Business Proposals
Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Business Proposals
Business proposals are a great way to move ideas through a company. They open the door for innovative thinking which may guide a company towards greater profit margins. Writing an effective proposal can be difficult and many need guidance to formulate a persuasive outline. There are both online reference materials which offer suitable self training resources and third party contracted content writers who are capable of conveying an idea in a more eloquent manner. The tone and style of the proposal will often play a detrimental role in its consideration for implementation in a company.
Self teaching is a great practice to hone writing ability and be a self reliant individual. There are a plenitude of options available for learning online. However, for those who suffer from an inability to effectively convey ideas in a written format the assistance of a contracted writer may be better for the project itself. Review the options available and assess them for their benefits and drawbacks to help select the method that is best fit for your needs. If you have thee need to develop business proposals try clicking on the links to the left to find learning resources and further information available.
Writing Winning Proposals
Put your best sales pitch on paper to land major contractsBy Frances Sharpe, freelance writer/editor When a company invites you to submit a proposal or competitive bid for consideration for a specific project or for ongoing work, it's termed an RFP, or Request for Proposal. Your goal in submitting a proposal is to persuade the soliciting company that you can do the job and, ultimately, to receive an invitation to make a formal presentation or win the contract outright.
The basic format for proposals is:
- Background
- Objective
- Suggested approach
- Schedule
- Qualifications
- Cost
Research the requesting company and the competition
An outstanding proposal requires research. Do your homework. Know the company to whom you are submitting the proposal. Thoroughly review the RFP. Bring unique solutions to the table, and show that the company will lose by not hiring you. Sell yourself by showing your knowledge of the problem as it pertains to the company in question. Think specifics and not generalities. Know your competition to position yourself accordingly (without denouncing them in the proposal process).
Try: Learn more about the company and your competitors by researching them at Dun & Bradstreet, Hoovers, Chambers of Commerce and business databases often available through local colleges and universities.
Focus on your strategy for offering a cost-effective solution
Companies award some, but not all, contracts solely on price. The lowest bid is not always the best solution. In preparing your proposal, show the true value of your product or service. If your proposal has an initial higher cost but can potentially save the company money over a certain time period, show that information through financial charts and graphs.
Try: Price your product or services using software tools, such as PlanWrite, and develop financial charts in Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program to transfer them into your proposal package.
Prepare a first draft
Unless the soliciting company has asked you to follow a specific format, follow the general format mentioned above. Eliminate unneeded wordiness. Integrate business graphics into the document to clarify and to break up lengthy text passages.
Try: Evaluate various proposal software packages to determine the best one for your company. Leading software tools include a variety of RFP-generating products by Pragmatech Software, Sant Corporation and Intravation. You can also generate a proposal in Microsoft Word.
Solicit feedback
Ask others in your organization not involved in the drafting of the proposal to review your work for clarity, content, punctuation, spelling and overall communications. If possible, don't be your own editor.
Try: If you must self-edit, follow these tips.
- Develop a template exclusive to your company to use for future proposals.
- Create a process to follow for reviewing and responding to RFPs.
- Check your own business records at Dun & Bradstreet to determine their accuracy.
- Do not disclose proprietary information — the soliciting company or your company — in your proposal.
- Be selective in responding to RFPs. They are time intensive.
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