The ultimate goal of any business is to make a profit. To achieve this, you need to attract prospective customers interested in your products or services. If you don’t know where to start a business, start with a sales proposal to convince the client to choose you. This article will show you how to create a strong business proposal in 9 steps and stand out from the competition.
What is a commercial offer?
This document lists the benefits of a product or service and describes how a business will solve a particular customer problem. The purpose of a commercial proposal is to convince a client to make a purchase or to sign a contract with a company. For example, a flower boutique might send a sales pitch to a company looking for gifts for female employees on March 8th. The volume of the document can be anything. The main thing is that the commercial offer contains the necessary information: the “pain” of the client, the proposed solution, and the price of the issue.
Types of commercial offers:
- Personal. They are sent in response to an official request from the company. Usually, the client himself tells about his needs in advance, so it is easier to offer an effective solution in a personal, commercial proposal without deep analysis.
- “Hot.” They are also sent to a specific company, but informally: for example, after a personal conversation or a spontaneous business meeting. Unlike a personalized commercial proposal, here, you have to carefully study the needs and problems of the client and think about how your product or service can solve them.
- “Cold.” Sent to customers who have not asked for a commercial offer but could potentially be interested in your product. For “cold” commercial offers not to be perceived as spam, you need a clear strategy – for example, targeted email distribution to a loyal subscriber base.
How to write a commercial proposal
- Start with a title page
- Add a table of contents
- Write a resume for leadership
- Define the client’s “pain.”
- Suggest a solution
- Introduce the team
- Indicate prices
- Add user agreement
- Leave room for signatures
1. Start with a title page.
The title page is the first thing the client sees; therefore, you need to make it so that he wants to see the rest of the document. Put your name, company name, logo, contact information, website address on the front page, as well as the name of the client and the date of the proposal submission. Also, come up with a striking headline to make your sales pitch stand out from the rest. Make sure your title page looks professional: check grammar and spelling, indentation and formatting, and adjust the font size. By the way, typography also influences the first impression – so make sure the font you choose matches the company’s values. For example, soft, rounded sans-serif fonts are usually associated with technology and innovation – so they are suitable for an IT startup or private clinic.
2. Add a table of contents.
Time is expensive – therefore, at one glance at a commercial proposal, the client should understand what it is about. Create a clear table of contents that makes it easy to find any document section – from the executive summary to the user agreement. If you submit a business proposal online, complete the links clickable for even easier navigation through the document.
3. Write a resume for management.
An executive summary is a short version of a business proposal that incorporates vital points from the main document. Using a clear and straightforward tone, explain exactly why your company can meet the customer’s needs. Here, tell us about the company’s mission and vision and briefly list the awards and achievements.
4. Identify the client’s “pain.”
One of the crucial tasks of a commercial proposal is to convince the client that you are well aware of his problems and needs. Describe the client’s challenges and identify the problem that needs to be addressed in detail. The better you get into the client’s position, the easier it will be to convince him that you can change his life for the better.
5. Suggest a solution
After identifying the client’s problem, suggest a strategy for solving it. Break your plan down into stages, and set clear time frames for each one. The text should be as concise and easy to understand as possible – so avoid complex constructions and an abundance of professional vocabulary.
Example: A language school owner submits a business proposal to a large company that wants to provide corporate English classes for employees. In it, he identifies the problems of customers:
- High cost of classes
- Different levels of language training of employees
- Difficulties in choosing a place of employment, since workers live in other parts of the city
- A high percentage of clients who register for classes and do not attend them result in the company wasting money.
Based on the listed problems, the language school offers a comprehensive solution:
- Conduct free testing of employees and divide them into small groups with individually designed programs
- Make hybrid offline-online classes – employees can come to school or join the lesson via conference call.
- Set up a dynamic payment system – if a client has attended no more than three classes per month, the company pays only for those one-to-one classes, not for the entire month.
- Add a loyalty program – the more people register for the courses, the greater the overall discount for classes for the company.
Thus, the commercial proposal focuses on each client’s ” pain ” and offers an effective solution to the problem.
6. Introduce the team
Now is the time to better get to know the client about your company. Tell us about the team in detail – include their names and positions, add photos and short descriptions. Be sure to focus on skills, awards, courses taken, and another merit, so the client understands that they are dealing with professionals. For example, in the case of English courses, it is essential to emphasize that your team includes native speakers with a long history of teaching. Here you can also talk about the values of the company and the history of its creation, as well as post customer reviews.
7. Mark the prices
Make the pricing policy as transparent as possible so that the client understands how and for what he says. Create different rates and place them in the table for easy comparison.
8. Add user agreement
For a commercial offer to be valid, consider all the formal points: the term of the contract, dates and methods of payment, project deadlines, and return policy. Also, add any required permissions and licenses. A user agreement is a serious document that must be written by a professional. So be sure to use the services of a lawyer before sending the final version to the client.
9. Leave space for signatures.
Do not forget to include the place for signature and the date of the agreement in the document. Accompany these fields with contact information and a call to contact you if you have any questions. In the electronic version, use an electronic signature and make the field with contacts clickable.
Helpful tips for creating a business proposal
- Use visual content. Graphs, diagrams, infographics, photographs, and illustrations will help to make your offer more visible.
- Apply research. Audience analysis, market research, and other statistics will add credibility to your claims.
- Create an electronic version. This is especially important if you are doing business online. The electronic version of the commercial proposal has several advantages: for example, you can attach audio and video files to keep the reader’s attention. In addition, an electronic document can be password protected not to be seen by strangers.
- Check the document for typos. An unedited commercial proposal with abundant errors can harm even the most professional company. Therefore, proofread the paper carefully before submitting it, or hire a proofreader.
- Maintain your brand identity. Make sure the design and tone of your offer reflect your company’s values.
- Add calls to action. For example, “Join,” “Contact Us,” and others.
