A business sales proposal, or sales proposal, is a document where you pitch your products or services to clients. Companies send sale proposals at the middle or end stages of their sales pipeline.
Therefore, reps have already established prior contact with the lead.
However, business proposals can be unsolicited. You may send them as cold emails to your prospects.
Every business needs to write a killer sales proposal to convert leads. Here is a guide to writing the best business sales proposal to win your clients.
The Structure of a Business Proposal
There is no fixed structure for writing an elevator pitch or sales proposal. You may experiment with various hierarchies based on your industry and offering.
However, a few sections are a must for any business proposal:
Executive summary – Describes the “why” of your company or product
Issue – The problem your product or service is trying to solve
Solution – Describes how your offering solves the issue at hand
Pricing & terms – Explains pricing breakdowns and any applicable terms
Expertise – States why you are the best party to resolve your client’s problems
Conclusion – Presents a clear value statement
Contact information – So that clients can contact you
You may not need to focus on every aspect discussed above. However, they make for a comprehensive and informative business proposal that converts leads successfully.
How to Write a Stellar Business Sales Proposal
We have several proven tips for you to write a fantastic sales proposal. Let’s start with one of the most important steps:
Perform Market Research
Market research is necessary to understand your audience. It helps you get in their shoes and experience their pain points.
Moreover, you can establish the tone and language you should use to appeal to your leads. To prove your point, you can also align your offerings with your prospect’s problems.
It is useful to conduct research in other areas to write an informative proposal. You should consider doing:
- Competitor research
- Customer research
- Feasibility research
Thorough research will arm you with deep insights that help you convert your leads.
The Icy Whiz team talked to Joseph Denaburg, a 4th Generation Jeweler at Levy’s Fine Jewelry, about crafting a compelling business sales proposal. Here is what he said:
“Creating the most effective engagement ring is all about drawing attention to the brilliance of a gem without overwhelming it with excessive decorations.
To me, this means customizing each proposal so that it reflects back the unique shine of an individual or customer.
When we consider their specific wants and needs, our pitch becomes more than just a sales tactic; it becomes their story told through us and how our goods fit into that narrative.
For example, while talking about various qualities of diamonds I always try linking them with the buyer’s preference as well as how different features correspond to particular wants or needs expressed by the purchaser.
This approach not only keeps proposals short but also concentrates heavily on what pains customers uniquely and their preferences too.
It goes beyond selling rings or any other pieces of jewelry; it involves creating an event that speaks directly into the soul of buyers. From my experience, when one touches such a level, sales happen naturally.”
Keep It Concise
The point of a business proposal is not to go into details. It is meant to provide essential information that tells why your offering is the most suitable for your client.
Moreover, sales teams have established prior contact with the lead in most cases. Therefore, there is no use in cramming everything in your proposal.
It should be simple, highlighting the USP and value of your product or service.
Pro tip: You should be aware of your prospect’s preferences before sending your proposal. Keep their habits in mind to adjust the length or comprehensiveness of your document.
For example, leads that like to get to the point will certainly not enjoy a lengthy proposal.
Define Pain Points Clearly
Your business proposal must define your client’s pain points clearly. Market research is the first step to understand your customer’s problems and how you can solve them.
However, you can dig up insights from several sources like:
- Conversations stored in CRMs
- Social media
- Analytics
It is necessary to personalize each sales proposal to account for the uniqueness of your prospect. Consider aspects like industry, customer base, and specific pain points to state the issue you are solving in your proposal.
We interviewed Rafi Friedman, President of Coastal Luxury Outdoors, on tailoring business proposals to address clients’ preferences effectively. Here is what he had to say:
“For us, the focus is on getting contact information from potential clients before we start sharing detailed information on pricing and design considerations.
At that point, even if a specific proposal doesn’t work out, we’ll be able to reach out to them in the future. Once someone does ask us for a proposal, though, we generally provide as much information as we possibly can.
We want our clients to have a clear sense of how much our products will cost, how long they will take to install, and what they’ll look like when they’re finished. Withholding information at this point is a great way to lose out to the competition.”
Use a Template
A set format can be useful to prevent reinventing the wheel each time. You can create a template for your business proposal and customize it based on your prospect’s leads.
It helps you save time and effort and maintain consistency in your approach to all clients.
Sales and marketing tools like CRMs offer a range of templates for writing sales proposals. You may even find templates customized for specific industries or products.
Moreover, you can discover free templates on the internet.
Propose Your Solution Precisely
The solution section of your proposal is vital to converting your lead. It should clearly define how your offering resolves the pain points of your prospect.
Moreover, use numbers (if possible) to show you are confident about solving their problems. For example, “our product helps your business save 30% of costs and boost productivity by 25%.”
Additionally, you may include the deliverables after you describe your solution. Let’s say you are selling a social media marketing package.
So, your deliverables may look like:
- Audit report of current social media performance in the first month
- A personalized marketing strategy and implementation in the second month
- 30 social media posts to boost visibility in the third month
- 10 video campaigns in the fourth month
- Weekly reports monitoring the performance of campaigns
Add Testimonials
A sales proposal that contains testimonials can convert clients effectively. You may include a few testimonials or links that let your prospect check your competency in their free time.
Testimonials can work well to:
- Build trust and credibility
- Provides unbiased accounts of your product or service
- Removes skepticism
- Boosts conversions
So, don’t forget to add a few reviews in your business proposal.
Tyler Browne, Founder & CEO of To the Cloud, emphasized striking the balance in crafting sales proposals. Here is an excerpt from the interview:
“As a seasoned CEO in the cannabis industry, I’ve frequently encountered the necessity for effective and concise sales proposals.
In creating a compelling business proposal, it’s vital to strategically balance comprehensive information about your product or service and conciseness.
I do that by focusing on the client’s key needs and our unique selling proposition (USP), both summarized in clear and concise bullet points. This provides valuable information without overwhelming the prospect.
Personalization of proposals to address specific client needs is also very important. It’s not just about showcasing your product, but also about demonstrating a deep understanding of the client’s pain points.
For instance, if a client is seeking eco-friendly cannabis products, we emphasize our commitment to sustainability and highlight products that suit their need. And if a client prefers crypto payments, we then detail our innovative fintech solutions facilitating such transactions.
Thus, tailoring sales proposals based on individual client preferences enhances their relevance and potential for closing a sale.”
Provide Clear CTAs
CTAs or calls to action are a must to end your proposal. They encourage your prospect to take action and move forward in the buyer journey.
Add more actionable and appealing CTAs to help close deals effectively. Moreover, avoid ambiguity and be clear on the action you want to take.
For example, say, “let’s set a call at Wednesday 11 am,” instead of just writing, “let’s take things forward.”
You will get much better results.
Final Thoughts
Our tips will help you write a solid business sales proposal. Keep your document simple, highlighting the pain points and how your offering solves them. Moreover, add an appealing CTA and customize your document according to your audience’s needs.
Guest Author: Saket Kumar
Last Updated on May 11, 2024 by surbhisaket
Author
Writing effective sales proposals can often be a challenge but. Taking things step-by-step, and using the opportunity to show your client that your business is the right fit for the job is very effective way for getting a job. This article is very helpful in this regard.
I have learnt a lot from this article. Thanks for sharing such helpful information.
Insightful! Being in a business and that too in a sales team its definitely important to write an engaging, intresting and concise sales proposals, and to my mind I think the tips you mentioned are really amazing! Definitely gonna share this with my teammate so that she gets an overview and the next time she won’t get stressed writing the business sales proposal!
This was quite helpful. I often struggle with my proposals but this step by step guide has truly helped me. I am surely gonna benefit from the expertise of the author.
This article provides a valuable guide on crafting effective business sales proposals by highlighting key components and emphasizing the flexibility to tailor the structure, ensuring a comprehensive and persuasive approach in converting leads.
It’s good since you have covered all the important aspects which is important for a beginners and also easy to understand also.
This article is super helpful for me. It breaks down how to write a business sales proposal in a way that’s easy to understand. I learned about key parts like the executive summary and how to define the problem and solution. Keeping it short and sweet makes a lot of sense, and I like the idea of using templates to save time. Adding testimonials is a cool tip for building trust. The part about clear calls to action at the end is straightforward and practical. Thanks to this, I feel more confident about writing proposals for my business.