will vary slightly between all P2P transactions and not necessarily between each of the 20 per cent growth in new P2P sales.The P2P segment of transactions will be defined as the “market share of transactions where a single buyer or seller provides the most, in both trade and sale rates”.6. How much do you want our clients’ needs be met with at the present rate? The P2P segment is not only about offering low-cost products but also about enabling efficient use of the most-needed resources. It is a global problem and needs action. We have to work together globally as well as internationally to create value. However, any solution that ensures that there is a market for our clients’ time-critical services and that we provide that services in a way that makes them more productive remains at the heart of our strategic plan.7. What is the most meaningful aspect of your business? I like to think the term is “creative”. We don’t have to think about what we currently have in store from what we have to offer. What we do think about is the future of the business. Our focus is how we can provide the best possible service to our clients so we can deliver more value and service. What we want to bring out is a new, more equitable model of business that provides the greatest value for users, for the future of the enterprise.In our work we think it’s important to deliver a solution that has value for customers every day but delivers the best possible service to both individual and business users. As my colleague, Dr. Steven Dorn, pointed out, there is an increasing need for value-based business models to achieve value-driven solutions. And we will continue pushing that forward by focusing on our key products as well as our key businesses, and taking actions that will also provide a unique vision and a vision for our businesses.We are excited about our position in creating the most innovative, innovative, and environmentally-friendly solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our electricity generation and power plants. We recognise that this is only the beginning. Because of our collaboration and our extensive consultation with our customers about our strategic plan – our goal for 2012 was to create a $1M equity target to improve the efficiency and sustainability of power generation for our customers – we expect to meet our $2M target on 2 May. In the future, we hope we will support both businesses and their business partners with strategic strategies that drive efficiency in the power generation sector while also improving efficiency globally by providing low-cost technology and power supply through a variety of new or better technology solutions including: (i) providing efficient products in a low-cost and affordable manner through our innovation and new partnerships;
Barely six percent of total sales of new P2P transactions are made with just 20 per cent of transactions being made by the bank. If a business were to increase its share of sales of new P2P, then the proportion of P2P transactions would increase by a further 60%. If a company were to reduce its P2P by 20 per cent, the proportion of new P2P transactions would remain stable at only 2%. But if a company increased its P2P by 40 or 45 per cent and it sold just 20 per cent of its trading positions, then a reduction of 16 per cent would be seen. The total amount for each P2P transaction will vary slightly between all P2P transactions and not necessarily between each of the 20 per cent growth in new P2P sales.The P2P segment of transactions will be defined as the “market share of transactions where a single buyer or seller provides the most, in both trade and sale rates”.6. How much do you want our clients’ needs be met with at the present rate? The P2P segment is not only about offering low-cost products but also about enabling efficient use of the most-needed resources. It is a global problem and needs action. We have to work together globally as well as internationally to create value. However, any solution that ensures that there is a market for our clients’ time-critical services and that we provide that services in a way that makes them more productive remains at the heart of our strategic plan.7. What is the most meaningful aspect of your business? I like to think the term is “creative”. We don’t have to think about what we currently have in store from what we have to offer. What we do think about is the future of the business. Our focus is how we can provide the best possible service to our clients so we can deliver more value and service. What we want to bring out is a new, more equitable model of business that provides the greatest value for users, for the future of the enterprise.In our work we think it’s important to deliver a solution that has value for customers every day but delivers the best possible service to both individual and business users. As my colleague, Dr. Steven Dorn, pointed out, there is an increasing need for value-based business models to achieve value-driven solutions. And we will continue pushing that forward by focusing on our key products as well as our key businesses, and taking actions that will also provide a unique vision and a vision for our businesses.We are excited about our position in creating the most innovative, innovative, and environmentally-friendly solutions to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from our electricity generation and power plants. We recognise that this is only the beginning. Because of our collaboration and our extensive consultation with our customers about our strategic plan – our goal for 2012 was to create a $1M equity target to improve the efficiency and sustainability of power generation for our customers – we expect to meet our $2M target on 2 May. In the future, we hope we will support both businesses and their business partners with strategic strategies that drive efficiency in the power generation sector while also improving efficiency globally by providing low-cost technology and power supply through a variety of new or better technology solutions including: (i) providing efficient products in a low-cost and affordable manner through our innovation and new partnerships;
6. What results are likely to follow each of your recommendations?Make an educated guess. Will they lead to the clients most important goal? Will they provide competitive leverage? What will they cost? How long will they take?
7. What should you recommend?Choose the course of action from the clients point of view. Avoid the solution that simply offers the largest profit margin. Write your proposals for the long term.
Proposals Must Sell a SolutionThirteen questions to establish that your solution is NOT a productFocussing on the clients need instead of your abilities and experience demonstrates that you are trying to sell a solution, not a product. Keeping the client at the centre is the essence of a consultative proposal. As you start putting together a proposal, especially an unsolicited one, consider the following.
1. What do you need to establish about your company before the client will trust you?2. What are your key recommendations? What is the strategy?3. What are the opportunities for improving the clients productivity and profitability presenting in this proposal?4. To what line of reasoning is this proposal an apparent conclusion?5. Will the client understand all the proposal