Sometimes, just hearing the word proposal is enough to send heart rates up. Proposals are often fast-moving with tight deadlines. They are very specific and require details that often only Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) can provide.
And depending on the scheduling of your company’s SMEs, gathering detailed information from them can be difficult. Without a good plan, it can be challenging to produce a high-quality proposal. When time is running out, the result is often only “good enough.” That’s where proposal templates come in.
If you’ve noticed that the proposals you’ve received are often focused on specific products or services, consider creating a proposal template. It may seem like a daunting task, but it is worthwhile and achievable to save money and time. If you have your core proposal content organized and prepped, your team can focus on customizing your pitch to the specific Request for Proposal (RFP) to make it stand out from the crowd.
Brainstorm
Before you start creating a template, ask yourself:
● What products does my company offer?
● What’s the sales pitch for these products?
● What specialized services does my company offer?
● Are these services customizable, or are they specific to the products your company offers?
● What is your company known for?
o What are its values and goals?
o What does it contribute to the local community, global community, and market?
Answer the above questions using point form. Then, step away from your desk and come back to the questions an hour or even a day later. Elaborate on the information you’ve already written down.
Research
Look at past proposals. Do you see a similar focus on what is being asked of your company? This is your focal point. If there are specific products or services your company offers that are in high demand, write down questions to the SMEs responsible for these products/services. Then, reach out to your sales team, especially if there are specific individuals responsible for discussing these products/services with potential clients. Both the SMEs and sales team can give you the details required to fill out the framework of your proposal template.
Remember, this is a template. It should be created with just enough details to allow you to customize it according to the RFP that comes your way.
Structure
How should a proposal template be structured?
You can create multiple templates that focus on specific products and services for your company. This way, when an RFP comes in, you can pull these templates together to create a custom proposal. It’s essential to pay careful attention to RFP requirements regarding sections, organization, and format. Meeting those specifications demonstrates that you are paying attention to the details. This includes meeting the number of pages or word counts—going over does not impress the reviewers.
You can assume that certain types of content will be required based on past proposals. Consider creating these sections to start.
Your company. Refer to the questions we asked at the beginning of this blog. What is your company known for? What are its values and goals? What does it contribute to the local and global community?
Your products and/or services. Remember to create sections of the proposal that directly relate to your products and services. This way, when an RFP comes across your plate, you can keep or remove these sections to address your potential client's needs. Showcase your products and services with clear descriptions that can be understood by a non-technical audience. If they can’t understand what you’re selling, they can’t understand how it can help them. Be prepared with the technical details and specifications. Then, when you get the RFP, you’ll be ready to provide the right level of detail for the potential client. Depending on how many products and services you offer, you may want to create separate templates for each. Consider providing client testimonials as well.
Quality and safety. Demonstrate how your company complies with safety and quality legislation. Showcase how your team protects people, property, and the environment on your site and theirs.
Training. Does your company provide workshops, in-person consultations/classes, or remote sessions? How do you help your clients learn the ins and outs of your products, and what does the training involve (hours, equipment required, travel)? Provide as much detail as possible to give your potential clients options.
Budget. This template can be populated with budgeting techniques you’ve used to present your financing information in previous proposals. From tables to graphs, leave these blank until you have the information needed to address the specifics of the RFP. As long as you have the foundation established in this template, inserting information will be a breeze.
Conclusion. This template is optional. Sometimes, proposals do not require a conclusion, though it is nice to have a formal way of ending your proposal by discussing what you’ve presented throughout the document.
Appendices. Many RFPs call for additional information that does not fit the actual proposal. Appendices allow you to provide all relevant information regarding your products and services. You can provide marketing information, resumes of your team, an organizational chart, or even a blank project schedule (to be filled in later). By having this template set up before getting an RFP, you’ll save time instead of getting wrapped up in these details.
Format
Work with your marketing team to streamline a specific template that helps showcase your company by following your company’s style formats. When you create a proposal template, you want to make sure your potential client knows what this document is and who it is coming from. If your company is smaller, delve into the templates offered online and adjust them to suit your company’s style by incorporating your logo and photographs. Another way to do this is through using online tools, such as Canva, for ease of use.
Make It Pitch Perfect
When that RFP lands, instead of rushing to organize content for the proposal, your team can focus on the big picture. Don’t treat the RFP just like a checklist to complete. Take time to assess the RFP and define the challenges that the potential client faces. When you dig below the specifications, you can pitch your proposal to meet those challenges and customize your templates accordingly.
Overall, the creation of proposal templates is a lifesaver. When you know you can rely on these templates, as soon as the word RFP is whispered throughout your department, instead of dread, you can feel prepared by customizing the information within your template instead of starting from scratch. When you focus on showing how your proposal not only meets but surpasses a potential client’s needs, your proposal has a better chance of making the cut.
Interested in creating proposal templates but don’t have the time to do it? Scriptorium specializes in creating customizable proposal templates. We work with your team to create proposals you can lean on when RFPs reach your desk. Contact us for more information.
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