If you're the owner of your own business, it's safe to say you're eager for more clients. Thanks to today's economy, there's no room for subpar business proposals. Instead of winging it, find sample business proposals and use them to build a solid foundation for a business offer that will attract clients and score some work before you're desperate.
The first step of any writing endeavor should always be pre-writing. Don't be concerned about the quality of your writing -- what you are going to be writing now is purely for your benefit; they're not going to see this, so relax and do it your own way. Through pre-writing we can start to see exactly what services we want to offer, what goals you can realistically achieve, and what qualifies you for this position more than the next worker.
Think carefully about your business proposal. Divide your goals into several steps, taking notes the entire time on what will be necessary to accomplish each step. Finally, write down each step and organize them so the reader can see that, by using your services, they will inevitably be led to the goal you defined when you were pre-writing.
Start off the writing process with a simple cover letter. Make sure to use two or three paragraphs to summarize your goals -- for instance, you could write: "Our company will help you by doing x, y, and z. X number of businesses in this region do regular business with us." There's nothing wrong with elaborating on your successes. Don't ruin your chances with an exaggerating cover letter.
Next up: write the business proposal proper. Typically, proposals are sectioned into five parts: first stating what you do and who you are in an executive summary, a declaration of work stating the services you actually plan on providing, steps to take to reach this goal, reasons why you are more qualified than the next business, and finally the payment arrangements and terms of your contract.
Keep in mind that this is still just a first draft, so don't freak out -- stay calm and write what you want your client to know. Imagine potential customers sitting across from you right now. What would you say to them that would make them want to invest in your services?
The quality of your writing doesn't have to be high -- first drafts are rarely error free. Just worry about completing your proposal and squeezing all your information into the rigid structure of the proposal. If you need to change anything, make a note of it but don't actually follow through yet.
Take a look at the prices you're offering and the terms of your contract. Try searching the web for businesses that are similar so you can be sure to offer competitive prices. If it turns out you are overcharging, it is far better to discover this now than when you are sitting across from your future client.
When you have finished your first draft, you can begin the rewriting stage. Get a friend to read through your proposal so you can find any typo trouble or glaring errors. If there was anything you wanted to change or fix or if you wanted to add another section, do that now before continuing to the final stages.
If you've never tried role-playing, now might be a good time to start. Put on your client's shoes for a few minutes and think about how they might react to your proposal as it's written now. Can you think of anything they might complain about? Does something in the proposal seem likely to make them hesitant? Come up with tons of reasons they could refuse you, and then think of counterarguments to calm their worries.
Though it's hard work, writing a business proposal is far from impossible. By taking the time to run through the above steps with your sample business proposal in hand, you'll save tons of time and deliver a quality piece of work that will satisfy not just clients, but your company also.
The first step of any writing endeavor should always be pre-writing. Don't be concerned about the quality of your writing -- what you are going to be writing now is purely for your benefit; they're not going to see this, so relax and do it your own way. Through pre-writing we can start to see exactly what services we want to offer, what goals you can realistically achieve, and what qualifies you for this position more than the next worker.
Think carefully about your business proposal. Divide your goals into several steps, taking notes the entire time on what will be necessary to accomplish each step. Finally, write down each step and organize them so the reader can see that, by using your services, they will inevitably be led to the goal you defined when you were pre-writing.
Start off the writing process with a simple cover letter. Make sure to use two or three paragraphs to summarize your goals -- for instance, you could write: "Our company will help you by doing x, y, and z. X number of businesses in this region do regular business with us." There's nothing wrong with elaborating on your successes. Don't ruin your chances with an exaggerating cover letter.
Next up: write the business proposal proper. Typically, proposals are sectioned into five parts: first stating what you do and who you are in an executive summary, a declaration of work stating the services you actually plan on providing, steps to take to reach this goal, reasons why you are more qualified than the next business, and finally the payment arrangements and terms of your contract.
Keep in mind that this is still just a first draft, so don't freak out -- stay calm and write what you want your client to know. Imagine potential customers sitting across from you right now. What would you say to them that would make them want to invest in your services?
The quality of your writing doesn't have to be high -- first drafts are rarely error free. Just worry about completing your proposal and squeezing all your information into the rigid structure of the proposal. If you need to change anything, make a note of it but don't actually follow through yet.
Take a look at the prices you're offering and the terms of your contract. Try searching the web for businesses that are similar so you can be sure to offer competitive prices. If it turns out you are overcharging, it is far better to discover this now than when you are sitting across from your future client.
When you have finished your first draft, you can begin the rewriting stage. Get a friend to read through your proposal so you can find any typo trouble or glaring errors. If there was anything you wanted to change or fix or if you wanted to add another section, do that now before continuing to the final stages.
If you've never tried role-playing, now might be a good time to start. Put on your client's shoes for a few minutes and think about how they might react to your proposal as it's written now. Can you think of anything they might complain about? Does something in the proposal seem likely to make them hesitant? Come up with tons of reasons they could refuse you, and then think of counterarguments to calm their worries.
Though it's hard work, writing a business proposal is far from impossible. By taking the time to run through the above steps with your sample business proposal in hand, you'll save tons of time and deliver a quality piece of work that will satisfy not just clients, but your company also.
About the Author:
When writing your own business proposal, it makes sense to obtain a sample business proposal that can be used as a starting point. Download sample business proposals from a web site with real world examples, so you are sure to get genuine proposals that have been tested.
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