Getting new customers is not an easy task. After lengthy negotiations and meetings, your team managed to close a sale. You already have everything written down and planned out in your head, but unfortunately, you do not know how to prepare a proposal for your customer.
Well, this is a very common problem, especially in new companies. But stay calm, we can help you put a proposal together!
What is a business proposal?
A business proposal is a document that explains the details of the project offered to the client. It includes information about how it will be done, how much time it will take, what the cost is, what tools or materials will be used, among other information.
For large companies, a business
proposal must seem thoroughly planned, detailing everything that will be
accomplished. But in the case of small businesses, this is not as
necessary. The important thing is to create a direct and objective
document, facilitating the process and understanding of the client about
the services that will be provided.
Objective to be achieved with a business proposal
A good proposal should meet the
customer’s need with what the company has to offer. It is critical that
your sales team collects the customer’s information during the
prospecting stage. Be prepared to create a customized proposal for each
client and avoid using standard proposals.
Along with the vendors, take some
time to review whether the proposal is in line with what the customer
needs. This avoids going back and forth. In addition, this will show
that your company is organized and that your team is attentive.
What to do to achieve this goal
- Understand the customer’s needs and define whether your business can meet the requirements
When your team is unable to solve the customer’s problem, it will certainly be impossible to propose a solution that solves it. Often, the customer looks for a particular product or service, thinking it is what they need, but once the company really evaluates their needs, they realize that their product won’t even satisfy their needs.
It is important to keep an open dialogue and to promise only what your company can fulfill. It’s no use trying to solve problems that your team is not capable of solving, this will only cause more damage and the customer will not leave happy.
To offer a more aligned solution for the customer needs, find out more about their company. Who are their decision makers? Who are their competitors? How long has the company been in the market? What are their challenges and concerns? What is their operational policy and management like? What is their target audience? And mainly: what is their financial position?
- Develop a methodology
Explain step-by-step how your company intends to solve the customer problem, how long and what resources are required to do so. It’s worth it to show the software, the programs and the equipment used during the process.
- Present your product or service
Even if your sales team has already presented the product or service at closing meetings, the business proposal also serves as a way to emphasize the benefits and features it will bring. With that in mind, your team can create a personalized presentation for each client.
Emphasize the quality of your business and what it will offer, always remembering that the business proposal is a document designed to persuade customers to hire your services instead of looking for competitors.
- Evaluate what type of proposal your client intends to receive
When we talk about decision makers, we can evaluate the best type of proposal to send.
When the decision maker is responsible of the finances, for example, the proposal’s look will be more numerical. What will be really important is the cost-effectiveness (CEA) and return on investment (ROI). In a business proposal like this, it is interesting to insert charts and spreadsheets.
Business proposal template
- Cover: Insert the name of the project, name of the contracted company and the contractor.
- Index: Organize and present each step of the document to make it easier for the customer to find information easily.
- Briefing: Briefly explain what the customer’s problem is, what results does he expect, and how your company will solve it.
- Prerequisites: Describe what infrastructure and materials your employees will need and whether the customer can help.
- Workflow: Detail the execution steps for each action to make sure it is clear for the client.
- Delivery details: detail, in order, everything that will be delivered during the rendering of service.
- Schedule: create deadlines for each action to be delivered.
- Rules and conditions: align what the responsibility of the client is for the feasibility of the project, including the responsibilities of the service provider.
- Payment: indicate the price for each service and the total price (if there is a step pricing) and what the best form of payment is.
- Validity of the proposal: add a deadline for acceptance, so the client won’t forget.
- Additional information about the company and team: add information that is relevant in the decision process, such as company responsibilities, qualification of the employees who will be involved in the project, etc.
- Contact: include e-mail, telephone, Skype and any other form of communication that facilitates the customer’s contact with your company.
Remember to double check the entire proposal before sending it and ensure that everything that was offered is in accordance with the information given by your company’s sales team.
Now that you already know how to work out a business proposal for your customers, how about making this process simpler? We separate this material on pricing to collaborate with everything you saw here!
