IXD302-Week 6-Proposal Research

Before starting this project of creating a proposal of Hill Street, I thought it would be important to research into what should actually be included in a proposal and how to successfully structure one

What is the Structure of a proposal?

1. Proposal cover

2. Proposal summary

3. Your approach/solution

4. Project deliverables

5. Project milestones

6. Budget/Your Investment

7. About us/team

8. Clients/references

9. Terms/conditions/next steps

1.Proposal Cover

The cover of your proposal is the first thing that the sales lead will see, so it needs to make a good impression. It doesn’t have to include too much but it must be well-designed. The proposal cover should include information such as:

  • Name of the project
  • Any project reference numbers
  • Name of the client and contact to whom you’re submitting
  • Name of your company and contact info
  • Date proposal was submitted

2.Proposal Summary

A proposal summary acts as an introduction, allowing readers to quickly get familiar with your proposal by outlining what’s to come. It gives you an opportunity to sell your proposed solution and explain why the prospective client should choose you over the competition.

The executive summary in a proposal must be persuasive and focused on the benefits of your company/product/service, rather than descriptive and focused on the features. There will be an opportunity to outline features later in the body of the proposal.

How to Structure the Summary

  1. You need an opener that is able to get the potential client’s attention right away. Focus on the issue and the result. Be direct, concise, and evocative. The opening is known as the most effective time to hook the potential client in and get them excited about what they’re going to read next.
  2. The next step is to demonstrate your understanding of the situation. It is appropriate to include a bit of your own research or   experience dealing with a similar situation here. It should also be explained here how the client will benefit from using this proposal to successfully solve the problem EG. what will change, the positive outcomes, the results.
  3. This section is where you talk about the solution you’re proposing and why it will work. The potential client can read all the  details later on in the proposal, but it is still important to provide enough detail to convince them you have something specific and well thought out for them that therefore gets them excited about the result.
  4. After this it is necessary to talk about why your company or your product is not only willing to take this challenge on, but how and why you’re qualified to do so. Demonstrate what sets you apart and why they should choose you over the competition. After this, finish with a sentence about why you want to work with them and about how, as partners, you will be successful

    3.Your approach/solution

    This section of your proposal details your approach to solving the client’s business challenges and the process involved. It’s important to be as specific as possible to this particular client and project to make the context of the proposal feel customised to the client.

    4.Project deliverables

    The project deliverables section of the proposal should describe exactly what’s included in the proposal and what the prospect can expect to receive from you.

    It’s important that you have detailed descriptions for each deliverable. Don’t assume the client already knows the scope of each one, or even what they mean. Providing detail and being clear will help avoid any misunderstandings about expectations later.

    5. Project milestones

    This is where you’ll break the project into phases.

    This section is used to outline the events and deliverables involved with each phase, along with how long it will take, who is responsible for what, and what will be accomplished at the completion of each milestone.

    6. Budget/Your Investment

    The budget section of a proposal, also called the pricing section is an overview of your project fees and descriptions, which helps prospects understand exactly what they’re paying for.

    7. About Us/Team

    The About Us section of the proposal gives the company the opportunity to show potential clients who you are as a company: what you do, why you exist, your expertise, and your unique selling proposition. The company’s values should be shown here so that the client can see that you’re reliable and will be someone they can work with for an extended period.

    8.Clients/references

    Although this section is optional, it can be used to include a client list or contact information of people your client can contact for a reference on what it’s like to work with your business.

    9.Terms/conditions/next steps

    Show your client how to proceed to close the sale. It could be a statement of work, contract for sign off, or even just a name and phone number to call. It’s usually a good idea to get a lawyer to help with the terms and conditions to make sure both you and your client are protected if this project goes awry.

 

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