subject: How To Create A Great Business Proposal [print this page] There are many things to keep in mind when you are readying an important business proposal. Here are five quick tips to get you started.
1.) Make It Well-Written. The key is to make your proposal both explanatory and succinct. Never forget that your proposal is, for all intents and purposes, somewhere between a news and a sales piece, and that you are trying to take somebody from point A to point B. Make sure that your point is made, just do it in as few words as possible, especially in the opening. Keep the excess fluff and insider jargon out, unless you are prepared to offer quick definitions.
Remember that you are introducing people to your ideas - people who before they picked up your proposal, may have had no clue that the idea even existed. It's tough to resist the urge to over-explain, but resist that urge you must. Make each point as economically as you can, and move to the next one.
2.) Make Your Arguments Tight. As we said, this is essentially a sales pitch. As such you will want to make sure that you lead your audience down a path that presents you and your business as the only logical choice. To do that you are going to have to play devil's advocate by anticipating their questions, obstacles, and problems, and addressing them in your proposal.
You'll also want to grab as many facts and statistics as possible to back up your claims. Don't go overboard here, but a nice set of numbers that support what you are saying can really turn heads. Create a catchphrase or theme, and keep going back to them.
3.) Make Your Materials Stand Out. There are lots of different styles of book and document binding, and the one you choose may say something about your business. Take a good look at all of them, and choose the one that best supports what you are trying to convey about you and your ideas. Plastic comb binding, for instance, is a style you have seen a thousand times in your life, and is thus unlikely to make any sort of lasting impression. Go to your copy shop, or an online store, take a good look at your options, and give some serious thought about what the style of your documents might be saying about you.
Use graphics, just don't get too cutesy with them. Make sure they clarify and enhance, rather than distract.
4.) Be Truthful and Don't Oversell. It is likely that you are presenting your proposal to people who know the world of business and marketing well, and are going to be turned off by an effusive sales pitch. If your audience gets the slightest inkling that you are overstating a point, or are not being completely honest with them, the whole presentation is shot. Trust us on this.
5.) Think About your Audience. If you are presenting to a few different businesses, try to customize your presentation for each, if only just a little. Do some homework, and point out something in the company's mission statement or history that makes your business a great fit, and always remember to keep the stress on the benefits that your proposed partners will see.
by: Jeffrey McRitchie
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