Proposals

That
Win
A step by step guide for creating proposals
that will wow your clients and boost sales
Contents
Section 1: Proposals and your business 4
How a good proposal worked wonders for me 5
Who needs a proposal and why? 6
Why won’t just anything do? 7
What we mean by a personalised proposal 8
Managing risk 9
Less is more 10
Decisions increasingly made by teams 11
Starting with the end in mind increases sales 12

Section 2: Tips to create an outstanding proposal 13

A structure that works 14

Executive summary 15
Your customer’s situation 16
The outcome sought 17
Details of your solution 18
Business plan 19
How you will implement 20
Demonstrate your expertise 21
Call to action 22
What goes in and what stays out
Differentiation
Developing a continuous theme
The Appendix 23

Proposals That Win | 2

Presentation and layout design 26
Front cover 26
Layout of text 27
Using graphics and images 28

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 How a good
proposal
worked wonders
for me
Proposal structure and content is crucial to business success. Read how learning
the skills of writing proposals transformed my fortunes.

Prepared exclusively for Graeme Potter

Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

I thought I’d start by sharing with you how my business was transformed once I learned how to write a
compelling proposal.

Just like most small businesses, I’d created a standard template and text which was sent to every business
prospect. Of course, I changed the name on the front page so it was ‘personalised’ to the new prospect and
I might add a sentence here and there. But, basically, everyone got the same proposal.

One day, I called a prospect to find out how my proposal was received, the answer came in one word,
“badly”. When I enquired further I was told it was a load of standard text which was clearly sent to anyone
and everyone. In fact, the proposals received from my competitors, with one notable exception, all fell into
the same category.

The one exception had drafted a proposal which addressed the prospects issues and all of their concerns. ‘It
wasn’t by any means perfect, but it was way in front of the rest of you’, the buyer told me.

From that moment, I resolved to learn everything there was to learn about writing proposals.
One year later, with many books and magazine articles behind me, I believed I understood what it took to
draft a compelling proposal. One that really addressed the clients’ needs and got their attention. It worked
and soon we were winning contract after contract, and the size and value of our new business soared. Our
sales conversion rate went through the roof. You can check it out, if you like.

In 2001, my company, Uniworld Communication, had an annual turnover of £3 million. By 2004, our annual
revenues exceeded £23 million.

In this book, I will share with you everything I learned then, what I have added to my knowledge since and
what you need to know to write compelling proposals that win business.

Proposals That Win | 5

Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

Who needs a proposal

and why?
Buying companies need proposals. It’s a formal, written bid which
enables the buyer to differentiate between competing sellers and
their propositions.

Why are proposals so important?

When all the talking is done the words of the The proposal is a formal record of each supplier’s bid
salesperson need to be replaced by a formal, written and is the only way that buyers can differentiate
commitment of what is to be delivered, how it will between sellers and their propositions.
address the buyer’s needs and what value it will and upon which they can base their recommenda-
bring to the buyer. In short, it is a written offer by tions. That document is the proposal.
the seller to the buyer to provide a product or
service and which states a compelling case of why The proposal is a formal record of each supplier’s bid
the seller should be chosen from competing bids. and is the only way that buyers can differentiate
between sellers and their propositions.
Many buying decisions involve some kind of change
for the buying company e.g. switching to a new
service or installing a new software solution and the
proposal will give the buyer the critical information
needed to them to make a strategic decision.

Many buying decisions are now made by teams and,

in many cases, by people you will never have met.
They each need to have sight of a document from
which they can get the information they need and
upon which they can base their recommendations.
That document is the proposal.

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Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

Why just anything

won’t do
Buying companies are looking for content in business proposals
which demonstrates how the seller is different, offers value and
is someone in whom they can place their confidence. Only the
best make it.

Why only the best will do.

Buyers sift out poor proposals with barely a It needs more than unsubstantiated state-
glance. Buyers are busy people and they don’t ments. We’re not the cheapest but definitely the
have time to spend reading from cover to cover best. How many times do I hear that and then not
every proposal that is presented to them. So, they find any evidence to substantiate that statement.
do what everyone else does, they sift. They sift You need to create a proposal which demonstrates
through the proposals and quickly disqualify any how you offer the best value. The proposal that
that look poorly-presented, unreadable or error does, usually succeeds.
strewn. So, if your proposal doesn’t pass scrutiny, it
won’t get past first base. You need to be different from others.
Proposals are a competitive activity and, to win, you
Your sales depend upon the quality of your need to stand out from the crowd. Really, this needs
proposal. You may be great at talking to your client to be on every level; presentational style, well
and presenting the case for your company but, after written, readable content, superior solution and
you and your persuasive talk are gone, what remains value, service quality. But don’t just say you’re
is your proposal. It is ultimately that upon which you different – demonstrate it.
will be judged and measured against others. If your
proposal doesn’t match up to your talk, you simply
won’t win the business.

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Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

What we mean by a
personalised proposal
Personalisation means much more than slotting the prospective
customer’s name in a few places in the proposal. It means making
the proposal entirely customer-centred.

Here’s what makes a fully personalised proposal

Many buyers complain that the proposals they Showing that you understand his concerns about the
receive are sales-centred i.e. all about the seller. potential impacts your solution might have, and how
They talk about their product, their facilities, how your implementation plan would overcome them.
proud they are of their service, their future plans. In
fact, most of this style of proposal is of standardised Proving that you are a long term partner, who really
text, a standard brochure really, which is used for will work closely with him to solve his problems.
every customer situation. Occasionally, there are
perhaps a few concessionary sentences which refer
to the customer. This really doesn’t work for the
buyer; as they repeatedly tell us.

Personalisation means more than the buying

company’s name on the front cover. Although, that
is a good start, as is including the buyer’s name
throughout the proposal. A really well personalised
proposal puts the customer at its centre. It means:

Stating the buyer’s issues and needs, and demon-

strating you really do understand his problems.

Identifying the outcomes the buyer is seeking and

showing that you comprehend what he considers
will be a successful solution.

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Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

Managing perceived
risks
Many solutions require some kind of change or adaptation of pro-
cesses or service for the buyer. Such transformations bring with it
risks of problems or failure. A good proposal addresses those risks
and allays fears.

Unless the proposal addresses the buyer’s risks, moving

forward is rarely an option.
Introducing a new solution, e.g. a new software Then, in your proposal:
process, requires adaptation and change at the
buying company. That requirement for change • List each issue or risk and then explain how
throws up all kinds of issues. How will it integrate it will be overcome.
with other services and functions? How will it affect
manufacturing, customer service, employee morale
• Give examples of how, in past situations, you
etc.? In short, any change brings with it risks.
have resolved these problems to the buyer’s
satisfaction.
These questions can’t be ignored, they need to be
addressed. Many an excellent solution has never
found favour because elements at the buying
• Provide background details of your imple
mentation and post-implementation teams
company perceived that the risks of implementation
and their relevant experience.
were too great.

So, it’s important to tackle the risks head on and
demonstrate, within the proposal, that every risk is
overcome. How do you do that?
Carefully listen to the buyer and understand his
every concern. That means searching out and talking
to every stakeholder and under-
standing where they perceive the risks of imple-
menting your solution to be.
• Give the buyer information on your track
record and specific customers where you
have successfully implemented your
solution
• In summary, use the proposal to address
perceived issues and de-risk your solution.

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Less is more

It isn’t the biggest document which wins, but the best. Buyers

Keeping it sharp and concise is harder than you think

You believe in your product, you live your story and
it’s only natural that you want to tell it. You pack
reading it. Time is limited, as is the enthusiasm for
reading proposals. Buyers value those sellers who
make their proposals focused, short and to the
point.
Create the appendix as a separate document. One
appeal (i.e. keeping it short) and yet overcoming the
fear of leaving something out is to create the appen-
dices as a separate document. You can make refer-
in a quite separate appendix where those really

What to leave in and what to leave out. This is the

trick to a successful proposal. You need to create a Get someone who is not involved in your business to
write your content . They need to be accomplished

buyer to make a decision. This book tells you exactly they’ll be able to do is write your proposal with the
how to do that. buyer in mind. This is generally much more success-

what we call, the curse of knowledge.

you need to leave out and that it the hardest thing
of all to accomplish. So your proposal needs to
-

company history. If really necessary, they can go

into the appendix, where they can be referred to.

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Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

Decisions are
increasingly made by
teams
You need to have each buying team member, and their needs, in
mind when drafting your proposal.

Each team member may be looking for something different

Buying decisions are increasingly made by teams
and your job is to ensure each team member gets
the information they need to make the decision in
your favour.
You need to consider what information each person
will be looking for to enable them to make a decision You should have a main contact or sponsor in the
and then ensure that specific content is included in
your proposal.
The first thing to consider is ‘What is the make-up of team.
the decision making team?’. Then you need to think
about what information each will seeking.
For example, the Chief Executive may only want to
see a summary of the entire proposition and then
allow the team members to handle their individual
areas of concern. So, your proposal will need to have
a synopsis which will give the busy CEO an overall
picture, and all in a page or page and a half.
A finance director will want to see the financial case.
This should include all the costs of the project, when
payments are required and the return on their
investment, i.e. the financial benefits which will flow
from deciding in your favour.
buying company, and you’ll make it easy for them,
too, by considering all the information they will need
to recommend you to other members of the buying
It is most likely that you will never meet members of
the buying team and, so, the only way they can
judge you will be on the layout, structure and
content of your proposal. Your professionalism
needs to shine through in your proposal.

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Section 1: How a good proposal worked wonders for me

Starting with the end

in mind
Getting the proposal structure and content right helps improve
the sales process and increase sales.

A kind of reverse engineering that improves sales

methods
The proposal is really important and is the culmina-
tion of the sales process. It’s the closing document
upon which the buying decision is made and so it
needs to include all the key information the buying
company needs. To gather this information places
demands on the sales person to ask the correct
questions and perform the right actions during the
selling process. This has the effect of improving sales
techniques, introducing a better sales structure and
increasing sales professionalism.

All of which leads to increased sales.

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Tips to create a
winning proposal
Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

A structure that
works for the buyer
The buying company is entertaining the idea of purchasing a prod-
uct or service because it will either reduce his costs or increase
sales.
You are essentially using your proposal to present the business case to demonstrate that you have a solution
which meets his objective, you have the capability to deliver and that your solution offers superior value to
other competing bids.

To present this business case effectively means that your proposal needs to have a logical flow. We suggest the
following structure will give your proposal a logical and professional flow.

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Executive Summary
This is exactly what is says it is: a summary of the ensuing document. It gives the busy executive either a) the
opportunity to understand your entire proposition, without reading the entire document or b) the incentive
to read the entire document.

The Executive Summary should, ideally, be no longer than two pages in length, less if at all possible.

Executive Summary
Impact statement to capture attention and set tone for the
entire business proposal.

Statement of what is included in the proposal, eg

‘We have explored with you all of your issues / concerns / problems and the implications
for you if they remain unaddressed. We have identified the outcomes which you seek
and define our solution which delivers upon those desired outcomes.

The full cost of our recommended solution is fully listed and we draw your attention to
the considerable savings which will flow from accepting our recommendations.

Finally, we show how we will work with you to ensure a smooth and seamless imple-
mentation of our solution and bring you the immediate results you seek.

Main Highlights
Include:
• Key issue
• Main outcome sought
• Outline solution
• Return on Investment and other benefits

Closing statement and call to action

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

The buyer’s current situation

Your buyer wants to know, ‘Do you understand us and our problems?’ You will have explored these issues
during your sales meetings and this is where you answer those questions.

On these pages, in order of priority, state the buyer’s issues, problems or needs and the implication of
leaving them unaddressed. As ever, be complete but succinct.

Situation – Title here

Introductory sentence

Issue 1 title
Give details of issue and the implications if left unaddressed

Issue 2 title
Give details of issue and the implications if left unaddressed

Issue 3 title
Give details of issue and the implications if left unaddressed

Issue 4 title
Give details of issue and the implications if left unaddressed

Closing sentence

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

The outcome sought

In this section, you can define the outcomes which your buyer expects to achieve if they adopt your solution
and which you will have explored with the buyer during the selling process.

Outcomes – Title here

Introductory sentence

Outcome 1 title
Give details of priority 1 desired outcome

Outcome 2 title
Give details of priority 2 desired outcome

Outcome 3 title
Give details of priority 3 desired outcome

Outcome 4 title
Give details of priority 4 desired outcome

Closing sentence

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Define your solution

Having explored the buyer’s issues and the outcomes they seek, this is where you give details of your
solution and how it resolves the issues and delivers upon the desired outcomes.

These pages are really intended for an overview of your product or service, as this is not the place for pages
of details upon the product, specifications, diagrams and drawings. This detail should go into the appendices.
All you need do is refer the reader to the appropriate appendix.

Your buyer’s technical specialists will have no problem looking for all the details they seek in the appendices
but the non-specialist will not thank you for burdening them with technical detail in which they have no
particular interest.

Your solution – Title here

Introductory sentence

Overview of your solution

Outline the essential information of your product or service, making sure that it is
not overly technical and is understandable to the lay reader.

How it addresses the buyer’s issues

Go through each of the buyer’s aforementioned issues and explain how your solution
overcomes them.

How it delivers on the desired outcomes

Tell the reader how your solution delivers the outcomes they seek.

Spell out your value statement

Add any further compelling statements as to why your solution is the right one for your
buyer.

Closing sentence

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

The complete business case

This is the numbers part, where your buyer will be looking for two key things; the cost of your solution and
the financial benefit to their business of selecting your solution.

Your business case – Title here

Introductory sentence

The cost of your solution

Lay out in a clear and unambiguous manner the complete cost of your solution. Where
there are discounts etc., show the actual discount and the net price.

Should your pricing analysis run to more than one page, show a pricing summary here
and refer to the full breakdown in the appendix.

The financial benefit (Return on Investment)

Spell out, in detail, and in monetary terms, the savings, efficiencies or additional income
/ profit which will flow to your buyer if they adopt your recommendation. Each aspect
should be carefully explained and the calculations transparently shown.

Other, non-quantifiable benefits

Summarise the other benefits which derive from your solution, but which cannot be
properly calculated in financial terms.

Closing sentence
Summarise your business case and the compelling reasons as to why your solution is the
best one for your buyer.

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

How you will implement your solution

Your buyer will want to know how you will implement your solution in its organisation. This is also the point
where you address any concerns the buyer might have about the implications for his business of the intro-
duction of your solution.

Implementation – Title here

Introductory sentence

How you will implement

Tell the buyer how you will implement your solution in their organisation.

Timetable for implementation

If applicable, provide a schedule which shows what happens and when right through to
implementation and beyond.

Address any concerns or risks the buyer perceives

Tackle head-on any concerns or risks the buyer has regarding the introduction of your
solution and show how these are either unfounded or are overcome.

Closing sentence
Summarise the information in this section.

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Demonstrate your expertise

This is where you give your buyer the confidence that you are an organisation in whom they can place their
trust, and that you have the experience and expertise to deliver the solution smoothly and without mishap.

Your expertise – Title here

Introductory sentence

Details of your experience with the solution

Fill the buyer with confidence by providing relevant details of your experience of
successful implementations of the solution. Providing information of existing clients and
their experiences is especially helpful.

Client Testimonials
Insert brief testimonials from your existing clients who are prepared to share with others
their opinion of your solution and abilities. These should be kept brief. Where you feel
complete case studies are of value, these may be referred to here but posted in the
appendices.

The team looking after the client

Provide the buyer with details of the team who will be looking after them during and
post-implementation.

To add personalisation, it’s a great idea to include photographs, names and business
experience.

Closing sentence
Summarise your business case and the compelling reasons as to why your solution is the
best one for your buyer.

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Summary and call to action

We’ve now reached the conclusion of your proposal. By following this recommended style and format, and
not overburdening it with superfluous content, you’ll have created a structured business case which the lay
reader can follow and act upon. Now, you just need to bring it to a natural close with your Summary, and the
Call to Action.

In summary
Summarise your entire proposal here. The emphasis is on the word ‘Summarise’, so it
should be only a half-page or so.

Remind the buyer that you have:

• identified his problems and the outcomes he seeks

• put forward a solution which delivers on all fronts
• demonstrated a superior return on investment
• a reliable implementation plan
• the track record of reliable delivery

Call to Action
Tell the buyer why he needs to take action now.

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

The Appendix

What goes into the Appendix?

The appendix is the place where you put all the extra information which, if it were inserted in the main body
of the proposal, would get in the way of it being a good read.
The main idea is to keep the proposal down to as few pages as possible and direct the reader to the appropri-
ate page in the appendix for more detailed information or explanations.
So, what goes into the appendix?

• Product specifications and drawings

• Terms and Conditions
• Case studies
• Complex pricing schedules
• Detailed implementation schedules
• Anything else that is high on detail

Numbering the appendices

Give each different section of the appendix a number ie Appendix 1, 2 etc, and a title eg Terms and Conditions.

Then, in the main document, when you wish to direct the reader to more information, simply state, ‘complete
product specifications and drawings are shown in Appendix 1 on Page 45’.

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Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

How to create Titles

Rather than place in front of the reader a dry, stodgy proposal,
we’ve set ourselves the objective of creating an interesting
document which draws the reader in and encourages him to
devote his time to reading our recommendation.

Front Cover

There is no better place to start than on the front cover. The reader knows it is a ‘Proposal’ and so, why call it
a proposal? Let’s go with something all together more interesting.

If you are business is promoting the use of proposal writing training, you might title your document:

‘A proven solution which will increase sales and step up sales productivity’
A recommendation from The Proposal Specialists

Subsequent Pages

Each page in the proposal needs to be given a title.

The page(s) which talks of the buyer’s problems, could be headed, ‘Your Issues and the implications of leaving
them unaddressed’.

Ensure each title is clear and descriptive, leaving the reader in no doubt as to what he is about to read.

Proposals That Win | 24

Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Standing out from

the crowd
If you want to get noticed, you have to stand out from the
crowd. You need to show what makes you different to your
competitors.
To start with, a well-structured, concise and easy-to-read business proposal will mark you out as different
(and better). But, we want to go further than that. We really want to show your differentiation and demon-
strate, throughout the proposal, and why that matters to the buyer.

For example, if you are amongst the biggest company in your field, your competitors will probably be
highlighting their ability to offer the buying company a highly personalised and attentive service. Your job
will be to demonstrate the bigness brings more than security, it brings a range of services and back-up,
beyond the reach of small organisations, and from which the buyer derives benefits.

This is your differentiation and the message, together with the reasons as to why it matters to the buyer,
needs to be woven throughout the proposal.

Proposals That Win | 25

Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Presentation and
layout design
First impressions count for a lot, so your business proposal needs
to look good and, importantly, needs to look easy-to-read.

No buyer looks forward to reading business proposals, so you need to make your document interesting and
attractive. To do that:

• create a pleasing template

• avoid pages and pages of unbroken text
• increase spacing between lines
• use paragraphs of five to seven lines and with the regular use of subject headings
• introduce illustrations, pictures, diagrams to break up text

The following gives you an idea of how to create a pleasing layout and what to avoid.

Proposals That Win | 26

 Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Avoid pages of unbroken text

Avoid this Style This style works best
You have a choice. Use short paragraphs and sentences that make it
easy on the eye for the reader. The first thing we all
You can either write pages and pages of text in this do is scan the page to see what it includes.
manner, or you can lay your document out in the
style of the example on the right. You need to ask
yourself what your reaction would be when you
Use headings to facilitate
open a page and you are faced with this kind of scanning
layout. In reality, you are making it very challenging
for your reader. The harder you make him work, the • I like the idea of bullet points
less likely he is to read your document or absorb • They highlight key items clearly
what you have to say. Frankly, it all becomes too • People follow it easily
difficult.
Keep paragraphs short
It is really important to bear in
mind how most people read My preference is to keep to short paragraphs which
are no longer than five to seven lines. The shorter
the better.
In reality, we scan pages to see what is interesting.
When we find something of interest, we then read it
Just a few lines, so that the page never appears
and are then inclined to go back to the beginning of
daunting.
the page and read its entire contents. So, this needs
to be borne in mind when designing the layout of a
page and, writing like this, no matter how valuable
and interesting the content, will put the reader off.
We all look for something easier and the reader is
likely to cast your proposal aside for another docu- The golden rule is
ment which looks easier and much less challenging. ‘Don’t make it difficult’.

Proposals That Win | 27

Section 2: Tips to create a winning proposal

Use graphics and images

By using graphics and images, you break up the page and make it
look more interesting and readable.

This style works best

Use short paragraphs and sentences that make it easy on
the eye for the reader. The first thing we all do is scan the
page to see what it includes.

‘A testimonial from a
Use headings to facilitate scanning
client would work
• I like the idea of bullet points well here.
• They highlight key items clearly
• People follow it easily
This has the benefit
Keep paragraphs short of reinforcing your
My preference is to keep to short paragraphs which are no
message, too.’
longer than five to seven lines.
The shorter the better.
Client’s name
Just a few lines, so that the page never appears
daunting.

The golden rule is

‘Don’t make it difficult’.

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