| Business proposal: structure and winning tips | | | | to achieve the goals with clear responsabilities. It |
| Introduction | | | | also contains the interactions with the client. This |
| A proposal is the final step before the beginning | | | | answers to the question How: how you work |
| of a project and it is almost a contract. But there | | | | and achieve your goals. |
| are guide lines to follow if you do not want to | | | | Team |
| waste your effort with a client. A poor proposal, | | | | Introduce the real persons who will work on this |
| bad done, not exhaustive can easily transform a | | | | project. Customers wishes to know who will do |
| good client in lost time. In this article, there are | | | | the job and they want to have a positive feeling |
| described the golden rules for a winning proposal | | | | on that. This answer to the question Who: who is |
| and the mistakes to avoid. | | | | doing the job. |
| Background | | | | Time line |
| No boilerplate: be specific with the results you | | | | Time has always an important role in projects |
| can get. | | | | and customers want to know how long it will take |
| Emotional plus rational: using rational impact | | | | to achieve their goals. It is also possible to |
| explains your professionality and clients need also | | | | define milestones when customers can see part |
| a positive feeling on your proposal. | | | | of the project or the results. Take attention to all |
| Do not underestimate the proposal: time and | | | | the possible reasons that can delay the project, |
| quality are constraints to write a clear proposal. | | | | from political and cultural, to holidays and |
| All around the client: use your time to talk and | | | | customer time. It answer to the question When: |
| fully understand your client. A proposal should | | | | when it is possible to realize everything. |
| show how well you have understood your client. | | | | Fee and warranty |
| Structure of the proposal | | | | This is another part everybody is interesting |
| There is a specific structure a proposal should | | | | in: the price. It must be clear how much the client |
| have to answer all the possible questions a client | | | | pays. It can also made of several steps, with |
| can have. The normal questions are Who, How, | | | | range of prices, so the client can see the |
| Where, When, Why. There are also special | | | | mandatory and optional parts of the project. |
| sections to give more results to your work. | | | | Another element that make clients happy is the |
| The nine key elements of a business | | | | warranty: it basically says that if you are not able |
| proposal are: Executive Summary, Background, | | | | to achieve your goal or you are not on time, you |
| Goals, Results, Methodology, Team, Time line, Fee | | | | will reduce your fee of X%. It can also be a |
| and Warranty, Qualifications. | | | | statement to finish earlier the project if it is not |
| Executive Summary | | | | going as client expects. Those warranties are |
| This is the most important part of writing a | | | | based on the results, the timelines or the process. |
| proposal. Everybody reads it and it has the main | | | | It is not important because client will use it for |
| points of the proposal. It is not the place for | | | | sure (statistics show that is the other way |
| technical details, but about your results, | | | | around), but because it states your ability and |
| innovativeness and benefits for your customer. It | | | | confidence in what you promise and it makes the |
| is the key paragraph, therefore it should be clear, | | | | client in a safe situation considering the volatility of |
| concise (one, two pages), jargon- free, client | | | | the actual market. |
| oriented. | | | | Qualifications |
| Background | | | | Now you have to sell yourself! Write everything |
| This is the section to describe the client | | | | interesting for that client about you and your skills |
| context. It contains the client situation in the past | | | | and your methodology. Concrete case studies, |
| and the present opening prospectives and | | | | testimonials and previous customers should be |
| possibilities for the future (where the future is | | | | here. In this part it should be possible to |
| generally who is writing the proposal!). It can be | | | | understand why you are unique. |
| quite short and without how and when. It answer | | | | Final review |
| to the question Where: where are operating, in | | | | It is a long process to write a comprehensive |
| which context. | | | | and effective proposal. Generally it is better to |
| Goals | | | | write everything and thenwait for one day, |
| This part underlines the goals you can give to | | | | before reading the whole proposal. Three |
| your customer. It should be rational highlighting | | | | readings are suggested. The first reading |
| what it possible to achieve. It should be exactly | | | | checks syntax and grammatical errors. Although |
| what customer wants and that could be a | | | | there are many automatic ways to do that, they |
| problem. Sometimes clients change their mind | | | | are not always perfect. The second reading |
| without notifying that to who writes the proposal | | | | focuses more on the logic of the proposal. Each |
| and that can lead to a disaster (or simply loosing | | | | chapter should be logically connected with the |
| the client). For this reason, it is always better to | | | | others. The main section of the proposal are like a |
| talk with the client on a regular basis. This part | | | | story that should interest your readers. The third |
| answers the question What: what to do. | | | | reading should be more focused on |
| Results | | | | the objective of the proposal: if you are the |
| This section vary according to the field of the | | | | customers, would you like to give your money to |
| proposal. It should be quantifiable, specific and | | | | who wrote the proposal? |
| concrete in terms of client benefits. A winning | | | | Conclusion |
| example is: "The project will arise your sales by | | | | A proposal is an important step during the |
| 15% due the new flow of your website in the | | | | communication between you and clients. You |
| next six months". It is measurable and customer | | | | should show to have understood your client giving |
| oriented. And it is not easy to predict! In this | | | | him/her a positive feeling about you. There should |
| section, references to similar projects are | | | | also be a strong rational attitude that shows goals, |
| welcome. This section answers the | | | | methodology and results. The nine sections of the |
| question Why: why a client should do that. | | | | proposal answer the normal questions a story |
| Methodology | | | | does: so tell your story, your way to see the |
| That is your way to work. Generally customers | | | | project and how you imagine the success of your |
| do not have time or resources to make what | | | | client! |
| you are promising to do: that is why they put | | | | |
| interest in your way to do your job. There | | | | Refences: |
| should be possible to see the capacity to problem | | | | FeroPluris blog |
| solving, experience, client knowledge. It describes | | | | Levingson J.C. and McLaughlin M. W. (2005) Guerilla |
| how to put together tools, people and processes | | | | Marketing for Consultants, Wiley. |