[tab name=’Guidelines’]
Guidelines : Business Proposals
Business Proposals
Guidelines
- Provide an overview of the proposal, including specific recommendations and the total expense to the reader.
- Provide a detailed cost analysis when possible or appropriate. This will allow the reader to evaluate each cost factor as a part of the total package.
- To add authority and credence to your proposal provide the reader with supporting facts and figures. These can include examples, survey results, and case studies.
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[tab name=’Example 1′]
Example 1: Samples of business proposals
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Thompson:
I enjoyed speaking with you the other day. Enclosed please find a preliminary proposal for service and maintenance for Overland Transport Services.
I believe this includes all specifications, options and terms we discussed. If not, please let me know as soon as possible so we may revise the proposal to meet your needs.
If all is in order, let us know how and when you wish to proceed. As noted previously, we can arrange a lease with low monthly payments designed to stay within your operating budget. As always the system is available for purchase.
While I understand this is a major undertaking for Overland Transport Services, I would advise you time is of the essence. Several of our suppliers have announced price increases for the fall. Unfortunately, as their prices increase, so do ours.
The prices included with this proposal are valid for 90 days from the time of receipt. Please call me if you have any questions or require additional information.
Sincerely,
Enclosures
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[tab name=’Example 2′]
Example 2: Follow up letter on first proposal
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Jones:
I hadn’t heard from you in a while and thought I’d see if you needed any more information from our office. We’re ready to assist you in any way possible.
If you are thinking working with about another company, I have a favor to ask of you. Please give me a call before you commit to another vendor. With our resources and expertise, I am sure we can provide a more attractive alternative for you.
Thanks again for considering our company.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 3′]
Example 3: Proposal request letter
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Li:
Thanks for taking the time to talk with me yesterday. After discussing your needs and the opportunities available within your organization, I think we can accommodate you.
The following is our proposal for 250 units of our software product with an option to upgrade.
List Proposal
Quantity Price/Unit Price/Unit Total
Product 250 licenses $000 $000 $000
Upgrade 250 licenses $000 $000 $000
Maintenance Kits 250 licenses $000 $000 $000
Shipping $000
Total for 250 Licenses and maintenance kits for 1 year $000
The maintenance agreement includes:
• Automatic delivery of bug fixes
• Automatic delivery of minor upgrades
• Unlimited priority technical support
• Discounts on major upgrades.
The 250 licenses shall be shipped and pre-registered to one contact person and updated automatically per the maintenance agreement. You have the option to request complete packages, or a number of master disks and documentation to be distributed to 250 users.
The terms of this proposal expire May 1, 19__. Should you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me at (555) 555-5555.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 4′]
Example 4: Second Follow up to Proposal
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Alan:
Just a short reminder, the terms and prices on the enclosed quotation are only valid until the end of the month.
Perhaps you’ve been considering other options to meet your business needs. Or maybe our initial quotation no longer suits your needs. Whatever the case, give us a call. We’d be more than pleased to prepare a new quote.
We believe we have many possible solutions to consider for the challenges your business faces. We can recommend any number of alternatives to meet the requirements you may have.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 5′]
Example 5: Business proposals templates
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Mr. Frank:
How would you like to cut your distribution costs by more than 25 percent per month? Give us a few minutes of your time and we’ll show you how.
We’ll review every facet of your current distribution system and analyze its strengths and weaknesses. We’ll look at a comparison of costs for other businesses of your size and provide a comprehensive report of short and long-term actions that will generate substantial savings for your company.
The enclosed proposal outlines the details of what we’ll do and how successful we’ve been at doing this for other businesses. In fact, we guarantee you’ll save no less than 10 percent per year savings as a result of our efforts.
I’ll call after you’ve had a chance to review our proposal.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 6′]
Example 6: Proposal Request
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Hamilton:
Due to my background in corporate management and inter-company structural analysis, I am interested in working with you to help you realize the full potential of your organization.
The ultimate benefits to you include:
• Reduction of operating costs.
• More effective responses to business needs.
• Enhanced quality of communication services.
I’ll need access to your primary operations managers for approximately 60 days in order to offer a complete proposal. If you’re willing to make them available to me, I’ll deliver a proposal that could lay the cornerstone for your next five-year strategic plan.
I’ve enclosed a some materials for your review. The next step would be a meeting. I’ll call you early next week to see what time would be convenient for you.
Sincerely,
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