Impress your boss – write the perfect business proposal

Sept. 9, 2011 - PRLog -- Business proposals are all about persuasion – you need to convince someone that working with your company is a good idea and will benefit them. A business proposal is document that presents a solution to a need or problem, and aims to convince the reader that the business’ answer is the best one. Whether you’re a one-person show or large company, writing good proposals is a vital part of daily business life. Here are some tips of creating the perfect business proposal.

1. Know your audience
Before you start writing, think about who will read your proposal. Some audiences may require detailed examples and addenda, while others want a one-page summary of your offering. Is the reader familiar with your company, field or subject matter? Is the audience very targeted and small, or very large and broad? Answering questions like this will help you tailor the proposal to the readers, making it much more effective.

2. Write simply, clearly and correctly
The shorter and clearer your proposal, the better it is likely to be – and the less likely you are to make mistakes. Avoid jargon unless you know you are writing to a well-versed reader. Don’t waste the reader’s time by including unnecessary information. Keep your sentences short and use common words. Make sure you proofread your proposal before you send it – a proposal full of errors and misspellings will not be considered trustworthy.

3. State your objectives upfront
Summarise the main points of your proposal on the first page, so that even the busiest reader will be able to see what your offer is at a glance. Briefly introduce your company, state the problem or issue that you want to address, and then lay out the options for solving it.

4. Convince the reader that your solution is best
While it may be tempting to write in over-the-top and emotive language, avoid this in business proposals. Instead, make yourself and your solution appear trustworthy and beneficial by using clear facts, real data and customer feedback. Be as specific as possible, don’t exaggerate and keep to the truth. Use encouraging and positive language, but don’t exaggerate.

5. Structure your work
Use headings and sub-headings, bullet points, bolding, graphs and other tricks to streamline and structure your content. Summarise the content structure of the proposal in the introduction by briefly mentioning the main sections of the document. If the proposal is long enough, consider adding a table of contents.

6. Don’t forget the details
Before you wrap up your proposal, make sure all the details are in order – the date is accurate, the names are spelled correctly, your logo and header are inserted, your cover page has been attached and so on. Skim through the document quickly before you send it off to make sure all the images and words are in the right place. If you need to create a physical copy, think about the type of paper and binding that you will use.

The University of Cape Town Business Writing and Legal Documents course starts on 19 September 2011. Visit www.getsmarter.co.za

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