We live in a highly saturated business environment where there is fierce competition for each new opportunity. If you are establishing your business and wanting to build up your client base, then creating a winning proposal will make sure that you stand out from the crowd. Read on to find out more and make sure that your next proposal is one that can’t be overlooked:
Creating opportunities
Networking is a fantastic way to meet other businesses and potential clients. Many networking groups and online sites start with referrals, where you then have the opportunity to put together a proposal for a specific piece of work. Make sure that you become well-known in your local business networks and join any online groups or sites as well. Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful forms of marketing, and once you get one client it usually leads to more.
Your proposal – presentation is everything
You may have the best business case and sharpest content in the world, but if your proposal is poorly presented then most clients won’t get past the first page. You want to ensure that your business appears professional from the outset, so it’s well worth investing in professional design and printing to add a stylish and eye-catching touch to the finished product. This is a great investment as designers can give you some logos and images that can be used over and over again. Use binding covers to provide your presentation with a slick and professional finishing touch. Ask yourself if your proposal would impress you and inspire you to read further.
Check the content
Proposals should be concise and to the point – you don’t need to tell your life story to get the point across and it’s usually possible to say the same thing in ten words rather than fifty. Your potential clients will have limited windows in which to read your proposal, so the copy needs to be easy to access and memorable. Remember who your audience is, research your client and their business needs thoroughly and adjust the content accordingly. It goes without saying that the content should be thoroughly checked for spelling and grammar, and ask a friend or business contact to double check. Research the local competition, establish what your key unique selling points are and make sure that these are easily accessible.
Follow-up
Once you have sent your proposal, make sure that you follow up after a few days to see if your client has any feedback or further questions. It’s important that you appear positive and engaged with this new business opportunity, but not too pushy as this will invariably put people off.
Business opportunities always start with strong sales techniques, and creating a winning proposal is a vital part of the process. Once you’ve got one client on board, others will follow, so make sure that your early proposals really do stand out from the crowd – it’s an excellent investment for the future of your business.