Business Proposals
You can't live with them and you can't live without them

By Katharine C. Giovanni

Business proposals. Also known as RFP's (Request for Proposals). At some point in your business life you will eventually have to write one. In fact, most of us have to write dozens in order to get business. So how do you write an effective business proposal without giving away the store? Good question!!! When you figure it out just email me!

Each proposal should be customized to meet the client's particular needs. It should also be as short as possible while still covering all the major points.

There are seven parts to an effective business proposal.

1. Contact Information - Your proposal should have your contact information including name, company, address, phone, email. You could also give it a short title summarizing the entire proposal. Just don't make it long - short, sweet and to the point.
2. Overview - This is an overview of what you are going to do for them. It's not a detailed list, but more of a statement of the benefits you will provide them and a general overview of what you'll be doing for them. It could also include the history of your company or even the history of the concierge industry itself.
3. Dates/Times - When is the work going to start? How long is it going to take? If you are pitching an in-house/lobby concierge service . what will the hours be? How long is the contract for - one year, two?
4. Details - You should include some of the services that you specialize in, as well as an outline of your rates.
5. Ending Statement - I suggest that you end your proposal with a statement of exactly what you will produce for the client. Perhaps you'll want to talk about your customer service policy, or your business ethic. Answer the client's question - "what will I get if I hire this company, what makes them different from all the rest."
6. Extras - This one is optional actually, but you could also add in client testimonials and press releases at the end of the proposal.
7. Always ask for the business!

Now I would like to give you a short word of warning. Years ago when Ron and I owned a meeting planning company we would often send out detailed proposals (that would take me days to do) and would never hear back from them. I remember one man in particular. This guy wanted us to plan an incentive meeting for his sales staff and asked for three different types of resorts and a professional facilitator to lead the weekend. It took me days but I finally came up with three wonderful properties - one on the beach, one ranch in the west and one near a large city. I sent him a detailed proposal with our prices and a list of everything I could do and would do for him. Man . it was beautiful!!! The perfect proposal . or so I thought.

A few days went by and I followed up with a telephone call. Nothing.

I gave it another week and called again. Nothing.

He wouldn't return my calls or emails and we never heard from them again.

What happened? Simple. He gave our detailed proposal to his secretary and had her implement it. The beautiful proposal that took me days to research and write . they simply took as a map of sorts and did it themselves.

So my advice is to be careful. Don't give away the store like we did!!! Tell them what you can do for them . not how you will do it. That was our mistake. Make your proposal just detailed enough so that they will completely understand what you will do for them. You want them to have confidence that this is a job that they couldn't possibly do themselves!!

Remember . ALWAYS ask for the business! I suggest that you shake their hand firmly, look them directly in the eye and say - "We really want your business. What can we do to make this happen today?"

Good luck my friends!

Katharine

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