Written Proposal: 5 Key Tips for Writing a Winning Business Proposal

So, it’s time for you to submit your first written proposal to a client. You get it done and in a few days; you get a rejection back. That didn’t go as planned.

There are many right and wrong ways to write a business proposal. You can research your client for days before you write it and it could still get rejected if you didn’t format it in a way that is easy to read. Understanding your client is only part of the equation.

Lucky for you, we know the formula for writing a winning proposal. Check out this quick guide to turn your no into a yes.

  1. You Don’t Have to Write From Scratch Each Time

It can be tempting to write your business proposal the same way that you would write an essay when you were in college. This takes hours of prep and, to be honest, it’s unnecessary when you can use a proposal template.

Find a good looking template that you can send to multiple clients after a few tweaks. This will take twenty minutes max. Way more practical. Online websites like Wyzant have these templates at hand. For more information, you can check this wyzant review.

  1. Understand Your Client

One of the main reasons that your proposal will be rejected is that you didn’t understand the client well enough. Call your potential client before you write the proposal to ask them a little about their business and learn more about the problem that they need you to fix using your services.

Once you’ve got this information, you can use it to structure the majority of your proposal with their needs in mind.

  1. Send Them Examples of Your Previous Work 

The proposal does need to be more centered around the client but this doesn’t mean that you can’t give them an excuse to hire you. What better way to convince a client that you can create a site then by sending them samples of your best past work for example?

  1. Using Keywords 

Part of getting your proposal accepted is to show the client that you’ve taken a bit of time out of your busy day to research them. Take notes during the meeting you have with them to pick out some common words that they use.

Write some of these words into your proposal. They’ll be impressed that you cared enough to use their terminology.

  1. Keep it Simple and Easy to Read

The client who is reading your proposal gets a lot of them every single day. If they can’t grasp your point by quickly scanning over the page then you’ll be hit with rejection.

Make it simple to read by using bullet points, using italics for emphasis, and using bold print on important words.

Rules For Creating the Perfect Written Proposal

Was your written proposal rejected by your client? The most common reason why this happens is that the business fails to understand the client. It’s not the only reason though.

Use the tips that you’ve read here to turn your business proposal rejection into approval.

Writing a great business proposal isn’t the only way for you to grow your business. Check out our blog daily for more business tips like the ones you read here.