Writing this section plays an important role in building rapport and trust with your prospects, but you have to navigate it carefully to avoid losing your reader’s interest.
But here’s the thing: Your prospects don’t actually care about you.
According to Ian Linton, global copywriter and author, “By drawing an outline for your business proposal, you prepare a framework for including all the important messages in your proposal. Your outline should cover the messages you feel will convince the customer to select your product or service.”
Second, you make life easier for your proposal writer. By presenting all the proposal content they need in a structured format, you help them focus on using the information to craft a compelling narrative — rather than spending hours organizing information from various sources.
References and case studies
It’s important not to confuse a business proposal with a business plan. The goal of the former is to win a sale, while the goal of the latter is to create a strategy for achieving a business objective or overcoming a challenge.
According to Hannah Bloch, a digital editor for international news at NPR, the purpose of the lead “is to make the reader want to stay and spend some precious time with whatever you’ve written. It sets the tone and pace and direction for everything that follows. It is the puzzle piece on which the rest of the story depends.”
So, how exactly do you create an effective business proposal outline?
A business proposal outline provides the framework in which SMEs and proposal writers can add content with the goal of creating an RFP response that wins business.
There are some high-level strategic guidelines beyond the advice included in this free business plan template that can help you write an effective, complete plan while minimizing busywork.
This free business plan template includes the following sections:
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A business plan can be as informal or formal as your situation calls for, but even if you’re a fan of the back-of-the-napkin approach to planning, there are some key benefits to starting your plan from an existing outline or template.
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Business planning is often used to secure funding, but plenty of business owners find writing a plan valuable, even if they never work with an investor. That’s why we put together a free business plan template to help you get started.
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Business plans often are used to secure funding, but plenty of businesses find writing a plan valuable, even if they never work with an investor. That’s why we put together a free business plan template to help you get started.
Almost there: please enter your email below to gain instant access.
Good for creative businesses like solopreneurs and freelancers, this awesome proposal template was created in Apple Pages, Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign. Available in both Letter and A4 sizes, this Microsoft Word proposal template features customizable fonts and colors. So, you can improve it to exactly match your brand’s personality and style language.
It features a color scheme based on contrast to highlight the most important content. This multipurpose graphic design Business Proposal example is also compatible with Microsoft Word and Adobe InDesign. It's print-ready and allows you to customize colors with only one click.
But, if you need a single proposal template or another file type to download right now, then head over to GraphicRiver (or another Envato Market site) to download proposals and other design assets one-at-a-time.
A multipurpose portrait format creative business proposal or brochure. It's got 30 proposal template pages A4 and US letter sizes with strong typography. It's got creative proposal layouts that you can customize quickly. Just drop in your own images and texts, and it’s ready. Free fonts called Roboto and icons were used.
18. The Business Plan InDesign Proposal Template
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We've got many professionally designed business proposal templates on Envato Market as well, such as these trending best-sellers below:
- 12 proposal template pages
- is print-ready
- comes with InDesign INDD graphic files
- six predefined color themes
- and free fonts
An ideal graphic design business proposal template for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs always looking to expand their client base. It's sharp, well-designed, and is packed with many components that'll help your proposal persuade professionally.
The following template puts the structure and formatting together for a framework for a one-page proposal. Feel free to use and refine this template to build your bid and attract new business.
One-page proposals are typically provided to customers familiar with your company and therefore do not need an extensive company introduction. This section should include your client’s contact person, contact information, and a brief company overview or website link.
One-page proposals often require assumptions to maintain conciseness. These assumptions could cover access, the current status of the client’s business, your subcontractor availability, or any other item. Identifying these assumptions in this section enables these items to be reviewed and accepted by your client.
Some writers see one-page proposals as an opportunity to simplify the budget as a lump-sum amount. However, customers can balk at a sizeable total because they do not know the value of all individual elements — balance brevity with transparency in preparing this critical section.
Formatting is Your Friend
Formatting is vital for an aesthetically pleasing one-page proposal. These documents include a lot of information, and careful formatting allows the reader to absorb it quickly.
Each proposal must be unique to your client. The following elements are items that are typically included in a one-page proposal. However, this framework should be modified to include what is relevant to your audience.
Collecting and organizing ideas is the first step, and this process is made easier through the use of mind-mapping software. Mind-mapping allows a freeform collection of all the elements that should be considered in the proposal. Once the ideas are collected, they can be organized and prioritized. This process is valuable both when preparing it on your own or with a team. I recommend Mindmeister for its accessible interface and collaboration options. Mind-mapping will result in a clear outline of your proposal that will clarify the writing process.
Proposals are an essential tool for winning new business. Writing a persuasive pitch summarizes the value of your offering, how you can resolve your client’s challenges, and reflects the relationship between your organizations. Proposals can range in size and format, but a form that is growing in popularity is the one-page proposal. This brief bid is useful when a client requires the entire solution at a glance. It can be used as an overview before proceeding to a more in-depth proposal, or it may be a stand-alone document that enables sign-off on new work.
The following template puts the structure and formatting together for a framework for a one-page proposal. Feel free to use and refine this template to build your bid and attract new business.
One-page proposals are typically provided to customers familiar with your company and therefore do not need an extensive company introduction. This section should include your client’s contact person, contact information, and a brief company overview or website link.
One-page proposals often require assumptions to maintain conciseness. These assumptions could cover access, the current status of the client’s business, your subcontractor availability, or any other item. Identifying these assumptions in this section enables these items to be reviewed and accepted by your client.
Some writers see one-page proposals as an opportunity to simplify the budget as a lump-sum amount. However, customers can balk at a sizeable total because they do not know the value of all individual elements — balance brevity with transparency in preparing this critical section.
Formatting is Your Friend
Formatting is vital for an aesthetically pleasing one-page proposal. These documents include a lot of information, and careful formatting allows the reader to absorb it quickly.
Each proposal must be unique to your client. The following elements are items that are typically included in a one-page proposal. However, this framework should be modified to include what is relevant to your audience.
Collecting and organizing ideas is the first step, and this process is made easier through the use of mind-mapping software. Mind-mapping allows a freeform collection of all the elements that should be considered in the proposal. Once the ideas are collected, they can be organized and prioritized. This process is valuable both when preparing it on your own or with a team. I recommend Mindmeister for its accessible interface and collaboration options. Mind-mapping will result in a clear outline of your proposal that will clarify the writing process.
Proposals are an essential tool for winning new business. Writing a persuasive pitch summarizes the value of your offering, how you can resolve your client’s challenges, and reflects the relationship between your organizations. Proposals can range in size and format, but a form that is growing in popularity is the one-page proposal. This brief bid is useful when a client requires the entire solution at a glance. It can be used as an overview before proceeding to a more in-depth proposal, or it may be a stand-alone document that enables sign-off on new work.