Effective Proposal Writing: Hints & Tips

Just like the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Yet most of the time when you submit a proposal, you’re doing just that: making a first impression that will decide whether or not you secure a business agreement with your prospective client.

The process of putting together a proposal is lengthy, but with proper planning and an organized approach, you’ll be able to work with your team and create an effective document. So let’s talk about how.

The main steps involved are initially meeting with the client, assembling a team, organizing your team’s internal workflow, creating a structured outline, developing a draft, then finally assembling, reviewing, proofreading, and finalizing.

Step 1: Meeting with the Client

As a general rule of thumb, there are two kinds of business proposals: unsolicited and solicited.

In the first case, the client will approach you with a certain problem and ask you to propose a solution. By contrast, an unsolicited proposal is where you see an opportunity to pitch your solution to the client and apply without being asked. This article focuses on what to do in case of solicited proposals.

Moreover, in the case of solicited proposals, based on the type of client and industry (e.g. Banking & Finance, Public Health & Insurance, Event Management), the requirements for structure and detail may vary. For the purposes of this article, let’s look at a proposal that has mid-level requirements for its ToR.

A Closer Look at Solicited Proposals

Nowadays, it’s very typical for companies to work with clients from all across the globe. This makes meeting them in person less likely. Nonetheless, prior to beginning the process of proposal writing, if possible, it is highly desirable to have a preliminary discussion or call. This will allow you to request the documentation you need and ask important questions. The goal of these meetings is to get as much pertinent information as possible so you can find out what problem the client is trying to address and how your company can provide the solution they need. Some questions that are important to ask:

  • Has the client made an attempt in the past to address the problem? Why were these attempts unsuccessful? What were some of the hurdles they encountered?
  • What evaluation criteria will be used when reviewing the proposal? (E.g. Is there a certain budget they have in mind? Are there a series of technical specs that are important to them?)
  • Does the potential client have any concerns or specific points they want to be addressed in the process?
  • What are the client’s/organization’s operating policies? The reason you want to clarify this point is so your proposal is consistent with these policies.
Tips from Flux

When working with our clients, our best practices dictate that we request specifications and host several calls to develop a clear understanding of what is expected. From here we are able to clearly define the problem that the client would like to be addressed and what solution we will propose.

Step 2: Internal Prep Work & Proposal Writing

The main task you will have to tackle in this stage is creating an outline of what sections the proposal will have. The purpose of this is so you make sure no major elements are being missed. Again, if you are working with a client who already has a template or certain sections that they require you to have, make sure to include them. From here, you can move on to workflow and further discussions with your team.

After having spoken with your client, you’ll want to internally discuss the workflow and answer some fundamental questions, which will prove very useful when you sit down to write. Be sure your team is capable of clearly answering these questions:

  • Where does your company add value?
  • How does the solution you’re proposing contribute to the client’s long-term success?
  • Which aspects of your experience or approach confirm your trustworthiness?
  • What impact will your solution have on the client’s business?
Tips from Flux

At Flux, our process begins by appointing a designated person who is ultimately in charge of compiling the proposal. In our case, this is a member of the Business Development team. Their main responsibilities include assembling the document and coordinating workflow throughout the firm. The designated person decides which team members are responsible for what.

Recommended Team

Assembling a team who will be responsible for compiling the proposal, it’s important to have all the relevant specialists and department heads. This will allow you to designate a portion of the proposal to each person and provide the right expertise where needed.

This team usually consists of:

Team MembersRole
Business development representative 
This is the designated person in charge of coordinating proposal writing workflow and document assembly.
Technical Experts
Technical experts provide all the specs you need as well as describe the inner workings of the proposed solution.
Project Manager
This is the person who will lead the solution development and coordinate the workflow.
Product Strategist
Having a product strategist on board from the get-go will also prove very useful. They will be responsible for identifying new opportunities and developing long-term strategic plans.
Financial Experts 
These team members will focus on the budget that would be involved and compile an explanatory breakdown of expenses. 
Content Writer
In this case, the role of the content writer is to proofread and make grammatical, wording, and formatting edits.

Step 3: Proposal Assembly & Review

In this phase, the designated person should identify sections that need clarification or refining. Often this is a time when follow-up meetings and individual breakout sessions take place so you can hammer out any ambiguities or discrepancies. Once this process is complete, you’ll be able to move toward final revisions.

When thinking about how you want to structure your proposal the most important thing is a clear flow and to address all the points mentioned by the client in your initial meetings. Some clients you work with will already have their own template or format that they would like you to follow. If not, consider the following structure based on Flux’s best practices.

Recommended Proposal Structure

Title Page
This is the intro that includes your basic information like your company name and client name, date of submission, logos, and title. 

Tip: Use nice logo and custom font // colors, stay on brand and message
Table of Contents
The most important aspect of a table of contents is to present a visually clear breakdown of everything the proposal includes. 

Tip: In compiling the document, you’ll find that things move around a lot. So once you’ve finished with the final edits (including formatting) go back and make sure that the page numbers correspond with what you have in your table of contents. 
Executive Summary
Many reviewers may skip directly to this section, so make sure it’s comprehensive. The purpose of the executive summary is to detail why you’re sending the proposal and why your solution is the best for the prospective client. Be specific, and keep these key points in mind. Here are some important points to include: 
-Company introduction (capitalizing on those points that would prove most pertinent to the client’s problem)
-Overview of your company’s goals
-A brief outline of company milestones, overall vision, and future plans

Tips: Tailor the introduction to highlight the parts of your company that are most interesting for the client. Do not use a standard boilerplate.
Solution Proposal (Problem Statement, Proposed Solution, Qualifications)

General overview of the custom-made solutions your company has compiled for potential clients. Describe the anticipated outcome of the project and the general time frame. Address the client’s needs and assure them you’re the one for the job.

Tips for Problem Statement: Make sure you fully understand the problem your prospective client is trying to target. Everything must be devoted to solving that problem.
Service & Methodology 
Here, you should take the clients through the process so they know what they’re signing up for. Describe exactly what product or services they will get and when. For this, it may be helpful to include a timetable that carries deliverables with expected dates. This makes the document more concrete. 

Tips: Be as accurate as possible. If you feel you need a certain amount of time to achieve part of what you’re proposing, openly mention the timeline…don’t underestimate it.
Pricing 
This is the section where specifics are vital. Creating a pricing table that clearly identifies each service & pairing it with the most accurate price information you can provide. Some standard fields:
-Start-up costs or initial set-up
-Labor costs
-Supply costs
-Ongoing monthly charges
-Maintenance costs

Tips: Again, accuracy is key. It’s ok to ask for a large sum if it’s called for, but you need to be prepared to break that down and justify it.
Terms & Conditions
Specify when and how the agreement can be amended. Include payment dates and types.
Agreement & CDA
This section allows for signatures of both parties so you can make things official.

In the email you write where you attach the proposal, it’s a good idea to include a deadline for the prospective client to respond and hire your firm. Also, don’t forget to follow up two or three weeks after and inquire about the status of the review process. Usually, you should be able to go through the same communication channels you used when originally submitting the document. For example, if you submitted the proposal via email, send an inquiry reply to that same address.

Takeaways

Phew! We know, it’s a lot to take in. Writing a proposal is truly a tedious process. Keep these tips in mind the next time another prospective client comes your way. Oh, and let us know what some of your best practices are in the comments section.

BY Flux Team