BUSINESS PROPOSAL

What is Proposal Writing?

 A proposal is an essential marketing document
that helps cultivate an initial professional
relationship between an organization and a
donor over a project to be implemented.

 The proposal outlines the plan of the

implementing organization about the project,
giving extensive information about the intention,
for implementing it, the ways to manage it and
the results to be delivered from it.
 Types of Proposals
 There are two types of proposals

1)Research Proposal
2)Business Proposal
 Research Proposal

 A research proposal is a document written by a

researcher that provides a detailed description
of the proposed program.

 It is like an outline of the entire research

process that gives a reader a summary of the
information discussed in a project
 Business Proposal
 A business proposal is a written offer from a seller
to a prospective buyer.

 Business proposals are often a key step in the

complex sales process—i.e., whenever a buyer
considers more than price in a purchase.

 The professional organization devoted to the

advancement of the art and science of proposal
development is The Association of Proposal
Management Professionals.
 Business Proposal
 A proposal puts the buyer's requirements in a
context that favors the sellers products and
services, and educates the buyer about the
capabilities of the seller in satisfying their
needs.

  A successful proposal results in a sale, where

both parties get what they want, a win-win
situation.
 Types of Business Proposals

 There are three distinct categories of

business proposals:

1)Formally Solicited
2)Informally Solicited
3)Unsolicited
 Formally Solicited Proposal
 Solicited proposals are written in response to
published requirements. It contains.

 Request For Proposal(RFP):RFPs provide

detailed specifications of what the customer wants
to buy and sometimes include directions for
preparing the proposal, as well as evaluation
criteria the customer will use to evaluate offers.
Customers issue RFPs when their needs cannot be
met with generally available products or services.
 FSPs....
 Request for Quotation (RFQ):Customers issue
RFQs when they want to buy large amounts of a
commodity and price is not the only issue--for
example, when availability or delivering or
service are considerations.
 Invitation for Bid (IFB):Customers issue IFBs
when they are buying some service, such as
construction. The requirements are detailed, but
the primary consideration is price. For example,
a customer provides architectural blueprints for
contractors to bid on.
 FSPs...
 Request for Information (RFI):Sometimes before a
customer issues an RFP or RFQ or IFB, the customer
will issue a Request for Information (RFI). The
purpose of the RFI is to gain "marketing intelligence"
about what products, services, and vendors are
available.

 RFIs are used to shape final RFPs, RFQs, and IFBs, so

potential vendors take great care in responding to
these requests, hoping to shape the eventual formal
solicitation toward their products or services.
 Informally Solicited Proposal
 Informally solicited proposals are typically the
result of conversations held between a vendor and
a prospective customer.

 This type of proposal is known as a sole-source

proposal. There are no formal requirements to
respond to, just the information gleaned from
customer meetings. 

 These proposals are typically less than 25-pages,

with many less than 5 pages.
 Unsolicited Proposal
 Unsolicited proposals are marketing brochures.

 They are always generic, with no direct connection

between customer needs or specified requirements.

 They are often used as "leave-behinds" at the end of

initial meetings with customers or "give-aways" at
trade shows or other public meetings.

 They are not designed to close a sale, just introduce

the possibility of a sale.
 Managing Business Proposals

 Proposal management is an inherently

collaborative process. It often consists of the
following basic roles and responsibilities:

1) Creator - responsible for creating and editing

content.
2) Editor - responsible for tuning the content
message and the style of delivery, including
translation and localization.
 Managing Business Proposals

3) Publisher - responsible for releasing the

content for use.
4) Administrator - responsible for managing
access permissions to documents and files,
usually accomplished by assigning access
rights to user groups or roles.
5) Consumer or viewer - the person who reads or
otherwise takes in content after it is published
or shared.
Creating a Killer Business Proposal

Five tips for creating a efficient business proposal.

1) Know What Your Customer Needs:

Your proposal shouldn’t be centered around
your fantastic products or benefits of working
with your firm. It should focus on addressing
your customer’s needs. 
Creating a Killer Business Proposal...
2) Keep It Simple:
You should stick to the basic templates. You’ll
need to include
 An overview of your company

 The goals you want to help the client achieve

 An outline of how you’ll achieve those goals

 A timeline for getting it done

 Pricing

 Policies, such as cancellation

 Contact information
Creating a Killer Business Proposal...
3) Get Professional:
You can modify any number of business proposal
templates online, or you can use software
like QuoteBase, which allows you to modify
proposal modules and email the finished product
directly to your clients.
4) Keep Them on Their Toes:
Business proposals don’t have to be boring. Don’t
be afraid to inject a little of your own personality
into it (as long as it’s professional). Graphics, too,
can spice up a proposal and keep it interesting.
 Creating a Killer Business Proposal...

5) Re-Read it for Errors:

So many salespeople pen off a proposal and
hit “send” without spell-checking or reading
through it one last time. Read it to make sure
it’s easy to understand. Keep sentences short.
Make sure you define any terms the reader
might not know.
After you present the proposal, make sure
you’re available to answer questions and close
the sale!
Samples of Business Proposals