How to write a proposal or quote that win you business

As a sales professional, you know that a deal doesn’t happen until the prospect has accepted your proposal. The proposal should be the culmination of a well-structed sales process up until that point. Loosing hard fought sales opportunities because of unclear and poor proposals is the last thing that you want. In this blog we will provide you with a step-by-step guide what a proposal that will win you more business should include. There will be 4 different key insights that you can and should implement right away. Let’s get going!

‍What is a sales proposal?

A proposal is a sales document that is sent from a seller to a buyer before a cooperation can start between the two parties. The purpose of the proposal is to create a written agreement between the seller (supplier, vendor etc) and the buyer (customer). The proposal typically includes product description, price, payment terms, delivery terms etc. The two parties generally want to agree on two things: the content and the price. The proposal is returned to the seller when the buyer has signed it, and the cooperation can begin. The two parties can also continue the negotiation in case the buyer does not sign the first version.

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4 tips what your proposal template should include.

1. Tailor the content for the customer

Buyers today are demanding that proposals are tailored for them specifically. Don’t use generic templates or unnecessary information that isn’t relevant for the customer. Instead, make sure that you use templates that can help you create tailored proposals in no time, every time. A tailored proposal that gives a clear understanding how your solution will solve relevant problems for the customer will create trust and will make it much more likely that the customers buy from you and not your customers.  

A proposal template should have a base structure with different content parts that chosen specifically to create a tailored proposal. Use data and insights from you needs analysis and notes in the CRM or why not include a custom-made onboarding plan when you put together your proposal to your customer. It cannot be overstated – the more tailored, the better.

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2. Customize your product choices

If you have many different product options and addons then it quickly becomes time consuming to create proposals to your customers because you simply need to include more information. A CPQ-tool (Configure, Price, Quote) with access to your product database can help you pick and configure products which will save you a lot of time. Use a system that knows your rules and options so that your sales organization quickly can put together a proposal and get back to a customer swiftly.

A lot of companies have built their own Excel Spreadsheets or Google Sheets instead of using CPQ-tool which creates a lot of practical problems when trying to change a product or package to include in their proposal.

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3. Automate price calculations

Spreadsheets also tends to stir mixed emotions. Either you hate it or love it. But in the end, you should be using the solution that saves you the most time. Thanks to automation and Artificial Intelligence you don’t need to do calculations manually. A CPQ-tool can solve the most complex calculations in a flash. So, let automation to the heavy work and focus your time on value-creating sales activities instead.

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4. Offer design

Your proposals affect how customers perceive your company and your ability to deliver value as a supplier. That is why the proposal need to reflect your offering; selling high quality products and solutions and sending over sub-par proposals is not optimal. This is also true for the design of the proposal. A good proposal includes all the documentation and attachments needed and is also designed in line with your graphic profile. It should reflect your professionalism and also your graphic profile.

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Who has the time to create perfect proposals?

Yes, maybe this is exactly the question you are asking yourself now, because honestly sales professionals don’t need to admin tasks on their plate. Most simply don’t have the time to tailor custom-made proposals if it could help them increase average deal sizes and hit rates. But hang on – vloxq CPQ can help you with this exactly. We help you save time and help you automate how to create perfect proposals, quotes and other sales documents.