When nothing less than a formal written proposal will do the trick with potential customers, make sure yours has these crucial elements.
Page 1: Cover Letter. It should be short and simply tell the prospect what he or she is about to receive.
Page 2: Summary. Try to lay out all the key points using bulleted sentences and phrases.
Page 3. Benefits. Put in writing the benefits that you detailed in your presentation. It will give your prospect the information he or she needs to deal with other people in the organization.
Page 4. Competition. If you’re replacing one of your own products or services, give the prospect a comparison between the old and the new. If you’re out to knock off a competitive offering, compare, compare, compare.
Page 5. Service. Ask salespeople to define great service and you’ll hear things like timely follow-up visits or on-time delivery. And while these are important, other facts such as how a salesperson would handle a late delivery can make a big difference. Prospects want to hear solutions, not apologies or a dozen reasons why an order was delayed. Your proposal should explain that you’ll always be ready to fix problems.
Page 6. Implementation. Tell them what happens next. The prospect should receive a chronological rundown of delivery, setup and training. This is an excellent closing tool.
Adapted from Persuasion: How Smart Companies and Great Salespeople Sell, by Bill Brooks.
