7 things you need to know about how to successfully send a proposal

In the early stages of the sales pipeline, a company needs to send a proposal before a sales transaction can happen.

A new freelance proposal is sent to a potential client which starts the first point of contact for the business and potential customer to begin work.

The potential client must first go ahead and open your written request before any project, job, or pay can be discussed. The business proposal must generate enough interest with the company that they are willing to answer back with a message to discuss the details of your letter. So it’s a bit harder than just writing an email.

So how do you write a winning proposal that will capture a prospect’s interest?

In this article, we'll take a look at tips and an example template from Bonsai to help you in creating the perfect business proposal email to earn you more clients.

Note: If you are going to send a new proposal, don't waste time trying to figure out what to say on your own. Just try Bonsai's "ready to use" templates. Simply sign up for a free trial, fill in the outline and send a winning proposal right away.

What is a Solicited Business Proposal Email?

A solicited business proposal email is a plan that a business will send to a prospect. The document will outline the services that you can provide for the prospect.

This is usually sent at the beginning of the sales process since the business proposal email will respond to a prospect requesting services such as a project that they would like to complete.

The main objectives of the proposal email are to reach a basic agreement about how you can create a project, solve their problem with a solution, or save them money (because who doesn't like to save money?)

Along with a summary of the service being offered, proposals will include a base price of the project to help customers understand how easily the package can satisfy their needs.

All of this should entice the customer to sign a deal and write back to you in order to start the business relationship!

Identify the Client's Problems

Before you send your business proposal, it is very important that you research the client and understand what their objectives are.

As mentioned above, some clients may be looking to expand their business, solve a problem, or save some money.

Before you send potential clients any contracts to sign, you should verify what the company is looking for. You should make note of what problems they currently have and why those problems exist.

This is where the research comes in.

Understanding your client is important because this will help you see what they are trying to accomplish. When prospects send out a request, they are looking to find a way to fix their problems. It would be challenging to try to complete a task if you don't even know what the task at hand is, right?

Identifying the client's problems should be brought up first in your proposal package to show the prospect that you recognize what they are asking for.

Provide Solutions in Your Proposals

Once you've understood what the prospects are looking for, it is time to offer your services. You should customize your proposal email to fit the company.

Clients are unique and they will each have their own special solution on how to solve their particular problem.

Your business proposal email should summarize how you intend to specifically satisfy what they are asking for. In order to stand out from the rest of the proposals in your potential client's inboxes, you'll have to have hyper-targeted messaging to catch them by the eyes.

A good way to create a proposal is to use proposal templates that highlight possible solutions for the clients, but also the specific actions that you will do to create value for the clients.

Add a Timeline in the Proposals

People do not like to wait.

It is even worse when people do not know exactly how long they need to be waiting.

So how do you avoid this?

In your proposal, you should include how long you estimate it will take for you to complete their request. If you are unable to write a specific deadline, it would still be smart to include a time frame of the total project, or even each actionable step in your plans.

Clients do not want to sign contracts that do not reassure them that they are getting their needs met. It is key that you communicate with the client in your proposal so that they understand how soon their problems will be solved.

Even after the first proposal is sent, it is always great to follow up with the client to update them on the progress of their request.

State Your Qualifications

Potential clients will have loads of people who send them proposals wanting to do business with them. So how do you make sure that your letter to the client is actually read and not thrown into the junk folder?

You need to state your qualifications in order to break through all the clutter.

In your proposals, you should write your skills and qualifications for the job. Your qualifications need to help your letter shine brighter than the other proposals that they receive.

Clients will want to accept and sign an agreement with a person who not only understands how to fix their problems, but who is capable of actually executing the solutions.

Don't think of it as bragging to a person. Try to think of it like you are reassuring the client that you can be trusted to get the job done. This will make the customer more willing to sign and partner with you for being the best option available.

Include Your Contact Information in Your Proposals

Last but definitely not least, it is very important that you include your contact information in the document. This is important because it allows the client to follow up with you on your proposal.

Including the best form of contact in a visible space for the client is crucial. Rather than making the client surf the web or search Google, you should create an easy to see text box with your contact information.

This can be as simple as a phone number, email address, or a link to your website in the top right corner of your proposal templates.

This will make it very easy to respond to your proposal. It will be quick and simple for the client to create a reply and click send.

If you are looking for a clean and simple way to display your contact information, check out the formats on Bonsai's proposal templates.

Proposal Template Example

In this proposal template from Bonsai, you can see that the proposal identifies the problem that the client has.

Next, we can see that the proposal is offering several solutions to the problem in one package. The writing includes steps in the plan to action.

The proposal also includes a timeline for these steps to create value for the prospect.

The writing also covers the sender's qualifications to show the customer that they are capable of handling the job.

Lastly, the writing includes the contact information for the sender. This will make it easier for the prospect to accept the proposal and the package of services included.

This winning proposal will start a business relationship with the prospect and lead to more business between the two in the future.

Need to create a business proposal fast? Try using Bonsai's proposal templates. You can quickly make proposals to send to prospects to get accepted and get paid faster. Click here to start free now!