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Sneha J

October 27, 2021

How a Project Proposal Should Look- Project Proposal Outline

Project Proposal Outline

How a project proposal should look?

A strong, well-written project 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 project proposal but you also need to learn about what really goes into a winning project proposal template.

So how do you create one then? In this post, we are going to address all the important factors and a project proposal outline that will help you close more deals with your prospects in 2021.

Let’s go!!!

Rule 1: Keep it to the point

While drafting project proposals, there is one thing you need to keep in mind that they should be lengthy enough to get to the key points such as who is offering what and how they will overcome the pain point. Simultaneously, they should be concise enough to hold their attention.

However, the length also depends on who is reviewing it.

One decision-maker:

If your project proposal is being reviewed by one decision-maker with whom you’ve had the discussion before and built a personal relationship then you can keep it short.

Group of decision-makers: 

If your project proposal is being reviewed by a group of decision-makers and you haven’t got the opportunity to communicate with each and everyone then you must invest a little more time in your proposal and explain each section in detail.

Rule 2: Include an e-signature

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
  • boosting efficiency

And eSignature is one of the digital transformations that you need to implement in your sales proposal.

  • It saves prospect’s time
  • Makes the overall signing procedure convenient to them.

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

Rule 3: Structure your project proposal

If you’re still finding it challenging to develop a project proposal template then here’s a structure for you.

Even though the exact format of the project proposal template varies depending on the company and the project, the typical sections you should include in your proposal are these:

1. Front Cover

You only get one chance to make a first impression and the cover page of your project proposal is your only chance. A cover page of your business proposal template should look neat and should be easy to read. Here are the tips for creating an impressive cover page,

  • 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

2. Executive Summary

The executive summary in your proposal sets the tone for the rest. So ensure you don’t make any common project proposal writing mistakes that cost the business tremendously. The best practice of writing the project proposal that impresses clients is using your prospective client’s words to them in your pitch. This means simply describe the problem they are facing. Your executive should include,

  • Opening paragraph
  • Reason for the pitch
  • Showing you understand the problem
  • Baseline metrics ( before and after)
  • Goals

Read more on the benefits of using project proposal template.

3. Statement of Work

This section should include the details about your approach. However, the details should only be about the approach and not about the solution.

  • The key here is to give a rough sketch of the method you will use for the execution.
  • Include the list of the specific services that are being offered.
  • You should be ultra-careful about not going into detail.

4. Implementation Plan/Timeline

You must break down all the key steps and the timeline for your client. Providing an accurate timeline with deliverables allows you to set the client’s expectations early.

  • A detailed timeline showing responsibilities

5. Pricing/Cost

Keep things short and to the point and use a pricing table with a range of options that let your prospect or customer edit the quantities, select the services that best fit their needs, and allow them to customize your solution.

  • Standard package (includes all the services mentioned)
  • Less expensive package (where a client can choose the services)
  • Deluxe package (with extra services)

6. Why Work With Us

You can fill out this section with the expertise you have, the awards you won, the big list of your happy clients.

  • Introduction 
  • Name, faces, and credentials of the people who will be working on the campaign
  • Client benefits

7. Case Study/Testimonials

In this section, you can make your clients visualize themselves working with you by telling the past clients success stories with similar issues.

  • Project goal
  • Solution
  • Result

8. Terms of Services

  • Payment
  • Warranty
  • Termination 
  • Agreement

Rule 4: Give it a fresh look

Selling and visuals 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 project 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 project proposals 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.

Rule 5: Include an engaging pricing table

You need to incorporate interactive price tables with a variety of pricing options where customers can modify the quantity, select project 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 (Follow this project proposal checklist to create an interactive pricing table in your proposal) 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.

Conclusion

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

 

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