Business Proposals

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Business Proposals

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Importance

 A business proposal is perhaps one of the

most critical documents you need to learn
how to write.
 It is what spells the difference between
success and failure, whether you’re a
freelancer, you have a company of your own
or working for in an organization.

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Why You Might Need to Make a Proposal

 Investment purpose
 Strategy introduction
 Product extension
 Product development
 Policy implementation

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The Dilemma

In today’s cut-throat business world,

entrepreneurs and business professionals find
themselves spending hours upon hours
submitting business proposals to potential
clients, and not getting any results. On the
other hand, there are those that are like
snipers, able to get the contract after just
submitting one business proposal.

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Lessons From Disney

 The Dreamer
 The Realist

 The Critic

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Lessons From Disney
 The Dreamer
 let your imagination go wild ­

 combine random thoughts in new and unusual ways; ask what if?

 there are no stupid ideas, every idea has some possibility, no

matter how remote.
 The Realist
 idea may sound good on paper but how do you make it come to life

 the realist figures out a way to implement the idea

 The Critic
 you've thought of a new and unusual idea and you've figured out a

way to make it work

 the persona judge. Evaluate the idea, look for drawbacks and

benefits and critically weigh the evidence — only then will you
know if it's worth pursuing or not.

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Types of Business Proposals
 A business proposal is a written document that
offers a particular product or service to a potential
buyer or client.
 There are generally two kinds of business proposals:
 solicited business proposals (which are submitted

in response to an advertisement published by the

buyer or client)
 unsolicited proposals (submitted or given out to

potential buyers or clients even though they are not

requesting for one).

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Importance

 A business proposal is perhaps one of the

most critical documents you need to learn
how to write.
 It is what spells the difference between
success and failure, whether you’re a
freelancer, you have a company of your own
or working for in an organization.

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Business Proposal vs. Business
Plan
 Quite often, the terms “business proposal” and “business
plan” are used interchangeably, giving you the
impression that they are one and the same. But they
are not.
 A business proposal is created to offer a product or
service to a buyer or client.
 On the other hand, a business plan is a “formal
statement of a set of business goals” and how these
would be achieved. The latter is only part of what is
included in a business proposal.

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3 Ps of a Winning Business
Proposal
 The secret behind writing a winning business
proposal and one that will just be set aside is the
presence of the 3 Ps:

1. Problem statement
2. Proposed solution
3. Pricing information.

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3 Ps of a Winning Business Proposal

 Every project is different. But every winning

proposal follows the same basic structure.
 Once you understand this structure, you’ll save
time and land more clients.
 Instead of starting from scratch, you can create
a customized proposal template for each project

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1. Problem Statement
 That first step in convincing your audience is that you
understand their needs better than anyone else. That’s
where the problem statement comes in.

 A successful business proposal must be one that is able

to describe to the client/ reader what these needs are in
a plain and simple manner.

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Example of a Problem Statement

With the presence of social media in today’s advancing

world, Puffin Media Inc. hesitated to make the leap from
traditional marketing to social media marketing.

Their marketing tactics seem to be losing effectiveness and

the company feels as if they are missing out on a large
segment of their market. In addition, their competition has
begun acquiring the majority of the business in the market
and have brought Puffin Media’s growing revenues to a
halt.

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2. Proposed Solution

 The main objective of submitting a business

proposal is to offer a solution to a problem
faced by a prospective client/ department.
 This part should be as detailed as possible,
and able to address each and every need
you have discovered.

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Example of a Proposed Solution
The solution that is recommended for Puffin Media Inc. is to deploy
their company on all of the major social media channels; however,
there is a major difference in creating social media platforms versus
creating a brand you can promote on those platforms.

A marketing campaign must be created, utilizing these media channels

and creating immediate engagement with your audience. In order for
this to be successful, you know how to make sales. Initially, acquire
some fans, followers, subscribers, and connections and invite them to
join you in particular discussion or attend a specific event.

The purpose of this is not only to promote Puffin Media Inc, but also to
solicit feedback from the target audience

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3. Pricing Information
 For many clients, in case of an entrepreneurial proposal,
the pricing information is what will make them decide
whether they would offer you the contract or not.

 How to write this part greatly depends on the solution or

solutions you included in the previous segment.

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Things to Remember When Writing a
Business Proposal

 The next part is to be able to find out what to

put under the 3 Ps so that you can develop a
business proposal that gets their attention
and awards you that contract.

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Do Your Research
 Not all clients/ buyers/ superiors will give you the explicit
details of their wants and needs, especially if you’re
submitting an unsolicited business proposal.

 For example extend your research to include the

competitors of your potential client, their customers as
well. This will ensure that your business proposal will be
as comprehensive and as detailed as possible.

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Do Your Research

 You can get strategic with this by creating a

profile of your ideal customer. Similarly,
audience analysis.
 How old are they?

 Where do they live?

 Where do they hang out online?

 Personalizing your research like this will help

give you clues about what to say (and how to

say it) to resonate with someone.

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Put Yourself in Their Shoes
 Always put yourself in the shoes of your potential clients/
readers.
 This will help you provide information on some things,
such as
 “Why should we pay you this much amount for the solutions
you’re offering”
 “How can these changes benefit me?”
 Familiarity with your client’s/ superior’s unique needs,
work style as well as the industry are all powerful
motivators to convince them to choose you or your idea
instead of anyone else.

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Why You?
 It is important to make sure to highlight your talents,
experience and other qualifications to convince the
client/ superior why they should choose you or your
company.

 For example, if you’re in a visually creative

field like graphic design or video production, you could
include a section of your work in the business proposal.

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Writing that Business Proposal
 One of the best ways on how to write a persuasive
business proposal is to use a business proposal
software.

 Business proposal software programs can help you quit

procrastinating.

 These allow you to write your business proposal without

worrying about how they should be put together and
which content you need to include.

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Acceptable Proposal
Arrangements
The Problem:
Statement of the problem; its scope and

limitations
Factors (working hypotheses) or areas of

information to be investigated. Background

material.
Limitations to the investigation (time, money,

qualified people, etc.)

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Proposal Methodology

 Complete yet concise description of how the research

is to be conducted
 If secondary research is to be employed, would
include description of basic sources to be consulted.
May include a tentative bibliography.
 If primary research is to be used, would consist of a
step-by-step how-to-do-it description of the
procedures. (sample design, selecting/training
workers, conduct of investigation, pilot study, controls
and checks, time schedule)

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Proposal Beginning
 An appropriate beginning consists of a statement
of the purpose and the problem.
 A clear background is helpful to understanding the
problem
 A need (justification) presents the facts and
background and its relevance.
 Description--factors, what is proposed.
 Particulars--scope, limitations.
 Benefits of proposal--reader benefits, audience.
 Concluding comments--what is next step? A
summary review of highlights.

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Proposal Presentation

 Title ( Conciseness)
 Submitted to, Submitted by, Date of
submission
 Title fly
 Executive Summary

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Title Page Information
Social Media Marketing: A Tool for Success
(font size 16, number of words max. 8)
( 2 spaces)

Submitted by:
Submitted to: Mr/ Ms.
(designation)

( 1 space)
Date of Submission

Name of the institution as a footer ( optional)

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Power Point Format (PDF)

Your presentation slides must include

information about:
Problem description

Solution

Path to take

Objectives and Goals

Your project’s worth

Start and end dates

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Supporting Document

Project proposal sections to include in the initial

document:
Executive summary

Project background

Solutions and approach

Financial information

Additional documents

Conclusion

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A Final Word…
 Although business proposals present the same
information and have the same layout, it’s
important to take time and make each one
unique.
 Each project is different, even if it’s with the
same company
 Remember, a business proposal must show
how you or your company can help a
potential client/ the business/ the
organization.

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RFP
 An RFP is a request for a proposal. This
document lists what a business needs from a
vendor to complete a project.
 Contractors and agencies who feel they can
satisfy the business’ requirements outlined
on the RFP then bid to win the contract.

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How to write an RFP that will get
a response
Steps for writing a clear, professional and
compelling RFP:
Define your project and needs.
Write an introduction.

Explain your company’s and project’s history.

Describe your project’s requirements.

Explain how vendors should respond.

Outline your selection criteria.

Note your timelines.

Proofread and revise your RFP.

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Application

 Business proposals can be addressed to

external audiences for business and
investment propositions in a proposal format
 Business proposals can be addressed to
internal audiences for policy/ strategy
initiatives in a memo format.
The point is content and visual clarity using
subheadings and understanding audience
needs

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