![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-Header.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nAre you looking to score new clients and grow your business? Then you\u2019ll need to know how to write a business proposal that wins more deals.<\/p>\n
Your document will be one of many your prospect receives, so it\u2019s crucial to get it right.<\/p>\n
Did you know that business proposals are no longer won over by price alone? The top reason for losing a bid is \u2018A competitor\/incumbent,\u2019<\/em>\u00a0according to Loopio\u2019s statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n You need to be succinct, persuasive, and follow a logical structure.<\/p>\n I have participated in creating hundreds of proposals throughout my marketing career. In this article, I will share my steps for writing a business proposal with specific conversion optimizations to help you close more deals.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s win you new business!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In most cases, business proposals are written in response to a prospect outreach (formally or informally solicited).<\/p>\n You can write yours from scratch in a Word document, from a template<\/a>, or through proposal software<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you opt for the software solution, you\u2019ll be able to track metrics (like the number of times the proposal was opened) or set automatic reminders.<\/p>\n Make use of CoSchedule’s Proposal Generator<\/a> that makes custom and professional proposals!<\/span><\/p>\n Whichever method you choose, it\u2019s good to familiarize yourself with the most commonly used sections of a business proposal.<\/p>\n A business proposal typically consists of elements like:<\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n One rookie mistake is to talk about yourself too much.<\/p>\n This tactic might work for press releases<\/a>\u00a0but flops when it comes to business proposals. The trick is to showcase relevant results you achieved with previous customers and how your new prospect will benefit from your experience.<\/p>\n Let’s dive deeper into audience research and the nitty-gritty of how to write a business proposal.\n<\/p><\/div>\n Writing a business proposal will be familiar territory if you regularly write blog posts<\/a>.<\/p>\n What both mediums have in common is the need to understand the audience and tailor the content to them.<\/p>\n Ensure you have the following details about your prospect:<\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n You can easily get this information by asking targeted questions at the first few sales meetings.<\/p>\n Maybe you write high-converting newsletters<\/a>.\u00a0Use audience learnings from those campaigns to your advantage.<\/p>\n Additionally, you can provide an interactive client form within the proposal. These client forms have pre-populated data that helps your prospect select the right features, services, or quantities for their case.<\/p>\n The form will then automatically populate the costs accordingly.<\/p>\n Be sure to optimize each proposal for each organization. Reference similar use cases throughout the proposal to make yourself the most suitable choice out of all the requests for proposals.\n<\/p><\/div>\n Your title page or cover page is the first impression of your business proposal.<\/p>\n Including a cover page accounts for a 4.6% increase in conversion rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Not bad for a low-content page!<\/p>\n It should include the following elements:<\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n Aim for a professional, clean, yet creative look to make the proposal stand out from all the other submissions.\n<\/p><\/div>\n According to statistics<\/a>, business proposals generally span 11 pages and are organized into 7 sections.<\/p>\n It\u2019s time to leverage a handy table of contents page for easy access!<\/p>\n Odds are that multiple people will be involved in the decision-making process at the prospect\u2019s company. Including a table of contents lets your prospect quickly find specific information when needed.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re using Microsoft Word, you can generate this section by selecting the References tab and clicking the \u201cTable of Contents\u201d menu item.<\/p>\n In Google Docs, click Insert, then select \u201cTable of contents.\u201d<\/p>\n How you generate the table of contents section on proposal platforms may vary by software.\n<\/p><\/div>\n Your Executive Summary should briefly introduce the reader to your business and how you can help them solve their problem.<\/p>\n This page, also sometimes called the Introduction, is the most read page in a proposal<\/a>, so make sure it includes all of the necessary details that move the conversion needle.<\/p>\n The summary should be written in a conversational tone, avoiding jargon and buzzwords as much as possible.<\/p>\n Boost your credibility by listing your company\u2019s qualifications, associations, and achievements in the form of badges or icons.<\/p>\n Keep it at most half a page or about 200-300 words.\n<\/p><\/div>\n This is where you\u2019ll outline the problem or opportunity your prospect has encountered.<\/p>\n Use learnings from your audience research to create a tailored solution that meets their needs.<\/p>\n Start with a description of the current situation, then connect it to a solution you offer. Highlight results from your past experiences and successes.<\/p>\n You can make it about 400-500 words but balance the page with lots of white space.<\/p>\n Use any of the following sales enablement elements in this section:<\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n Check out this page on proposals.<\/a><\/p>\n Business development expert Robyn Haydon says<\/a>, “Customer testimonials bring your proposal to life. They show you have approached a similar contract or project in the past, and the results you achieved. And because they come from a third party, they also provide independent verification of the value of what you’re offering.”<\/em><\/p>\n If you\u2019re a SaaS business, use services like G2<\/a>\u00a0or TrustRadius<\/a>\u00a0to find relevant reviews to feature.<\/p>\n Finally, you can also reference relevant statistics or research from one of your white papers<\/a>\u00a0to show authority.<\/p>\n Are you just starting out and don\u2019t have enough content yet? Use a widely known publication to support your case. For example, \u201cAccording to Forbes\u2019 recent study, businesses should\u2026\u201d\n<\/p><\/div>\n
The deliverables section should outline the timeline of how and when you will complete the project. Break it down by tasks, start dates, end dates, approval details, and total duration.<\/p>\n Support your outline with a Gantt chart which will help decision-makers visualize how long the project will take and how much time each task needs.<\/p>\n You can also include how often you will be communicating with your client, how long it will take to receive feedback, and how they should request changes.<\/p>\n Make sure the timeline is realistic and consider any holidays or other events that may delay progress.\n<\/p><\/div>\n No pressure, but this page may be one of the main deciding factors for your prospects choosing you.<\/p>\n The cost page is the second most read page<\/a>\u00a0in a business proposal. You need to list the project’s total cost and how it\u2019s broken down.<\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n If you are using a proposal platform, take advantage of the interactive pricing tables.<\/p>\n Being able to edit quantities (such as the number of software licenses or design versions) and opt in or out of elective items can improve your close rates by 35.8%<\/a>.<\/p>\n Include a Next Steps paragraph here, too, with at most 3-4 steps. You can explain to your prospect what to do next and add a payment schedule.<\/p>\n Finally, it may be a small detail, but what you call the cost section can make a difference.<\/p>\n According to Better Proposals<\/a>, more than half of successfully signed proposals did NOT use the word \u201cCost\u201d as a title but went with a variation of \u201cInvestment,\u201d \u201cROI,\u201d or similar.\n<\/div>\n
The About Us page is where you can make a personal connection with the prospect.<\/p>\n You can use some of the content from the About Us page<\/a>\u00a0of your website, such as the company history or mission statement.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a great chance to show how you and your team are the perfect fit for their project, so make sure to include a short bio of everyone involved.<\/p>\n Add awards, certifications, or other relevant achievements for each team member.<\/p>\n Listing their experience and individual strengths can help prospects visualize how your team will approach the project.<\/p>\n Pro-tip<\/strong>: Adding a video to your business proposal can increase close rates by up to 41%<\/a>.<\/p>\n Simply face the camera, introduce yourself, and explain how you and your team can help the prospect and how excited you are to work with them.\n<\/p><\/div>\n On average, business proposals are viewed 7.1 times<\/a>\u00a0by prospects.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to pay special attention to the editing process and ensure that you hand over a flawless, professional document.<\/p>\n Make a checklist for yourself to review:<\/p>\n
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\n<\/ul>\n If you don\u2019t have the bandwidth to re-read your work with fresh eyes, consider hiring a dedicated editor for a few hours.<\/p>\n Pro-tip<\/strong>: Send your proposal already signed by your company. This way, the only thing left to do for your prospect is to sign it themselves. Proposals with e-signatures close 35% faster<\/a>\u00a0compared to proposals without.\n<\/div>\n If you haven\u2019t already, now is the time to design your business proposal.<\/p>\n Start by applying a design theme to the proposal. If you\u2019re using Word or PowerPoint, look for the templates or design section.<\/p>\n Proposal generator platforms will have their own templates you can customize.<\/p>\n In my experience of creating business proposals for a marketing agency, using some of the prospect’s design palette often helped us advance to the next step.<\/p>\n For example, we often use the prospect’s brand color to evoke a familiar look and feel.<\/p>\n If the prospect does not have a brand kit and you’re uncomfortable digging into a page’s source code, use a Chrome extension like the\u00a0<\/a>Eyedropper<\/a>\u00a0to extract the HEX color codes from the prospect\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Pro-tip<\/strong>: Keep them from printing your proposal! If clients print your proposals, you decrease your chances of conversion by 88%<\/a>. So, omit any print buttons.\n<\/div>\n12 Steps To Write A Business Proposal<\/h2>\n
![\"Coschedule](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Proposal-Generator.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
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Step #1: Research Your Audience<\/h3>\n
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![\"Proposal](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-CoSchedule-customer-contact-outsource.jpg?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span> View the Proposify website here.<\/a><\/p>\nStep #2: Design A Title Or Cover Page<\/h3>\n
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![\"Cover\/Title](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-project-title.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nStep #3: Generate A Table Of Contents<\/h3>\n
![\"Table](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-table-of-contents.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nStep #4: Write An Executive Summary<\/h3>\n
![\"Executive](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-proposal.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nStep #5: Outline A Problem & Solution<\/h3>\n
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![\"Example](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-problem-and-solved-solution.jpg?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Results](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/How-to-write-a-business-proposal-reviews-features-products.jpg?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span> Read the full article<\/a> on this page.<\/p>\nStep #6: Add A Portfolio Page<\/h3>\n
\nIncluding a portfolio of your past work is vital if you\u2019re in the creative niche, such as graphic design, web design, or even content writing.
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\nHighlight only your best work related to your prospect\u2019s project. You can include your portfolio as screenshots or add a link to where you host them.
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\nSome great external portfolio sites include Behance, Dribbble, Coroflot, and even Microsoft Sway.
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\nIdeally, showcase 3-6 portfolio items in your business proposal.
\n<\/p>\nStep #7: Create The Projected Deliverables & Timelines<\/h3>\n
![\"Share](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-timeline.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nStep #8: Provide A Cost Breakdown<\/h3>\n
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![\"Cost](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-pricing.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nStep #9: Provide Your Terms & Conditions<\/h3>\n
\nThis part is about protecting yourself, your business, and your clients.
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\nInclude things like payment schedules, confidentiality agreements, allowed revisions, or warranty information.
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\nAdd any costs that may arise due to a change in scope.
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\nThis place is also where to mention how and when you expect to be paid – will it be on delivery? On completion of specific milestones? What happens if they miss a payment or terminate the contract prematurely?
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\nWhen I worked at an agency, we found the best length of the T&C section was about a page or a page and a half at most.
\n<\/p>\nStep #10: Add an About Us Page<\/h3>\n
![\"CoSchedule](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Blog_How-To-Write-A-Business-Proposal-about-us.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\nStep #11: Edit Your Business Proposal<\/h3>\n
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Step #12: Design Your Business Proposal<\/h3>\n
![\"Create](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/create-campaign.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span>\n<\/div>\n![\"How](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/buiness-proposal-projects.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
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<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Pick](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/deleagte-tasks-to-team.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Save](\"https:\/\/media.coschedule.com\/uploads\/2023\/03\/save-template-for-proposal.png?w=3840&q=75\"\/)
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