How to Write a Sales Proposal

Knowing how to write an effective sales proposal is essential for sales professionals looking to close important deals. As it could be the difference between winning or losing a sale. They are a valuable tool in the sales strategy toolbox and when done right, telling your prospects everything they need to know. As well as demonstrating empathy and a clear understanding of their challenges or pain points. In this guide, we break down how to write a high-quality sales proposal, from the core elements to include to insightful top tips, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to create proposal documents that successfully close sales.

Firstly, what exactly is a sales proposal?

A sales proposal is a formal document designed to showcase a company’s products or services to potential clients. It serves as a strategic tool to present your solution to address the specific needs or challenges of a prospective or current customer. Typically utilised during the later stages of the sales process, sales proposals target prospects who are already engaged and nearing a purchasing decision. Often referred to as a “business proposal” or “product proposal,” this document plays a crucial role in persuading clients and driving sales forward.

Your sales proposal should be persuasive and personalised to the relevant recipient illustrating why they should work with or buy from your company. It should clearly convey that you understand the prospect’s challenges and how your product or service will provide the best solution to overcome their issues. However, a well-crafted sales proposal should not be too lengthy or go into extensive detail about each individual product or service.

Whilst this information is necessary and should be provided during the sales journey, it is not the main focus of your proposal. It is typically best to wait until a prospect is further down the sales pipeline and is more confident in your company to offer them more in-depth information regarding products and services. Not only is a sales proposal crucial for closing deals. But it also acts as a tool that will help you improve your buyer experience and establish stronger relationships with your clients.

Why are sales proposals important?

Sales proposals are not the only way to build relationships with prospects, and it might feel like there are more important parts of your sales process such as preparing for your sales presentation. This is also an essential part of your sale. But during presentations you are talking through a lot of information and things may be missed or your prospect might not take everything in at first. Therefore, your proposal document is an ideal way to present all the relevant information in one package. Also, it can be easily sent to the right decision-makers and stakeholders in your prospects team. Which is particularly beneficial if certain individuals are unable to attend your presentation. 

Sales proposals are an important part of a streamlined sales strategy as they provide salespeople with greater flexibility in communicating information to prospects. By offering them all the details they need in one, easy-to-digest document. In addition, being able to track the success of sales proposals can help your team improve their sales forecasting to increase sales in subsequent quarters.

Key components of a sales proposal

The specific contents of your sales proposal may vary depending on details such as your company, products or services, prospects, and deal size. However, all proposals should contain the following logistical elements:

• An executive summary
• Basic company and sales rep information
• Contact details
• Pricing breakdown
• Terms and conditions
• Description of product or service/outlined deliverables
• Unique selling proposition
• A clear statement of value

Top tips for writing a sales proposal

Now that you have an understanding of the components that make up a typical sales proposal document. We have put together some top tips below to ensure your sales proposal stands out from the competition and effectively wins over potential clients.

Spend more time on your executive summary

The executive summary is the first and one of the most crucial sections of your sales proposal. Crafting it effectively can capture the recipient’s attention and set the stage for the rest of the document. Since your prospects are often busy and might be reviewing proposals from competitors alongside yours. They are unlikely to sift through the entire document to find key information. A well-written executive summary ensures they quickly grasp the value and relevance of your proposal.

A well-written executive summary should include all the essential details from your sales proposal such as:

• A brief overview of the proposal
• Your recipient’s needs and challenges
• Your proposed solution to their needs and challenges
• Competitive advantage of your business (why should they choose you?)
• A clear and concise call to action that will enable you to close the deal quickly

Stay relevant to previous discussions

Your sales proposal will be sent in the latter part of your sales process. Meaning you will likely have had several conversations with your prospect about their requirements and challenges. When communicating with every potential client, you should log interactions, take notes, and make sure your proposal is created accurately. In reflection of the needs and preferences they have expressed. For example, if you have spoken about a certain product and price, don’t include widely different numbers or features that they are not expecting to see. You will have future opportunities to upsell to them once they become a client.

Keep it simple

When creating a sales proposal, it’s easy to get carried away and overcomplicate the document by including every piece of information about your business and products/services. Your proposal does not have to be a long document. You just need to ensure that you clearly convey the key details that your prospect needs to know. In fact, it could be harmful to your sale and relationship with the prospect if you make your proposal too complex and difficult to read.

Use templates

Taking into account the previous tips, a great way to keep your proposal document simple, relevant and tailored to the recipient is to use a template. Templates allow you to personalise proposals without having to create them from scratch for each new prospect. They establish a solid foundation for you to customise before sending it quickly and efficiently to recipients.

Templates are extremely beneficial for businesses as they allow you to maintain consistently high-quality proposals, save valuable time in document turnaround, and free up resources in your team. So they can focus more on sales and less on paperwork. E-Sign has a wide range of document templates to suit various business needs.

Do market research

Aside from researching and understanding your prospect which is essential to creating a good sales proposal. It can also be beneficial to research the market and try and view things from your prospect’s perspective. For example, knowing who your competitors are and your prospect’s competitors as well as the products or services they use for their own success, could give you an edge in your sales proposal. You can ask your prospect these questions but they may not necessarily have all the answers. So doing research yourself is important to ensure you’re proposing the best possible solutions for the client.

Proofread your proposal

This may seem like an obvious point but it can be easily overlooked when you’re putting together several proposals all at the same time. Proper grammar and punctuation are must-haves for successful sales proposals. The smallest error could impact how key decision-makers in your prospect’s organisation perceive your business. With it potentially being a factor for why they don’t move forward with your proposal. 

Mistakes and typos may not take away your skills as a salesperson but they can draw the reader’s attention away from the good things you have written and possibly make them question your attention to detail and professionalism. Therefore, proofreading your sales proposal at least twice is essential in making sure any errors are caught and fixed.

Include a specific CTA

After investing significant time and effort into the sales process, it’s essential to guide the prospect’s next step with as much precision as possible. One of the most effective ways to do this is by including a clear and actionable call to action (CTA). Such as enabling an electronic signature. eSignatures are user-friendly, widely accepted, and legally binding. Making it simple for your prospect to approve your proposal without delays. By streamlining the signing process, you make it easier for the prospect to say “yes,” increasing your chances of successfully closing the deal.

Sales proposal example

Now we’ve looked at the components and top tips for writing a sales proposal, let’s look at a brief sales proposal example. Providing a structured outline of a successful proposal document.

Title Page

Sales Proposal for (insert business)

Prepared by:

Phone number:

Email address:

Executive summary

[Provide one to two paragraphs that outline the product or service, its benefits, why the client may want to purchase it and any conditions.]

Company History

[This section briefly summarises your company’s background. It may include testimonials from the clients of previous campaigns.]

Proposed solution

[Provide a detailed explanation of how your product or service works to solve the client’s problem or fulfil a need. This section comprehensively describes your product or service and may be several pages long. It may include visuals such as graphics, charts and tables.]

Pricing and budget

[Provide an outline of projected pricing or expenses.]

Attachments

[List additional documents such as a list of contacts, legal contract, glossary of terms or other testimonials from previous clients.]

Create better sales proposals with E-Sign

As an industry-leading provider of e-signature and digital document solutions, E-Sign can help streamline your workflows and optimise your sales proposals so they can be created, sent, and signed all within a few minutes. If you’re looking for an electronic signature online, E-Sign’s web application is clear and easy to use, saving time and money for your business. 

Contact us today to discuss your requirements, or you can get started with E-Sign by registering for our 14-day free trial.