Cover Image for How to Write a Proposal Letter [Samples Included]
How to

How to Write a Proposal Letter [Samples Included]

Writing a convincing and converting proposal letter is not a piece of cake and requires paying attention to detail. What appears like a simple task takes up more thought-provoking ideas than you can imagine if you don’t have any proposal letter sample! 

Apart from writing a tailored introduction about yourself, you have to opt for a similar approach to define your company, the goals and objectives for the project, and how it could benefit your potential client. Here’s an example to let you think deeply… imagine you have a brilliant idea to save your boss thousands of dollars in revenue – what do you do? 

Do you simply approach them and present your idea? Or do you prepare a proposal letter mentioning all about the idea, how it will be achieved, and how much will it cost your boss?  

If you’ve been in business for too long, you would know the right answer by now. So, if you’re in the same process and currently searching for proposal letter examples to start your draft, here’s a step-by-step guide. Keep reading to become a pro at writing proposal letters and converting clients like never before. 

What is a Proposal Letter? 

Unlike other documents, a proposal letter is a professional letter focused on highlighting and communicating ideas to the client. The document is more than a discussion of your company – it involves end-to-end details about the solution, the steps required to achieve the results, and how much finance will go into the project. 

Considering the nature of the letter, it can be written for various purposes, such as a proposal letter for a partnership, an interior design project, a professional service, a sales project, and so on. 

A well-written proposal letter is essential, but pairing it with a presentation can make it even more compelling. Using a PowerPoint template for proposal presentations is a great way to visually highlight your key points, save time, and ensure a professional and consistent look.

This combination of a detailed proposal letter and a visually engaging presentation can effectively communicate your ideas and increase your chances of winning the project.

Results-Proven Tips to Write a Proposal Letter that Converts!

A proposal letter follows specific criteria to ensure everything is included in the letter. Leaving anything behind can weaken your case in front of the potential client. Here are some tried and tested steps that ensure to give results. 

  1. Talk About Yourself and Your Company

After formal greetings, the first step is to introduce yourself and your company to the client. Regardless of it being direct and simple, you can use creativity to keep the reader interested. Instead of using basic terms, use adjectives to hook your client.  

For instance:

Instead of writing, ‘We’re a construction company,’ you can write, ‘We’re the 3rd biggest construction company with $14.4 billion in revenue in 2022.’ Obviously, use it only if it’s true! 

It’s a simple sentence but subtly highlights your achievements in the opening statement. Once you have briefly introduced your company and yourself, mention why you’re writing the proposal letter so the client knows what they are diving into. 

  1. Write About Your Goals & Objectives for the Project 

The second step of writing a successful proposal letter is to mention the list of objectives for the project. Once you’re clear about the objectives, make a separate heading to discuss your long-term and short-term goals. 

Under the short-term goals, talk about the small steps you need to take to achieve results. Don’t forget to mention the timeline with each goal to clearly tell the client how long it will take for you to complete the task. Follow the same process for the long-term goals to send a clear message to the potential client. 

For example, instead of writing ‘we’ll use the loan to increase production,’ write ‘we will use the loan to increase the production capacity by 70% by installing new machines and adding more employees to the team.’

In short – be concise and specific with what you want to achieve for the client. It’s one of the basic errors that many people make in their proposal letters. 

  1. What Sets Your Company Apart? 

This paragraph of the proposal is all about convincing the client of your previous achievements, successes, and examples of doing something similar for other clients. Talk about your special skills and values that set you apart from all other companies. 

If you have worked for a similar industry as your client, then mention it as a direct experience in the field. In short, the better you highlight your skills and achievements, the more you will be able to convince your client. 

  1. Evaluating Results Over Time 
Image Source

Don’t just make big promises in your proposal; inform the client how you will achieve these results over time. And that is only possible with constant scrutiny and evaluation of the progress through robust measures. 

Here are some ideas to evaluate progress with time. 

  1. What machines will you install to increase the company’s productivity?
  2. Which employees are you planning to recruit? 
  3. How will you measure the results of new results? Will you use reports or will you conduct meetings every week to discuss the future? 
  4. Which metrics will you use to measure the success of the new methods? 
  5. How will you inform employees of the new changes? 

You have to paint a picture in your client’s mind. Answer their queries before the question appears in their mind, so there’s no hurdle for you to win the project. 

  1. Briefly Discuss the Budget 

Now that you have mentioned what will go into the project, it’s time to discuss the financials to achieve the results. Instead of giving one big number, give a full breakdown of how much will go into each project step. 

Here’s an example to give you an idea. 

VariableCost
XYZ Machine$50,000
X New Employees$10,000
X Software to Measure Success$3,000/month

Use this example to break down the cost of your project appropriately. Remember that no cost is too little or too big to add to the table. You can only quote an approximate figure if you’ve thoroughly researched the market. Asking to tame the budget in the future can shatter your client’s trust in you, so it’s best to take your time while drafting the budget.  

  1. Write a Strong Closing Paragraph! 

The last part of the letter is a closing paragraph, which can be called a CTA (Call-to-Action) – the last effort to lure your client. Try to make it sound strong and compelling so your customer thinks twice before giving up on your offer. 

  1. Provide Your Contact Information 

Once you have given all details, it’s time to conclude your proposal with your company’s contact information. Be approachable on the number and email to not miss out on anything from your client. It’s a necessary part of your letter, so don’t skip it.  

General Template of a Proposal Letter 

Here’s a quick look at how a template is written and what goes in which paragraph. 

[Your Name]

[Company’s Name]

[Your Address]

[Date]

[Recipient’s Name]

[Recipient’s Company]

[Recipient’s Mailing Address]

[Greeting]

[Give a brief introduction of your company and yourself along with the goal of the proposal in the first paragraph – refer to tip #1 of writing a proposal letter]

[Discuss the goals and objectives for the project in the second paragraph, along with mentioning how you will achieve results – refer to tip #2 of writing a proposal letter]

[Highlight your achievements, skills, and expertise to convince the client to give you the project – refer to tip #3 of writing a proposal letter]

[Talk about how you will measure the success of the project over time – refer to tip #4 of writing a proposal letter]

[Write a breakdown of the financials required to complete the project within a given time period – refer to tip #5 of writing a proposal letter]

[Start with thanking the client and add closing remarks to conclude the proposal. In the end, give your contact details – refer to tips #6 and 7 of writing a proposal letter]

[Sign off]

[Signature]

Samples of Proposal Letters to Help You Bring Clients 

If you’re still confused about writing a proposal letter, then here’s a traditional format you need to follow to write a proposal letter. It does not include the specific mention of the company and client’s name, but make sure to include it in yours in the sections specified above.

Example 1

Dear Sir/Madam, 

Our Pest Control Services Inc. team loved the opportunity to offer you our termite-proofing services. We sat with our experts last week to discuss the future of the project, and here’s a detailed overview of our action plan to ensure the safety and hygiene of your office(s). 

On 19th July, we discussed the concerns of termites spreading all over your office, which is now a great problem for employees. We further discussed how it has compromised the hygiene of the space and is harmful to employees. To cater to this, we have come up with a list of chemicals that we will use to fumigate the space and identify the root cause of the issue to eliminate the problem completely. 

Our objective is to fumigate the space and then insert the chemical by drilling 4-inch long holes at the root of walls to achieve 100% results. We will use XYZ chemicals that are not only environmentally friendly but give 99.99% results each time. We will vacate the office of all items to let chemicals spread everywhere and protect employees from any health risks. For the best results, the office will stay closed for at least 2 days to kill termites from every corner. 

We have used the same technique for one of the biggest sugar mills, where we used the specified chemical and applied the drilling technique to kill the termite. We have used the same method for almost all our termite-proofing clients and have achieved 99.99% results each time. In all cases, the problem did not occur again for at least 10 years. 

We estimate a budget of $8,000 for a project of this caliber. We expect the initial deposit of $3,000 to buy chemicals and machinery to start the project. The rest of the payment is expected after the project. 

If you would like to move forward with our proposal, feel free to reach out to us through email or phone number. We’re more than happy to assist you in clearing your space of all unhygienic elements to make your office a safe and secure space for your employees. 

Kindly review our proposal and direct all your recommendations and specific needs to us at [email] or [phone number]. 

Sincerely, 

XYZ 

Example 2

Dear Sir/Madam,

I, [XYZ], the Chief Marketing Officer at the [ABC Company], am writing this proposal for future collaborations to help you improve the sales of your new product line. 

We’re an advertising agency with over 15 years of experience under our belt. We’ve worked with some of the top companies in several industries, including retail, oil & gas, logistics, and others, to help clients succeed through robust marketing and advertising techniques in less than a year. 

Our goals to help your new product line reach your target audience are: 

  • Spend 50% of the budget on social media marketing to reach more customers and spread awareness of new products 
  • Set up small kiosks in malls for live testing to address customers’ concerns and build trust with the audience 
  • Use 20% of the budget to put billboards on busy roads to scale up the product’s hype among people 

We have used similar marketing techniques for  [ABC Company] and [XYZ Company], which resulted in 30% more customer awareness and a 60% whooping increase in sales in the first quarter. 

We plan on measuring the success of our actions by calculating the online traffic and keeping track of social media metrics for the future. 

If you agree to our proposed plan, then feel free to direct any inquiries to us through email or chat. We’re more than happy to take your business to the next level. Please reach us at this [email] and [number] for future correspondence. 

Sincerely, 

[XYZ] 

Example 3

Respected Sir/Madam, 

With immense pleasure, I would like to inform you about the new idea I have been working on for a long time. After thorough research, budgeting, and planning, I am ready to present it to you.

There’s a detailed fact sheet highlighting all factors related to achieving the goals in the long term.

For the whole project, I would need an investment of about $200,000 to get started with the whole idea and achieve the results within the set timeframe. 

Please let us know your concerns or questions regarding the proposal through chat or email. 

Regards,

[XYZ]

Additional Examples of Proposal Letters for Inspiration

If you’re still confused about writing proposal letters, then here are some additional examples for inspiration. 

https://i0.wp.com/sellingsignals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Product-business-proposal-letter-example.jpg
Image Source 

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/39/aa/81/39aa81e5897b343a907c21030f0a652b.jpg
Image Source

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/53/62/d0/5362d0c355944e0cde09dd20b8725a15.jpg
Image Source

Image Source

Image Source

Have You Considered Using Software to Write Engaging and Compelling Proposal Letters? 

In case you’re too busy to write the proposal letter yourself, we have just the right solution for you. The above-mentioned example proposal letter is written by AI software that can address all your writing needs. WriterBuddy.ai is the best software for writing proposal letters quickly and is perfect for drafting web copies, social media content, and much more. If you’re intrigued to find out more, try it out yourself. Get the projects of your dream by writing captivating proposal letters through WriterBuddy.ai!

You may also like:

Stop Stressing, Start Writing

Join over 540,000+ happy users writing smarter with WriterBuddy. Try WriterBuddy for Free!

Copyright © 2024 WriterBuddy. All rights reserved.