For years, business proposals have been used to build relationships between companies in the online sector, where email is the communication channel people use most.
When we think about sending a professional business proposal by email, we need to keep a few important factors in mind. Talking to someone is not the same as writing to them. The advantage of the written word over the spoken word is that it lasts over space and time.
However, written communication, especially when the goal is to sell, has to be well planned. Unlike direct communication, we won’t be able to read the other person’s signals, sense whether they like our proposal, or even answer their objections and questions.
We’ll have to do all of that beforehand.
Although experience helps a lot, the keys we’ll look at in this article are a good foundation for starting a successful business proposal.
▶︎ What is a business proposal?
A business proposal is a formal document presented to a potential customer as part of the process of selling a product or service. It is a sales tool that describes in detail the offer, the benefits, the prices and other important aspects of the product or service being offered.
Business proposals usually include information about the company making the offer, as well as its track record, success stories and the credentials that back it up.
The goal of a business proposal is to persuade the potential customer that the product or service offered is right for their needs and that the company offering it is the best option to meet them.
▶︎ Benefits of sending business proposals
Sending business proposals can be an effective strategy for closing deals and increasing sales.
Some of the advantages of sending business proposals include:
A clear offer
A business proposal lets the customer understand clearly and in detail what you are offering, including products, services, prices, deadlines and terms. This reduces the chance of misunderstandings and ensures both parties are aligned.
Professionalism
Presenting a well-structured proposal conveys professionalism and seriousness, which builds the customer’s trust. This can set you apart from the competition and increase your chances of success.
Time and cost savings
Sending a business proposal by email can be much cheaper and faster than sending it by post. It also saves on printing and shipping costs.
Greater reach
Email lets you reach a large number of recipients in a short time, which extends the reach of the business proposal.
Personalization
By creating a proposal tailored to the customer’s specific needs, you show that you have understood their requirements and that your offer is designed to meet their expectations. This improves the perceived value and relevance of your offer.
It speeds up decision-making
A well-crafted proposal that answers the customer’s questions and objections can speed up their decision-making process, helping the deal close more quickly.
Easy follow-up
Email lets you track the message you sent and the potential customer’s response, which makes it easier to follow up on the business proposal and manage the sales process.
In short, sending business proposals by email can be an effective strategy for closing deals and increasing sales.
Greater credibility
A detailed, well-presented proposal increases your company’s or business’s credibility, showing that you are able to deliver on your promises.
▶︎ How do you write a business proposal? Email structure
1. The subject line
This is the title of the email. It is almost the customer’s first impression. Before that, they’ll only see the sending address, the sender. Which they may or may not recognize.
The subject line is a very important part of a business proposal, because it can spark the recipient’s curiosity. It increases interest. And it can make the difference between our email being read or deleted straight away.
If you can’t come up with very original subject lines, at least write ones that are truthful and specific, nothing like:
· Catalog
· Proposal
· Discount
These subject lines are so generic that they simply go unnoticed and get ignored. So at least try to write more specific subject lines for your mailings. You’ll get better results.
2. The visual design
It is essential to have a simple template that can be read quickly and doesn’t cause confusion. The more cluttered your proposal is and the more elements it has, the more effort the person has to make to understand it.
More effort is hardly ever a good option because people hardly ever have enough time. So as soon as they sense that working out your email takes more effort than it is worth, they will stop reading it.
And that is another key point.
Always try to make the benefit clear from the start.
A clear design that is simple and easy to understand will also help build trust, as it makes the intention of our email clear.
Below you can see an example of a business proposal:
There’s really no need to make the design any more complicated.
3. The introduction and context of the email
If you haven’t been in touch with the recipients for a while, a simple greeting in which you say a little about what you do and your relationship with the recipient can help.
If you are in frequent contact, you can skip this part and get straight to the point.
On other occasions you may be able to refer to a meeting or event, if it makes sense to mention it to give the action continuity.
You can use the following points in your business proposal as a guide:
1.- What you want from the reader. It’s important for the reader to know what you expect from them
2.- What’s in it for the reader. This is something the reader will always look for; if there is no benefit in the email, they won’t be interested
3.- Add relevant information so the reader can evaluate your proposal
4.- Don’t forget to make the next step clear: include a call to action
Can you skip the greetings?
In some situations, adding a greeting can be counterproductive. I mean greetings like:
· Respected Sir, Dear Rodrigo, Dear Pedro, etc.
· Esteemed Andrés, Esteemed Laura, etc.
Even though email is a one-to-one communication channel, in some contexts this type of greeting can sound “fake”, especially in mass mailings, where the recipient knows you have sent the same email to thousands of other people.
Although at first they look like innocent, even friendly, courtesy phrases, they are what I call “salesperson phrases”, and the most likely result is that the reader thinks “they want to sell me something”, becomes reluctant and sees the email in a different light.
They are phrases that add nothing.
4. Call to Action
Avoid ending the email in an open-ended way, without a specific goal. That would make you miss out on a lot of business opportunities.
Try to make clear what you expect from the reader at the end of the email (at the very least). Ideally, you should always move the reader forward in some way and include a call to action. Micro-conversions, as they are sometimes called. Whether it’s visiting your website, booking an appointment or a meeting, anything that helps build trust and move the relationship with the customer forward.
What should you avoid?
Phrases that make the potential customer, the reader, think they are wasting their time or giving more than they will receive, for example:
· Could you spare me a little of your time on Tuesday, around 5pm?
· If you’re interested, I only need 10 minutes of your time. Can we meet tomorrow?
These phrases may seem innocent, and may seem like the logical way to go about it, but they have the problem I mentioned earlier. It’s the reader who has to offer their time, in exchange for what? In exchange for nothing, just for offering the other person an opportunity to sell.
If they haven’t made up their mind, they will very likely see these proposals as a risk.
▶︎ What you shouldn’t forget
At Mailrelay, we believe it is almost more important to keep in mind what you shouldn’t do, to avoid mistakes that put off your reader and potential customer.
Avoid stock phrases that add nothing, get to the point and always try to make the benefit for the customer clear.
If you can make the benefit clear, you won’t go far wrong, and you’ll be able to keep making progress, mailing after mailing.
Jose Argudo
CMO at Mailrelay. Writes about email marketing, copywriting, and conversion for small businesses and entrepreneurs.