Businesses generally have one goal. To generate new leads, increase sales, and ultimately scale their company.
For many companies, one of the ways to do this is to partner (or reach out) to other companies or manufacturers and work with or collaborate with them. We call this B2B (or business to business) marketing.
B2B is a great way to see the growth in your company that you are looking for, as you connect with other businesses, as well as generate new leads.
But how about when you are a one-man show, such as a graphic artist, that wishes to promote
your services to a prospective client.
It’s all the same. Either way, a large company, or a small startup, you need a well-designed
business proposal.
Five ways to write an excellent business proposal
1. You showcase what you have to offer
Choose your words wisely. You want to be able to accurately represent your brand and you business. You are going to be showing off your company, but you want to do it tastefully and tactfully.
2. You explain why you are needed
A good business proposal will show why a client or business needs you. You will show how your business (or services) will benefit them in the long run.
3. You show why they should choose you
Now comes the tricky part. A really well-drafted business proposal will show why your services should be hired. You want to explain why, in the sea of competition, you are the best. You should be able to clearly state the benefits of hiring your business over your competitors.
4. You show how you will benefit them
Now, you need to show how you will benefit them. This is not the same as stating what makes your business unique from competitors. This is showing how your services will help them to grow a bigger, better company, increase their sales, market their products, or manage their business better.
5. How much your services cost
Lastly, you need to be able to give the cost of your services (or products). This is an overview of how much you charge for what you have to offer. You want to always list this last, after you have explained the pros of hiring or partnering with you.
Business proposals, while they can be given formally or informally, are most often used when obtaining work from another business or client. However, in some cases, they are also used to offer suggestions on how to build a better business.
Make your proposal informative, easy to read, interesting, and don’t hesitate to add a splash of color to it. Yes, it’s a business proposal, but it’s also supposed to catch people’s attention and engage them. Most importantly, make sure that you edit it and check for errors before hitting that “send” button!