As any good businessman knows, proposals can make or break your company. Simply put, proposals are documents that clearly detail quotes or plans for doing business with a client. Often, this is the first real impression a client will receive of your company, so it is critical these documents are well written.
Unfortunately, many people will receive a proposal but not do business with you; so all of that time spent writing a proposal was effectively wasted by that employee! How can you, as an employer, save money, and time, on proposal write-ups? Included here are a few tips for cutting back the costs and still producing high quality proposals.
Utilize Software
One of the simplest ways to cut back on the time and money spent on proposals is by utilizing proposal generating software. This software can utilize your inventory records, business plans and procedures to quickly create proposals customized for the client. With a few simple clicks, this software could have a detailed, cost-comprehensive proposal drawn-up in as much as 75% less time than a full employee write-up!
While some employers may question the cost of installing this software, it is almost guaranteed to save you over time. Imagine each employee spends only one quarter of their time on proposals, instead of full days? How much will you save on overhead? How much more consistent and higher quality will your proposals be?
Utilizing a software that professionally manages proposals is guaranteed to get you jobs that are higher quality and more frequent. Imagine being able to win government requested bids for only a small amount of time spent writing? Professional systems are able to proofread and manage the quality of your proposals, even if your team is not feeling up to it.
Create Generic Template
While this is not as ideal as the software program, creating a generic template can work if you only produce a small amount of proposals each week or simply cannot afford a software installation. A generic template may simply be a Word document that allows you to sub in costs and product descriptions each time you use it.
The problem with generic templates is they lack personalization and can be grammatically incorrect. For example, if your employees are not doing a careful read-through of each proposal after “filling in the blanks,” there could be many mistakes involving grammar or spelling. These mistakes can leave a terrible impression for clients about the work your company does.
Additionally, generic templates are found lacking in a great deal of personalization. If you can utilize a software that adds details about the client’s business or purposes, it demonstrates a great deal more involvement in the process. Clients will feel valued and heard, instead of feeling like they were just passed off with a generic form letter.