Business Proposals

Written Analysis and Communication

 Type of Proposals
• Product Proposal
• Service Proposal
• Concept (Idea)
• Business Proposal

It is all about SELLING;

There are solicited proposals (begin or end the
selling process) and unsolicited proposals (begin
the selling process)
 Selling
• Dfn. “ Helping people to buy”.

• Presumption – the seller identifies,

understands and respects the buyers’ needs,
and acts to facilitate the buyer’s making of
a decision to buy.
 Selling Tasks
• Create visibility - be seen so that you are
remembered, recall
• Be persuasive – make sure you are
understood, your credibility announced, you
attract people
• Differentiate – distinct from competition
 Proposal Talk
• How problem will be solved

• What procedure will be followed

• Who will do

• How long will it take

• How much will it cost

 Proposal Can Be
• solicited – unsolicited

• formal – informal

• internal - external
 Proposal Talks To
• single / multiple decision makers

• Influencers
 The Selling Process
• Advertisement – prompts an enquiry
• Response to enquiry
• Prospect shows interest
• First information e.g.product brochure
• Stop – if continue, first personal sales call
• Follow –up
• Second meeting – leads to request for proposal
• Proposal submission
• Chasing of proposal, presentation if required
• Final decision
 Therefore ----
• Selling is a cumulative activity
• Hence the importance of all the intervening stages
between the advertisement and the final decision
• Strike rate is important – process is time
consuming and expensive; so result
• Proposal is a key stage since a lot of investment
( time, money, effort) is already made so far
• Proposal becomes a link towards the end of the
sequence – lead to buying action
 Proposals Must Be Persuasive
• Establish credibility of the source – the
organisation, product
• Neutralise weaknesses – cost, space, -
overcome possible objection
• Understandable
• Emotional involvement - conviction
• Well presented, attractive
 Contents of a Proposal
• Introduction
• Body – background, proposal, costing,
objections, description of products, current
users
• Conclusion – lead to action
• Appendix – tables,
 Proposal Format
• Letter proposal – details not required, sum
past discussions, no competition
• Formal proposal – complex
recommendation, high cost product, more
than one customer/ decision maker/
influencer, not met all, competition and
comparison
 Formal Proposals
Clarify
• How formal should it be
• What sort of detail is expected
• How long should it be
• How many people will see it
• When do they want to receive it
 Formal Proposals(contd.)
Content

• Page 1 – who, or which organisation it is

for, what it is about ( title), whom it is from

• Content page – list with page numbers

 Formal Proposals(contd.)
Content

• Introduction – the background, refer to past

meetings, acknowledge terms of reference, names
of those involved in the past meetings
• Statement of need – needs of the customer, scope
of the requirement; purpose is to communicate and
empahsise your understanding and establishes the
identity of views between the two parties
 Formal Proposals(contd.)
Content

• Recommendation - benefits led, spell out

advantages and intended outcomes – to
explain persuasively, to differentiate
• Costs – options, extras, associated
expenses; reinforce value for money, clarify
invoicing terms
 Formal Proposals(contd.)
Content

• Any other specific details

• Closing statement – recap key points, stress
mutual agreement ( if past discussions),
invoke a sense of urgency
• Additions
Happy Selling