How to write a business proposal that sells B2B

Many of my small business marketing clients want to know how to prepare a winning business proposal, especially a BIG BUSINESS proposal, one that is going to win a contract with corporate clients!

My whole philosophy of being a customer magnet is about attracting customers, so they call you. So you don’t have to do all the time consuming customer search. My philosophy is to eliminate cold calling scripts and have the client pick up the phone and say “do you want to partner with me?”… BUT there will be times when you need to submit a proposal. Especially when it comes to corporate clients.

You can access many of my successful proposal samples and effective example proposals. These are the same propositions that have worked for me to secure corporate contracts with organizations like Aviva, Sony and AIG. But first, let me share some of my best marketing tips to remember when preparing your business proposal for corporate clients.

Consider this sample guide to your business proposal:

1. Your business sales proposal must be a sales document

Make sure you’re not relying on a one page document with a price and overview as a sales proposition, you need to offer much more than that. The proposal should be a sales document that takes someone through the entire process and establishes you as the logical choice to help with a particular issue or problem.

2. Build relationships within the corporate organization BEFORE submitting your proposal

Take advantage of ALL opportunities to build relationships with people within the corporate organization before submitting your business proposal. I suggest you visit the organization to… people-watch at work, meet people informally, or conduct interviews. That’s your chance to start making friends. You will also get an idea of ​​the internal politics of the organization.

Another benefit of this contact is that it will give you insight into the concerns and issues within the organization and the opportunity to address them within the proposal. That’s a good way to avoid delays and deadlocks while your business proposal makes its rounds.

3. Anticipate the type of questions your corporate client will ask AND address the questions in your proposal

Once you’ve done your organizational research, it’s time to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Make a list of the questions your prospect is likely to ask you. Then, as you prepare your business-to-business proposal, include a response to any questions and objections that may arise. Be sure to take good offense in your proposal; it will certainly spare you the difficult task of defending your business proposition as you work your way up the corporate hierarchy.

4. Avoid complacency: You want your business proposition to reach the decision makers

Even if you have a wonderful contact within a corporate organization and seem ready to hire them, there is more than one person at the largest companies who makes the decision. Make sure your proposal doesn’t rest on the laurels of your cozy contact relationship. Use your pitch to sell yourself to every person within the organization.

5. Do not promote big changes

Now I know it sounds strange, but what scares customers is the very product you offer, and that is change. Who wouldn’t want the change your service brings, better customer relations, or increased sales?

I’ve done a lot of research on the psychological perspective of both senior and middle managers, and one thing that really stands out is how fearful they are of change. So how do you top this Catch 22? Avoid using words that indicate big change on the horizon, words like transformation or dramatic results. Use more restrained terminology to show how your product will fit seamlessly within your organization.

How to access business proposal samples, templates and examples – that work in real life!

So now that I’ve covered some basics, I really recommend that you look at some real life business proposal examples. I’ve gone through my files and collated all of my winning sales proposals to provide you with real-life sample business proposals that can be modified to suit your own business. All of them are included in my Corporate Customer Acquisition system. In addition to business proposal examples, you’ll have access to templates and many other top tips to help you win more business to business! I’ve put together not only specific tips, like ways to link your business proposal to improve your response rate, you’ll discover the best methods to send your business proposal to your corporate prospect.

Take a look and you’ll see exactly what it takes to write a winning business proposal that makes B2B selling easy!