What is a Business Proposal?

Writing a business proposal to acquire clients in B2B is always needed. so How to use the best practices to write the best proposal in the industry.

A business proposal is a formal document that is used to attract potential clients to what the company is selling. It’s a document that helps clients understand what the company is selling and how it will solve specific needs by considering leads’ problems and wants. In other words, a Business proposal shows the way to the client how the company will be solving their with their services.

A business proposal will help you to win clients and partners, it will always be in writing allowing business partners or potential clients to sign it before proceeding with the contract. Business proposals enable you to effectively communicate with your clients about your services to prospective clients by telling them why they should choose your services over competitors in the market.

Type of Business Proposal

Business proposals showcase how a company can help another company, how the proposal will highlight the company’s specific problems, and how they will be solving specific problems with the services that they are selling. There are different types of business proposals and it depends if the prospective clients requested the proposal or they didn’t send an ( RFP )request for a proposal.

Solicited

When prospective customers request the proposal it can be formal or informal depending on the relationship of the business with the clients.

Existing clients can request the proposal for different services they already use. Now, they need a different proposal for different services like customers asking their vendor for different products or services they already use from them. As a proposal is a formal document it has a timeframe to accept and if the client accepts the proposal it can be converted into an agreement or contract.

Unsolicited

When the prospective client doesn’t know about your business, you run a lead generation campaign by defining the ICP ( Ideal Customer Profile ) to inform clients or another company about general things like services they offer, expertise, previous work, partnership programs and other business-related information

How to Write a Business Proposal?

Now you understand it better by knowing the definition of the proposal and types of the proposal, you can start working on a business proposal. The format will be similar to business proposals but you can modify it according to the services or the product you are offering to your prospective clients. You can also start drafting a proposal from scratch but here is the format for creating the proposal:

Title Page: Write the client’s name, your company name, proposal date On the title page, you have to write your company name, the client’s name, the date of the proposal, and for what service you are sending the proposal. If the client has requested the proposal it will be a solicited type of proposal while in the case of no request for proposal from the client, it will unsolicited so if you are offering the service “SaaS Development for Founders” it should be mentioned in it. There is additional information that you can also add in the title page like your company’s address, phone, email, logo, and the name of the prospect to whom you are sending the proposal.

Table of Contents: Overview of the Proposal Most of the time when you are creating a proposal it will have more than one page so if you are sending the proposal digitally by a link you should add a hyperlink so prospects can easily navigate between the pages. Even if you are not sending the proposal digitally you can also provide an overview of the proposal, it will be easier for prospects to navigate.

Executive Summary: who are you and why are you sending the proposal An executive summary is brief about the proposal, you have to tell who are you, what service you are offering, and why you are sending the proposal to the prospect. You should focus more on the prospect problem and the solution you can provide e.g. you are offering SaaS development services to founders so tell them that you can reduce their product development by 50% with better quality of code for scalability.

Main Body: Talk about the problem, solution, execution plan, and outcomes Statement of the problem Proposed solution Implementation plan Qualifications Timeline

Additional Clauses If some details may vary, e.g., you anticipate additional costs occurring during agreement implementation, address them in this section. Outline possible expense fluctuations, market impacts, or unforeseen circumstances that could affect pricing. Mentioning these potential variations upfront helps both parties prepare for financial uncertainties throughout the contract period.

Pricing & Billing: Cost, Payment schedule & Payment terms Understanding your pricing is important for making key deals with the client and need to highlight your pricing for the services you are providing. If you are sending the proposal to the existing client then you have all the information of the client to set the pricing but if you are sending an unsolicited proposal then you should send general pricing that you need to discuss with the prospect after discussing in the initial call to offer better and competitive pricing to the prospect.

Terms & Conditions Here you can set the expected duration of the project, payment terms, payment type and payment schedule, and other expectations of the client.

Acceptance Page You should provide the space for acceptance of the proposal or sign the proposal according to the prior between and the client but you should not add a signature field in unsolicited proposals as it can add pressure on the prospect which can lead to losing their interest in your services. If the request is sent by the client for RFP ( Request for Proposal ) then you can add the signature field and once the client signs it make it a legal contract based on prior terms discussed between you and the client.

Best Practices for Standout Business Proposals

• Develop a strategic outline: Structure your proposal for maximum impact and clarity.
• Leverage compelling data: Showcase ROI, success metrics, and client testimonials.
• Integrate eye-catching visuals: Enhance engagement with infographics, charts, and branded images.
• Implement digital signature technology: Streamline approval processes for higher conversion rates.
• Conduct in-depth client research: Tailor your proposal to address specific pain points and industry challenges.
• Perform rigorous proofreading: Ensure error-free, professional content that builds credibility.
• Craft clear, concise messaging: Communicate your unique value proposition effectively.