A strong, well-written marketing proposal can help your business thrive but a poorly-written proposal can send your qualified lead packing. Let’s face it, this is one document you don’t want to mess up. And for that, not only you need to know how to write a marketing proposal but you also need to learn about what really goes into a winning marketing proposal template.

So how do you create one then? In this post, we are going to address all the essential elements of a great marketing proposal that can help you close more deals with your prospects in 2021.

Let’s go!!!

#1. Electronic signatures

You need to keep up with the trend if you want to be successful in the marketing industry. Innovations are meant for making certain processes easier, saving time, and boosting efficiency. And e-signature is one of the digital transformations that you need to implement in your sales proposal. It not only saves prospect’s time but also makes the overall signing procedure convenient to them

Just make sure you let your prospect know that they can sign the marketing proposal digitally if they want! And with proposal software, you can easily incorporate e-signature in your marketing proposal.

#2. Design

Selling and design always go hand in hand. For example, when you roam around in a supermarket, you usually notice only those products that show some creativity in the design. Just like that only those business proposals dazzles potential clients that shines with the design. A messy and unattractive marketing proposal can be a real turn-off to your prospective clients. It sends a message that you didn’t care enough to make your proposal look good. So, make sure you include the following elements in your business proposal,

Table of Contents

• It is sometimes overlooked but is still a major part of a proposal design.
• All marketing proposals must include a table of contents as it gives readers a route map to go directly to a particular section.

Visuals

• Visuals such as maps, graphs, infographics, screenshots, and photos complement your business proposal to another level.
• You can also include the video testimonials of your other happy clients.

#3. Interactive pricing table

You need to incorporate interactive price tables with a variety of pricing options where customers can modify the quantity, select marketing services that suit their needs. In short, they should be able to create a customized version of your services for them. An interactive pricing table also allows clients to select additional services and at the end can check the updated pricing in real-time. Unless you use any sophisticated tool you can not create an interactive pricing table in your business proposal.

#4. Typical Structure

If you’re still finding it challenging to develop a marketing proposal template then here’s a structure for you. Even though the exact format of the marketing proposal template varies depending on the company and the project, the typical sections you should include in your proposal are these:

Front Cover: You only get one chance to make a first impression and the cover page of your marketing proposal is your only chance. A cover page of your proposal should look neat and should be easy to read. A good cover page typically includes,

• Name of applying organization and logo
• Project title
• Date
• Contact Information (personal contact name, address, country, phone, email, website)
• Name of the client you are applying to

Executive Summary: Those who ignore the value of an executive summary while pitching their marketing proposal, they miss out on the great opportunity to create a quick connection with the prospect. Because the cover letter is your real first point of contact with the prospect. The goal of this section is to grab the client’s attention instantly by showing them how well you understand their business, their challenges, and their needs, and make them feel assured you are one with whom they’ll feel most comfortable working.

Recommended Solution: After outlining the challenges or the problems, you’ll need to recommend a solution. The rough outline or the sketch of your solution should clearly explain how your marketing services will address the issue of your client. This section should also lay out the entire process that you’ll follow so they will know what to expect. The key here is to give a rough sketch of the method you will use for the execution, including the list of the specific marketing services that are being offered, be ultra-careful about not going into detail.

Implementation Timeline: This section will explain how your workflow will operate within a timeframe. Break down all the key steps and the timeline fr your client. Providing an accurate timeline with deliverables allows you to set the client’s expectations early.

To go beyond the standard timeline, you can also include a separate client-side dependency timeline that outlines what you’ll need from the client’s side and when. This will show the client that you have a very in-depth understanding of your work. And plus outlining the client’s deliverables will also make them aware of what you will need from them and can make them put things in place from the beginning.

Pricing table: This is where things get a little challenging because you don’t want to scare them away with your pricing. And if you go wrong in presenting the price you may lose your prospect forever. The key to getting your “pricing section” right is by using an interactive pricing table. Such interactive price tables offer a variety of pricing options where your prospects can change the quantity, choose marketing services that best fit their needs. In short, they can create a customized version of your marketing services for them.

Testimonial or Case Study: Case studies: Love them or hate them but it still remains a critical part of your sales proposal.  A case study is something that can help set you apart from the competition by explaining the value you can offer with your services. It is one of the brilliant ways to promote your business. Because people love reading stories about other people and when you tell them how you’ve helped your previous clients solve a problem, they tend to quickly relate to it because they’ve got the same problems.

Terms and Conditions: Always keep the contract and your terms and conditions part of your proposal and get them signed together to avoid future conflict.

Call to Action: This is a very important element in your sales proposal. Here you must let your prospect know what is required to be done to get things rolling.

Conclusion

In 2021, submitting a marketing proposal as a PDF will not work for you. It’s time to break the pattern, make a fresh start, and create something exciting.