When you’ve put in the time and effort to create a proposal, it can be difficult to understand why your potential client has chosen not to accept it. Sending proposals via email can be effective for small or medium size businesses to successfully acquire new clients. But it also can be ineffective and underperform if you don’t do it right.  

When you craft a business proposal, whether it’s for a new product line, services rendered, or another project, you should make sure it’s airtight before hitting send. Because if it is rejected, it can be frustrating and discouraging. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs don’t realize that there are some key reasons their proposals get rejected via email-and understanding these reasons can help you avoid them in the future they can be easily avoided. 

Here are three of the most common mistakes made in business proposals sent via email, and how you can avoid them:

1. Poorly formatted

Your business proposal is the key to getting new clients and projects. But, if your business proposals are getting rejected, it may be due to your formatting. Your emails won’t stand out from the crowd if they don’t have the correct style or structure. It is crucial to set yourself apart from others because your proposal isn’t the only one that is being sent to the client.

Furthermore, there’s a chance that many of your potential customers won’t understand your offering if your proposal is filled with technical jargon or trendy terms.

How to fix this:

• Keep it short and sweet: When it comes to emailing business proposals, less is definitely more. Recipients are likely to skim through your email, so make sure the most important information is front and center.
• Use bullet points: Breaking up your text into manageable chunks will make it easier for recipients to digest your proposal. Use bullet points to highlight key points and make scanning the email simpler.
• Get to the point: The subject line of your email should give recipients a clear idea of what the email contains.
• Package your proposal: Consider attaching your proposal in a separate document rather than drafting it out whole in an email. You can impress your clients and create professional proposals more quickly with the help of proposal software like Fresh Proposals.

2. Missing testimonials and client references

One of the main reasons potential customers or clients reject business proposals is that they don’t have enough information to make a decision. They want to know that other people have used your products or services and been happy with the results. This is where testimonials and client references come in. References from satisfied customers and testimonies boost credibility.

How to fix this

• Add testimonials and references: Never email a proposal without references from past customers or testimonials. Add some testimonials to your proposal to spice it up and highlight your accomplishment. Additionally, include the contact details of some of your prior and current clients so that your prospects can get in touch with them and confirm it for themselves.
• Package your testimonial with visuals: A well-designed testimonial page can be the difference between a website visitor taking your word for it that you’re great at what you do, or being convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt. Make sure your testimonials are as visually appealing as they are convinced by pairing them with high-quality images and graphics. This will help to add an extra level of trustworthiness and credibility to your words.

3. No clear CTA

You’ve sent the “ideal proposal” by email. Your call-to-action (CTA) button is visible, and you are sure that your client will click it. A few days later, you review your statistics and see that your click-through rate (CTR) is low despite the fact that 80% of your prospects opened the email.

If you’re sending a business proposal via email and it gets rejected, it may be because your email lacks a clear call to action. Your email should always include a CTA, or else the recipient may not know what to do with your proposal. 

You see you can’t just send proposals to people in any email campaign and expect them to know what they should be doing.

How to fix this

Here are some tips for making sure your business proposal emails include a clear call to action:

• Keep your CTA short and sweet. The shorter, the better.
• Make your CTA actionable. Use strong verbs that tell the recipient what to do, such as “sign up,” “download,” or “learn more.”
• Use persuasive language in your CTA. Why should the recipient take action? Include reasons in your CTA copy to convince them.
• Use contrasting colors for your CTA button or text link.

Pro tip: Before sending your email proposals, ensure that your email list consists of active and correct email addresses. This will help to ensure that your proposal is received by the intended recipient and that you are able to communicate with them effectively. If you continue sending emails to expired or inactive email addresses you will expect low open rates. Long-term unsolicited email delivery can result in spam complaints, which can harm your email campaigns.

Read more on email marketing mistakes

4. Not clearly stating the problem you’re solving

In today’s business world, time is money. Your potential customers don’t want to spend hours reading through your proposal only to find that it doesn’t address their needs.  Your proposal should start with a clear statement of the problem you’re solving for the potential client or customer. If they can’t immediately see how your product or service will benefit them, they’re likely to hit delete.

Here are some tips on how to avoid this common mistake:

• Keep your proposal brief and to the point. Your customer should be able to quickly see how your product or service can help them solve their problem.
• Make sure you understand the customer’s problem before you start writing the proposal. If you don’t fully understand the issue, you won’t be able to craft an effective solution.
• Don’t forget to proofread! A well-written proposal can be rejected simply because of a few typos or grammatical errors. Take the time to carefully review your work before sending it off.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you want to avoid having your business proposals rejected via email, be sure to follow the proper protocol. By following these simple tips, you’ll be sure to increase your chances of getting your proposal accepted.