Type of sales presentation Justification or Recommendation Report

Persuasive partnership offers Offer to solve problems Important means of generating income

Share certain Characteristics with reports It requires careful gathering and presenting of facts Proposals differ from reports in one essential way: They are intentionally persuasive

 Proposal writers do not just provide information in orderly, useful way, they write to get a particular result. They have vested interest in the result. The purpose of proposals can be acquiring a major client, getting a new equipment etc. They can vary widely in purpose, length and format

 They can range from one page to hundreds of pages All proposals can be categorized either internal or external, solicited or unsolicited Proposals must do an effective job of presenting a complete picture of what is being proposed. You must work hard to meet readers needs so readers can make decision in your favour.

What are Informal Proposals?. THEY ARE SALES PRESENTATIONS Just Like Formal Proposals, Informal Proposals are: Written offers:
To Solve Problems Provide Service Sell Equipment

Differ from formal proposals in length and format May be presented in short (2 to 4 page) letters. Some times also called Letter Proposals.

Copy Of RFP Letter of Transmittal Abstract or Summary Title Page Table of Contents List of Figures Introduction Background Information (Problem, Purpose) Proposal, Plan, Schedule Staffing Requirements Budget Authorization Request Appendix

Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional Normally Included Normally Included Normally Included Normally Included Normally Included Normally Included Optional

 Briefly explain the reasons for the proposal and highlight the writers qualifications. To make the proposal more persuasive provide a Hook Writers Qualifications Reason for the Proposal Scope of the Project

Longer Proposals

 Limitations of the Project

Longer proposals

Organization of the Material Longer Proposals Hook: Focuses on Key Benefits Example: Low cost, speedy results, serious problem, extraordinary results.

 Identifies the problem and discusses the goals or purposes of the project Identify the problem Discuss goals or purposes of the project Convince reader that problem exists in unsolicited proposal Provide problem details and discuss monetary losses or regulatory incompliance or loss of customers Convince reader that you understand the problem completely in solicited proposal. As in response to RFP, explain the purpose of the proposal with sub headings such as basic Requirements, most critical task etc

Discuss your plan for solving the problem Provide specifics while discussing your plan for solving the Problem. Specify how project will be managed Specify the audit mechanisms in place for the project Specify a schedule of activities or a time table of events. Sell your method, product and deliverables

Build credibility by describing outstanding staff and facilities Describe credentials and expertise of the project leader List size and qualifications of the staff
Keep the information generic in case of staff change after . .proposal submission

List other resources such as computer facilities or Statistical or Analytical Software

A Proposal is a Legal Contractual Offering, hence it must be carefully researched. The Budget is a central part of the proposal. Make sure and insert deadlines for acceptance of the proposal List total cost or itemized cost of the project

 Close the proposal with a request for approval or authorization Remind Reader of key benefit or motivation action Set a deadline date for the invalidation of the proposal Some companies do not include the authorization Request in their proposal and only discuss it before the final agreement and after the customer has received the proposal.

Nine steps in writing an informal proposal Analyze: The purpose is to persuade the reader to accept this proposal Anticipate: Reader must be convinced of the economic feasibility Adapt: Use persuasive approach emphasizing benefits for resistant reader Research: Collect data on the proposal matter

 Organize: Identify 4 benefits, specify plan, promote the staff, itemize the budget and ask for approval. Compose: Prepare for revision via a word processor Revise: remove jargon, wordiness, emphasize benefits, improve readability. Proof read: Check spelling and punctuation. Verify dates and calculations. Evaluate: Is the proposal convincing enough to sell the client.

 Informal proposals vary in their written forms from company to company and even from department to department. We must remember that an informal proposal is a sales presentation. They are written persuasive offers to solve problems, provide services or sell equipment. Hence we must conclude that even though there may be certain variations in the written form of the proposal, the most important factor is convincing the reader of your point of view.

 Failure to focus on the clients business problems and payoffs the content sounds generic. No Persuasive Structure No clear differentiation of this vendor compared to others Failure to offer a compelling value proposition Buried key pointsno impact, no highlighting Lack of readability because content is full of jargon, too long, or too technical Credibility killersmisspellings, grammar and punctuation errors, use of the wrong clients name, inconsistent format, and similar mistakes (Ref: Tom Sant, Persuasive Business Proposals)