Ten Tips for Creating a Winning Proposal ? Part 1
If you want your business to grow and attract new clients, you'll
have to start creating meaningful proposals. The goal of a
proposal is obviously to be awarded new work. It accomplishes
this goal by providing answers to the questions of who, what,
where, why, how and when. But many small or home-based business owners have neither the
time, knowledge or resources necessary to create proposals that
properly relay the pertinent information about the company and
its ability to provide the requested services. If the mere thought of having to create a proposal is keeping you
from bidding on jobs you know your business can handle, stop
worrying! There are several proposal-building software products
available that will help with this task. Many are template-driven. All you have to do is select the
templates that are appropriate to include in the proposal, use
your word processor to add text that is specific to your type of
business, then sit back and watch a professional-looking proposal
emerge from your printer. Read the following tips for an idea of the components that will
help your proposals get the attention they need. Tip #1 ? Identify the Problem A proposal must show that the person or company submitting it
clearly understands the problem that the prospective client is
attempting to remedy. If the proposal cannot show right away, in
the Executive Summary section, that you have a clear
understanding of the problem, those reviewing it won't feel
confident that your company will be capable of properly and
effectively dealing with it. They'll see no reason to read beyond
the Executive Summary section. Tip #2 ? Identify the Proposed Solution The proposal must also clearly outline the manner in which the
bidder will address this problem. Include here the personnel you
will assign to the project and their resumes. Mention here the
estimated timeline for completing the work outlined in the bid.
Also show the anticipated costs and how they will be allocated.
Don't provide too much information about the proposed solution.
You don't want to give the proposed solution away for free! Tip #3 ? Make the Proposal Easy to Read If the proposal itself is difficult to comprehend, contains
grammar or spelling mistakes or is carelessly prepared, the
chance of it being selected are greatly diminished. It will be
difficult to convince the reviewers that the proposed work will
get done properly if the proposal itself appears thrown together.
Remember, the proposal is oftentimes the only chance a business
has of making a first impression. Don't waste this valuable
opportunity. Tip #4 ? Prove You Understand the Market The proposed solution must not be generic. It must take into
consideration the nature of the company requesting the proposal.
It's important to show in the proposal that you have analyzed the
market, the competition, the opportunities that the business is
missing by not implementing your proposed solution and the
current trends in that market. Tip #5 - Prove Your Company is The Best Choice This is really what a proposal is all about. Before you can
expect the clients to award the job to your company, they need to
be convinced that your company is the best choice. Here you have
the opportunity to boast about your company. Briefly describe the
company's history including the number of years in business.
Explain past projects where you applied similar methods of
getting the job done and your results. Include resumes,
certificates and other credentials of those who will handle the
job. Read on for five more valuable tips for creating winning
proposals! Copyright © 2004 Cavyl Stewart. Get more software tips, strategies and recommendations to help you create winning proposals by signing up for my Exclusive 100% free, 100% original content ecourse: "The Secrets To Unlocking The Power In Your Proposals"! To sign up please visit:
http://www.find-small-business-software.com/proposal-ecourse.html
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