Creating a strong proposal that outshines the competition is a tall order, but it allows the best opportunity to win a new client. A proposal provides an opportune moment that allows a business to showcase how their product or service is the answer to a particular client’s needs. At the same time, not every proposal does a great job of showing the business in the best light.
In order to ensure that you create a proposal that positions you to win, it’s critical that you research different proposal templates. These proposal templates may include but are not limited to: a pitch proposal template, a small business proposal template, or a b2b business proposal template. Creating a proposal template may seem like a daunting challenge, but there are a few steps that everyone can take to build a winning proposal template, whether it’s a sales proposal template or a marketing proposal template.
Preparation for the Proposal Template
The first step in the process of creating the best proposal template for your business is preparation. It’s easy to find free templates online, such as a small business proposal template Word document, a graphic design proposal PDF, or even Google doc templates, these templates rarely have all of the tools and features in place that you will need to build a winning business proposal template. For example, in order for someone to build a simple project proposal template, people need to first think about their audience and who will be reviewing the proposal. Try to put yourself inside their head and think about concerns they may have about their business, the resources they already have at their disposal, and how their product or service could be enhanced. Organize your thoughts from this exercise and write them down. If it hasn’t already been made clear, creating a proposal template takes time and needs to be well thought out.
Go in-depth as you write down everything you know about the potential client. Discuss the client’s current problem, the goals they have, and the potential solutions you can create for them. The proposal needs to be viewed as a response to a particular problem the client is facing or a potential problem they may not yet realize. Once you know what this problem is, this will help you and your team craft the foundation of your proposal, whether it be a graphic design proposal template doc, a project proposal template PPT, or a business proposal sample PDF template. The biggest question you need to answer in any proposal you create is answering why should the client choose to go with your business. Knowing how to explain what your business has to offer and detailing the specifics of how you’re going to meet (and hopefully exceed) the needs of the potential client will be determining factors on whether your proposal wins or not.
The Content of the Proposal Itself
Once someone has completed the steps above and they feel confident in their preparation to create a proposal template, it’s time to add content. The first step to creating content for your template is to come up with an attention-grabbing title. The title needs to immediately engage the client and feel as if it’s specifically catered towards them. Go back and review notes of your preparation to help find ideas of a title that will catch their attention. If nothing is coming to mind, it’s okay to insert a placeholder and circle back to the title later.
Next, come up with an executive summary. The executive summary should provide a concise overview of the proposal. Create the executive summary by synthesizing the topics covered, which should include introducing the proposal, explain how it solves the client’s problem, and why you’re better than the competition. It’s also imperative that you be persuasive in the executive summary.
Following the executive summary, the next step in creating your proposal template is an opportunity statement. This is the section to dive into the client’s problem, as well as how your product or service answers and solves the problem of the potential client. A client might state their problem outright and provide clear expectations. However, it’s also common for clients to simply have a goal they want to meet, but need help from a third party to achieve that goal. This is your opportunity to provide detail into how your business will resolve the problem of the client. Clarify exactly how your business is going to meet the needs of the client and provide the outcome you expect once you execute the plan outlined in the proposal. Be sure to use language that demonstrates an understanding of the client’s business. To help with this, review other proposal templates to help spark ideas, such as a free project proposal template or a product proposal template Word document.
Finally, the proposal needs to go into the “what” and “when.” It’s this section of the proposal template that provides the client with explicit details they need to make a final decision. It’s important to clearly identify what the client can expect to receive if an agreement is reached between the two parties. This should include everything from the resources you will be providing the client, a timeline, an outline of the process you will be executing, and more.
Looking at Samples
If you need help crafting your proposal template, there are countless samples of proposal templates that you can view online. By looking at a free business proposal sample doc or written business proposals PDFs can help spark ideas to add something to your own proposal template or give you a new idea on how to better format your template. Proposal template samples play a key role in helping businesses create their own templates, which may include viewing a software project proposal template, a design proposal template, or a project proposal template Excel file.
Trust the Professional Templates in Proposable
As you begin to create your own proposal template, keep these tips in mind to help you craft a winning proposal template. We offer numerous templates that can help you complete this task, including specialized templates that are focused on business, graphic design, sales, construction, and more. We believe that a well-crafted template is the foundation of any successful presentation or pitch. Check out our proposal templates here and take the first step in creating your winning proposal today!
