How to write a business proposal

Congratulations! Things are looking good for your new company, and you need to write a business proposal. But where do you start? Read these top tips to make sure you include everything you need – and leave out anything you don’t.  

Set the tone with a professional Title Page

Your title page is especially important if you are sending an unsolicited business proposal to a potential new client. This space sets the tone for the rest of your proposal and allows you to say who you are and introduce your company’s name. And remember – first impressions count, so use this page to establish a tone of professionalism. 

….and a simple Contents Page

Equally, the contents page puts your prospective new client at ease, showing them that your proposal is easy to navigate and clearly set out. Don’t be tempted to include too much information here – just the bare bones of each section, to help direct them to the relevant section.

Be specific with your Executive Summary

This is your chance to explain why you’re sending your proposal. Sell your business’s services and explain how they can help your client with theirs. Don’t go overboard with writing; this section should be straight-to-the-point.

Show you understand their problems

Convince your prospective client that you know the challenges they face. Do your research well for this one, and you can really build a relationship. If your prospective client thinks you know what they need (be as specific as you can here!) and understand the difficulties they are facing, you’re creating a pathway to collaboration.

…..And show how you will solve them

Especially if you can move on to explain why your business can help. Now, this is a crucial part of your business proposal, because this is where you really sell your services. Explain why you are the best company to help with their problems. Tailor-make your solution for the client, and explain exactly what you’ll do – and the methods you’ll use to do it. You might want to include specifics here, such as timeframes, numbers and details. Detail any experience your company has solving similar problems, so you are showing that you’re a trustworthy option. Anything which can boost your authority with the client will improve your chances of securing new business.

Prove you’re serious

Your prospective client might receive dozens of business proposals. Make yours stand out, not only with your clear plan and professional tone, but consider sending promotional merchandise together with your proposal. National Pen has a range of corporate merchandise available for customisation. Not only will you look like you’re serious and know what you’re doing, but your promotional merchandise might hang around on their desk for a long time to come. This is a great way of increasing the longevity of your business proposal – each time they catch sight of your promotional goodies, they’ll be reminded of the services you offer.

Don’t cut corners

Once you’ve got your business proposal written on paper, don’t be in too much of a hurry to send it off until you’ve checked, double-checked and triple-checked it! Belt and braces is key here; you don’t want to spend all that time dreaming up your solutions to their problems, and find you’ve addressed it to the wrong person. Proofread your work, too – there is nothing worse than a typo to make your business look unprofessional!

Ready to get started?

Now you’ve read through our words of advice, you are ready to go and make new collaborations and let your company soar! So, what are you waiting for?