HOW TO WRITE A BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Writing a Business Proposal is like writing a story, you have to set the stage (once upon a time), state the challenge (snow white in dire need of a special kiss to wake up from a curse), explain the solution (prince charming saves the day) and describe the result (happily ever after). Proposals have always been an effective tool for persuasion. Business proposals are very similar to TV adverts, they are weapons of influence. They are very effective in influencing people’s decisions. That is why every business entity must be able to write winning proposals to persuade their client to get in bed with them (I mean by doing business together).

The craft behind any business proposal should not be focused on what the company can do and what it has been doing but should focus on what the client tends to gain when they employ your services. It should be all about them (clients). You have to sell the benefits because the goal is to persuade the client that your company is best positioned to get the job done. From time to time, always position yourself as the reader as you write the proposal, try and picture yourself in the shoes of a grumpy old man and see if it excites you. This will help correct many words and how you put them. An example is;

(1) ABC Engineers is a leading consulting engineering firm providing technical leadership, experience in design and quality service across all market sectors worldwide. In addition to our core mechanical and electrical design services, we provide additional consulting services to better serve our clients.

Can be better written as;

(2) Business challenges often have the technology, facilities, and process solutions. We understand what drives your business. Moreover, we take a partner’s interest in your success. We believe that partners give partners a competitive edge. Our clients depend on us to bring an outsider’s perspective and analytical ability to help them plan and reach their goals. Our ability to engineer, construct, and operates facilities round out that objective.

The question is which one excites you? You are right if example 2 excites you more than example 1.

You have to be specific, keep it brief, spoon-feed the reader, focus on action words, try using bullets to state important points, graphs and charts if possible, and pictures, all these give a quicker and better view of what you passing across in its content.

The following isn’t the default table of content when writing a business proposal but it is most likely the guideline you can use from a pool of guidelines. Depending on the purpose, type of proposal and who you direct it to, it might require you to design a template that will enable you to deliver effectively.

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Challenges/Problems
• Solution/Reward
• Method of Approach/Technical Plan
• Objectives
• Schedule
• Portfolio
• Budget
• Financial Implications
• Personal/Team Resume
• Conclusion

Composing a business proposal requires you to understand the market to a large extent and identify what sets you apart, and what makes your services or products unique. These are the values that would make up most parts of your content. All aspects of the proposal must be taken seriously because you might not just know what will convince the audience to work with you. It might be something as little as the members of your team or method of approach. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you put on your A-game when writing a proposal.

Don’t forget to add pictures where necessary, including graphs and charts. Visuals speak louder than letters. It’s easier to see the whole event in a picture. Unlike a company profile, you don’t need a glossy paper print, if you want to, you can go the extra mile.

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