We offer you the simple who, what, and particularly how to create business proposals that totally kick ass.

1. Businss Proposals
Kick-Ass Guide
How to Write, Present & Manage Winners

2. 1. Follow a Bidding Policy
1. Can We Deliver?
Have we completed a similar
project before?
Do we have the time or desire?
2. Can We Win?
Know your competition and your
client’s motivation to change.
3. Can We Make a Profit?
Making money vs. building
portfolio.

3. 2. Create a Clear Value
Proposition
•
Who is your target audience?
•
What problem/need do they
have?
•
How does your offering solve it
in a unique way?
“If you don’t have a competitive
advantage, don’t compete.”
Jack Welch

4. 3. A/B Test Your Proposal
In an A/B test, you compare two
different versions of an element for
a particular duration and measure a
metric to define a winner.
1. State your goal. (Usually close
more deals.)
2. Analyze potential obstacles.
3. Change only 1 element at a time.
4. Measure & compare results.
“Practice doesn’t make perfect.
Perfect practice makes perfect.”
Vince Lombardi

5. 4. Nobody Cares About
•
Your vision, mantra, gods
•
How important you are
•
How much you understand their
needs (show it, don’t say it!)
•
What you can commit to until
you deliver it
•
All that extra crap not geared
towards your client.
“Writing is thinking. To write well is to
think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”
David McCullough

6. Never, ever lie.
Nor over-promise. Someone will slip eventually in one of
the emails forwarded to a wrong address or during a
phone call. Once caught, you’ll never be trusted again. If
you feel unsure about the truth, it’s best to leave it out or
say you’ll get back to them when you know.

7. 5. KISS
keep it simple, stupid
Think outside of the box
Push the envelope
Drop the ball
A win-win situation
Web 2.0
Let’s take this off-line
Giving 110 percent
Value-added proposition
A leading provider of…
At the end of the day…
Take it to the next level
Scalable
Best Practices
Paradigm
Seamless integration
The 80% to 20%
Data-Driven
Maximize customer satisfaction
Creative destruction
Core competency
Perfect storm
Paradigm shift
Synergy
Low-hanging fruit
Going Forward

8. 6. Present Your Business Proposal
Don’t just send an email and wait!
•
Customer comes first
•
Research
•
Tell a story
•
Make them feel like VIPs
•
Visualize your presentation ahead
•
Commit to success
•
Know your proposal
•
Address Objections

9. 7. Define clear next steps
Fewer choices, stronger calls to action
•
Write direct subject lines
•
Ask direct questions
•
Give a specific final call to
action

10. 2% of sales are made in the first contact.
3% of sales are made in the second contact.
5% of sales are made in the third contact.
10% of sales are made on the fourth contact.
80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact.

11. 8. Time Your Follow-up
Don’t just send an email and wait!
Rule #1: Follow-up immediately.
Rule #2: If in doubt about whether to
follow-up or not, always follow-up.
•
Use a proposal software like Quote
Roller and know the moment they
open your proposal
•
Use Quote Roller and know what
your client is looking at for how
long

12. The urge to buy can be changed
within seconds, and you might
lose a potential deal.

13. Always Ask Yourself:
BEFORE BIDDING:
Can we deliver?
Can we win?
Can we profit?
BEFORE SENDING:
Is your Value Proposition clear?
Have you cut out all the crap?
Is your language accurate and clear?
Have you defined the clear next steps?
Is it easy to contact, accept and sign your business proposal?
AFTER SENDING:
Are you ready to present your business proposal?
Have you followed up with your client?

14. 9. Make it easy to say YES!
•
Electronic signature enables
them to sign from anywhere
•
Any barriers to signing—like
printing, scanning, uploading,
downloading—gives them time
to change their mind.

15. Try out Quote Roller today!
Increase your closing rate by 28%
Sign up for a free trial at http://www.quoteroller.com
Want to dive further into the Kick-Ass Business Proposal World?
Go to http://blog.quoteroller.com for your next sales tips!