How to Write a Winning Proposal

Writing proposals is not something any small business person wants to do. They can be difficult to write and you don’t always win the business.  One reason you’re not getting the job could be your proposal isn’t effective. 

So, how do you write a more effective proposal that will win the business?

Don’t leave it to the last minute

Are you a procrastinator? Don’t be when it comes to getting a proposal written.

Even if you’re not ‘feeling it,’ try to spend some time writing down some ideas. Refer back to the notes you took when meeting with your potential client. You were listening to what they said, right? Your clients make think they only need one thing, but you heard their need for several other things too. Put them all in the proposal.

Write up a rough first draft and put it away for an hour or a day. Then, when you revisit it, you have something to edit and work from while meeting your submission deadline.

Develop a boilerplate

Having a template to work from can make that first rough draft closer to a finished version.

For some businesses, a boilerplate won’t work, but if it can for your business, it is worth the time you invest in creating it.

If you’ve already written a few proposals, look them over and see what you can repurpose. Perhaps it’s the wording of a specific service offering or the look of the delivery timetable. Some things will be able to be used over and over with minimal tweaking for each specific client.

Keep if about the client

Naturally you’re proud of your business but keep the information about you and your company to a minimum in the proposal. It’s all about the client, their company and their needs.

Don’t use industry jargon

Your potential client may not know or understand jargon or abbreviations common in your industry. So don’t use them.

For example, as a marketer, I know what SEO stands for. My clients have probably seen stories about it, but I spell it out (Search Engine Optimization) for them and briefly describe what it is and how it will help raise their website in online searches. I don’t assume they know what SEO means or what it is.

Use correct grammar and spell check

Your proposal will not look professional and polished to your potential client if it has misspelled words, incorrect grammar and punctuations throughout.

Use spell check on your computer and hire a proofreader to check your work. Or ask a colleague to look it over for you. It’s difficult to proofread your own work because you know what it’s supposed to say.

Use these tips to write winning proposals that bring in new work for your small business.