draft proposal ideas

4. State the problem or need.

This is where you provide a summary of the issue impacting the potential client. It provides you with the opportunity to show them you clearly understand their needs and the problem they need help solving.

Research, critical thinking, and extra thought are key here. You have to do your homework. Take a holistic look at the specific issues your client faces that you can help solve. Then, compellingly frame them in a way that sets you up for the next step.

7. Include pricing options.

Pricing is where things can get a bit tricky, as you don't want to under or over-price your product. If you'd like to provide the prospect with a few pricing options for their budget, include an optional fee table . Some proposal software offer responsive pricing tables which allow clients to check the products or services they're interested in, and the price will automatically adjust.

8. Summarize with a conclusion.

After providing the above information, it’s necessary to simplify it into one final section. Briefly summarize the proposal. Touch on your qualifications and why you’d serve as the best choice. To prompt further conversation, confirm your availability. At the end of the proposal, the goal is to have the client ready to work with you. Provide your contact information to allow them to follow up easily.

9. Clarify your terms and conditions.

This is where you go into detail about the project timeline, pricing, and payment schedules. It's essentially a summary of what you and the client agree to if they accept your proposal. Make sure you clear the terms and conditions with your own legal team before sending the proposal to the client.

Image Source

We know how crucial a great business proposal is to your and your clients' success. That's why we've compiled  2 Free Business Proposal Templates for you to use and customize for any of your projects. You'll gain access to a concise, one-page template (pictured above), as well as a longer template for you to embellish on your plan and proposal. Download the templates now to get started on building your proposal. 

2. Web Design Proposal

Companies, big and small, dedicate resources to establishing a noticeable social media presence. With advertising on social networks projected to reach $56.85 billion dollars in 2022 , it's in your business's best interest to have a plan for growing your client's social media presence.

To help you in that effort, the information in this social media marketing proposal includes an executive summary to help introduce your high-level ideas, an assessment of the client’s company to demonstrate your diligence, and a breakdown of billing to show how your company charges for posting, content creation, and analytics.

8. Content Marketing Proposal

When pitching your content marketing services to clients, this template can help you organize your ideas. While it walks you through initial objectives and how to communicate your prospected results, one of the most helpful parts of this template is the pricing ideas it gives you when charging for your services.

Business proposal templates are helpful places to get started, but what should your business proposal look like when it's complete? Below, we share an example of a business proposal template that will inspire you.

In the business template example above, Social Portal Consulting (SPC) pitches a marketing proposal to Graphic Bean. At first sight, this proposal appeals to the creative. A nice touch would include designing the layout in your or your client’s brand colors. In addition to the design, the use of social media icons quickly tells the prospect what platforms Social Portal is pitching. Because we see Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest icons, the client instantly knows that this proposal does not include LinkedIn, YouTube, or other platforms.

While maintaining its design, this example outlines Social Portal Consulting’s plans efficiently. It begins by providing insight into Graphic Bean and its goals before elaborating on how SPC can leverage its expertise to help them achieve it. This business proposal template includes an easy-to-follow timeframe for goals and objectives while keeping the client abreast of how payment will happen across the project.

Overall, this is an excellent example of how to combine the elements of social media marketing into a creative and concise business proposal. Finally, we'll leave you with some business proposal ideas to get you started on your own.

• Start with an outline.
• Include data and visuals.
• Add social proof.
• Incorporate video into your proposal.
• Use a call-to-action.
• Include up-sell and add-on opportunities.
• Create a sense of urgency.
• Keep it simple.
• Make the decision for them.
• Stay on brand.
• Quality control.

There's a lot to keep in mind when writing a business proposal. Here are a few tips to help you out:

1. Start with an outline.

If you want to produce a thoughtful, effective business proposal, you need to have some idea of what you're hoping to achieve with it. So before you dive into writing, outline the major sections of your business proposal and the pertinent information you want to include. This will ensure you stay focused and your message stays intact as you write.

2. Include data and visuals.

You want your business proposal to capture your prospect's attention and help set you apart from any other ones they might have received. One of the best ways to do that is to include hard, quantitative data that helps stress the value of your business.

If you can find some relevant, compelling figures that highlight what you have to offer, you can establish authority and make yourself that much more convincing. It also helps to include visuals such as charts and graphs to enhance your proposal.

3. Add social proof.

Like the previous point, adding social proof lends your proposal another degree of credibility. You can only be so convincing when you're personally talking up how great your business is.

Prospects are skeptical. In many — if not most — cases, they probably won't take you at your word. They'll likely trust peers and fellow customers more than someone trying to win their business. That's why including elements like customer quotes and testimonials can go a long way.

4. Incorporate video into your proposal.

If you're creating an online proposal using document file formats like PDF, you can include multimedia elements to enhance the proposal experience. They can make your document richer and more engaging.

Whether you add video at the beginning as an intro to your proposal or in the project breakdown to verbally discuss some of the more confusing parts, extras like this can make an impression. This works especially on prospects who are visual or auditory communicators.

5. Use a call-to-action.

Prospects need direction. The best proposal in the world can only take you so far if you don't clearly define the next steps. That's why you have to make sure the reader knows what to do next after reading your proposal.

A clear-cut call-to-action is the best way to get there. Define and highlight exactly what they should do to act on the interest your proposal has generated. Without that guidance, you might leave your reader in limbo.

6. Include up-sell and add-on opportunities.

They say you won't receive unless you ask. Readers won't explore the upper tiers of your solutions if you don't give them the opportunity. If you want to use your business proposal as a chance to get the most out of a reader's interest, you need to include some additional information about your business for them to act on. They need to know what else you have to offer.

7. Create a sense of urgency.

No one wants to feel as if they missed out on a great opportunity. A lack of urgency tends to cause people to drag their feet and take time when making a decision. As you create your business proposal, your goal should be to create a sense of urgency.

Prospective clients should read your business proposal and feel that now is the best time to sign up for your service. A way you can accomplish this is by stating your short and long-term goals for their business. While they will have to wait for the long-term goals, make the short-term goals so enticing that they are instantly ready to begin a collaboration.

8. Keep it simple.

There's no definitive blueprint for how long a business proposal has to be. Yours should be however long it takes to convey the information you want to get across.

That said, you're best off focusing on quality over quantity. Keep your sentences short and simple, and avoid including too much business jargon. You want your proposal to be straightforward enough for anyone who picks it up to make sense of it. So don't get carried away with being too fancy.

9. Make the decision for them.

Craft your copy in a way that seems like saying "no" to the proposal would be stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. Your offer should go above and beyond their expectations, and you should do everything in your power to eliminate friction and objections along the way.

10. Stay on brand.

Don't be afraid to let your company's personality shine through in your proposal. Stay true to your brand and show the client what sets you apart from your competitors.

11. Quality control.

Your proposal needs to be clean and airtight. You don't want to undermine your messaging by coming off as sloppy and unprofessional. Before you send the proposal out, make sure to read and reread it for any typos or grammatical errors.

Let your business proposal do the talking.

Depending on the type of business you're in, your business proposal elements will vary based on the prospect's needs. After reading through your plan, prospective clients should have very few questions about your company and what it can do for them. With the tips and examples in this article, you have all the tools to guide you through the process. With a professional, customized business proposal, you're sure to delight your client and potentially gain their business.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Business Proposal Tips, Templates, and Examples (2023)

• by Evan Ferguson
• Starting Up
• Feb 10, 2023
• 17 minute read

Writing a business proposal is something that few new business owners know how to do when  starting a business . In the early stages, you’re focused on your product, your  business plan , and getting everything up and running⁠, which often makes creating a business proposal one of the last things on your mind.

But a business proposal is actually more important than you might realize. Even if you don’t have an immediate use for your business proposal, it can help create a plan of action for your business, secure funding, identify the strengths and weaknesses of your brand, and act as a reference point for the direction of your business.

Whether you’re looking to do business with another company or just want to create a business proposal for prospective clients, here’s our guide on how to create a well-written business proposal that can help you generate revenue for your business.

Table of Contents

What is a business proposal?

What are the types of business proposals, how to write a business proposal, after sending: tips on how to follow up, where to find business proposal templates, business proposal faq.

A business proposal is a document sent to prospective clients in the hopes of working with them on a project⁠—whether it be a partnership or wanting to be the company who helps with a specific project. A business proposal can range from something smaller in scope (providing an SEO strategy document for example) or something large like running a company’s marketing efforts for them.

Business proposals can range in the topics they cover, depending on the nature of the involved businesses and your proposed solution.

At the most basic level, business proposals are about addressing the needs of prospective clients and showing them why your company is the best to fit those needs. For businesses focused on B2B services especially, knowing how to write an effective business proposal is crucial to growth.

Business proposals can vary depending on the service and nature of the project proposal, but they typically fall into three distinct categories.

• Formally solicited proposals. This describes proposals where the business you’re hoping to work with has formally asked you to submit a proposal. They’re usually written in response to published requirements from the business looking for proposals. Typically, this is the result of a publicly posted request for proposals, where a prospective client is going through many proposals and finding the best one. Your job here would then be to create a proposed solution based on the specific needs of a potential client or customer.
• Informally solicited business proposals. Informally solicited proposals typically occur following conversations between a prospective client and a vendor. Usually, the customer in this case is not asking for competing proposals and there tends to be fewer formal requirements. 
• Unsolicited business proposals. These proposals tend to be more generic in nature, acting as a sort of marketing brochure. Unsolicited proposals are typically used at trade shows or other public venues, where a business is shopping around for prospective clients. While they can generate business to some extent, unsolicited business proposals can sometimes be seen as spammy or, worse, unprofessional.

Not all proposals will fit neatly into these categories. There are proposals that might start off formally solicited but then be adapted into unsolicited proposals. But having a high-level understanding of each of the three common types will help you adjust where needed.

Business proposals can vary slightly in how they’re formatted, but there are a couple of crucial elements that all business proposals should have. You can always compare your proposals with a free business proposal template to ensure you’re on the right track.

In general you’ll want to follow these steps.

1. Create your title page

The title page acts as your proposal’s “cover,” so it’s especially important in terms of aesthetics. Your title page should convey a couple of pieces of basic information about your business and the proposal, such as the title of the proposal, your business’ name, contact information, and the date you’re submitting the proposal (or the date the proposal is crafted, in the case of unsolicited proposals).

Your title page should be professional, but should still seek to grab the reader’s attention and draw them in. It’s pivotal in setting the tone of your proposal, so, like any advertisement, it should convey your brand’s aesthetics and character. It’s usually a good idea to include your company logo somewhere too. If you’re putting together a social media marketing proposal for example, try and incorporate your social media marketing skill set when creating your proposal.

This is the first thing your client will see, so it’s important to convey your brand and proposal in a way that’s succinct, yet specific. Think of it like any visual content: viewers will only glance at it for a brief moment, so it must convey a lot of information very quickly.

Avoid complicated graphics that may distract from the central message of the proposal. Stylistically, it should be neat and clean. Here’s an example of what a well-designed business proposal might look like.

2. Compile a table of contents

A table of contents will make it easier to navigate the contents of the document. It doesn’t necessarily need to be the first page (occasionally, it follows the cover letter), but it definitely should be one of the first pages.

Your contents page should be chronological. Avoid getting too granular with items on the list, because this will come off as noisy and overwhelming.

A good strategy is to have the items on your list reflect specific pain points or questions the reader may have so that it’s easy for them to use the table of contents as a reference point for all their questions.

3. Write a cover letter

Not to be confused with your title page, your cover letter serves as an introduction of yourself. Some proposals might even include the cover letter before the table of contents as a way of setting up the entire proposal.

Your cover letter should be short and no more than one page. In a few paragraphs, briefly describe your company’s background,  mission statement , and unique selling proposition .

Your cover letter should be friendly and polite⁠—don’t forget your pleases and thank yous. Leave your contact information and encourage your readers to reach out to you with any questions.

Unlike a résumé cover letter, visual graphics are encouraged, especially if they illustrate an important aspect of your brand’s accomplishments or mission.

4. Write the executive summary

The  executive summary may be the most important part of your proposal. An executive summary provides details about why you’re sending the proposal and your methodology for why you’re the best option for the client to choose from.

Your executive summary acts similarly to a  value proposition that makes your company different and how your prospective client will benefit from working with you.

Executive summaries summarize, but they should still be specific. Identify the client’s exact issues, explain what your company does, and outline your proposed solutions to the client’s problems.

More detailed information will follow in the rest of the proposal, so while it shouldn’t be too detailed, it should still be specific. There’s no need to cover logistics or strategies here, but it should still offer a specific solution to a specific problem.

Your executive summary should be finely tuned to the client’s needs. Even if you’re passing the proposal document on to many potential clients, it should read as though it was written for one client specifically . If potential customers have different problems, you’ll want to make adjustments to your summary for each of them.

Be mindful of your tone here as well. A company that rents out party buses for college students will expect a very different tone from a company offering financial advice to seniors. 

Your summary should give the reader a clear idea of how your company can help them, and invite them to continue reading for more details. The summary should be specific enough to act as a standalone document but brief enough that it will inspire additional questions. 

Your executive summary should be about two to four pages, but try to keep it short if your overall proposal isn’t very long. Remember that the details will come later.

5. Outline your customers’ problem and your company’s solution

In this section, you’ll want to go into more detail about the solutions you offered in your executive summary. Your summary explained what you can do and why you’re the ideal client to do it. In the proposal pages, you’ll cover how you plan on doing it and when it can be done (a time frame).

When writing your proposal pages, it helps to consider what questions your client will have and provide them with detailed answers. 

Many writers of business proposals think of their proposal pages in terms of problems and solutions . With each proposal, start by outlining the potential issues the client might face. In doing this, you’ll show your potential clients that you have a deep understanding of their needs.

Problem and solution pages require a lot of research. You want to show potential clients that you’ve done your homework: you understand the client’s needs and know exactly what they’re setting out to do. 

How you choose to break down the client’s problems and solutions is up to you. Some proposal document writers will list a number of problem statements alongside detailed deliverables. Other proposals might focus on one or two larger problems and provide a list of solutions to them. 

Timetables are also important here. Potential clients will want to know how quickly you’ll be able to enact your solution and when they can expect to see results. Timetables answer these questions and, as a bonus, they’re also a handy visual tool that break-up text while conveying important information.

Your own proposal will need to break down problems and solutions in a way that’s appealing to your prospective client and makes sense for your industry, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this section.

That being said, it’s generally a good idea to break up your proposal content into sections that specifically identify each problem and propose a solution. Here are some key points to address for each section:

• The problem. Use data to back up your claims, and be specific about where your client may be falling short of their goals. 
• Implementation. Explain in detail what changes you plan on making, how long it will take to make these changes, and the purpose of making these changes. 
• Goals. Explain how you will evaluate the success of your solution and when your client can expect to see results from the changes you’ve implemented. 
• Benefits. Draw upon the assessment of the problem and explain the nature of the impact these changes will make.

Your proposal pages should cover all of the details of the plans you will implement. It’s best to break down the text into bite-sized chunks so it’s easier to read. Decorative graphics should be avoided here, but visual tools like charts and graphs are great for illustrating your points.

6. Create a pricing table

Your pricing table should follow your problem and solution pages. It will include all of your products and services, paired with their pricing information.

>How you structure your  pricing strategy is largely dependent on the type of service you’re offering. That said, it’s usually a good idea to provide prospective clients with options . A single flat fee makes your proposal a yes or no question, which is easy to reject.

Adding pricing options provides clients with a more negotiable starting point, opening up the conversation about their particular needs, rather than acting as an end point.

Your pricing structure should be formatted in a table that’s easy to read. Offer recurring payment options, both monthly and yearly. Give discounted rates for long-term commitments. Offer add-ons, upgrades, and options. Transparency is crucial in this section. Make sure it’s easy for your clients to understand what they’re paying for and what options they have for customizing your service. Nobody likes hidden fees or fine-print stipulations. Include all the details of your pricing options in a way that’s clear and concise.

Depending on the type of business you’re in, you may not want to include your pricing upfront before serious discussions have been had, but it’s important to get into the habit of effectively communicating your pricing regardless.

PROPOSAL TIP: Some proposal software tools offer responsive pricing tables that allow your clients to adjust their plan to fit their needs and automatically recalculates their total.

Learn more: Psychological Pricing: What Your Prices Really Say to Customers

7. Share more information about your company 

Like an About Us page on your website, your business proposal’s About Us page should share the story of your business, with you, the founder, as that story’s main character. A good About Us page should be brief, but still contain all the elements of a compelling narrative:

• Setting. Set the scene: introduce the story’s protagonist(s), yourself, and your co-founders, and describe how you came together to form your business.
• Conflict. What problem inspired you to start your business? Describe the issue your business identified and set out to solve.
• Plot. How did you and your team set out to find the solution to your problem? What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
• Resolution. What was your solution? How has it changed your industry? What milestones have you hit and how did your business set out to solve the problem?
• Characters. Introduce the rest of your team. Offer brief bios of your team members and introduce your clients to the people they’ll be working with on your project. 
• Denouement. What comes next? Describe what you see in your company’s future. Talk about how you intend to continue pursuing your goals. Make sure to set yourself up for a good sequel.

8. Summarize your qualifications

In your cover letter, you touched on what makes your company uniquely qualified to solve your customers’ problems. In the qualifications summary, you’ll be going into detail about why your business is best qualified to help potential customers achieve their goals.

The best qualifications summaries rely on  social proof to make their case. Include case studies of previous clients, customer testimonials, praise on social media, endorsements from trusted experts in your field, and anything else that might showcase the value you provide your clients.

For example,  Omsom , a shop that sells delicious Asian sauce starters that help people make speedy restaurant-quality dinners, includes endorsements from Vice , CNN, and Vogue on its homepage.

9. Lay out the terms of the agreement

At the end of your marketing proposal, you’ll want to clarify the offer you’re making to your clients by outlining the terms and conditions of your proposal. Proposals may be considered legally binding contracts in some jurisdictions, so it’s best to work with a legal expert in crafting this section.

Not all business proposals include a legally binding contract, so if your proposal is meant to draw your client into further negotiations, you might just include a simple call to action that provides instructions on following up with you for further negotiation.

If you do include a legally binding contract, make sure to provide clients with a space for signing the agreement, or indicating their preferred method of moving forward.

It can be a little nerve-wracking waiting to hear back from clients during the sales process, but it’s important to remain patient. Give potential decision makers some time⁠—remember that they still need to tend to the day-to-day functions of their business.

If you haven’t heard back and want to give potential clients a little nudge, here are some tips for following up on your proposal:

• Give them time. Wait at least a week before sending a follow-up. If they’ve confirmed receipt of your proposal, give them a week from the date of confirmation. Keep in mind that they may want to discuss it with their team before reaching back out to you.
• Grab their attention with a good subject line. As with other types of email marketing , a compelling subject line will increase the likelihood that they’ll open your email.
• Be brief. No need to go into finer details here⁠—let your proposal do most of the talking. Use your follow-up to emphasize that you’re available for any questions, and make it easy for them to reach back out to you.
• Avoid high-pressure, salesy language. Your goal here is securing a partner , not a customer. Hacky advertising cliches like “Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!” will come off as alienating to potential clients.
• Be friendly, approachable, and authentic. Your follow-up is a good opportunity to preview what it will be like working with you. Be polite, but casual⁠—as though you’re reaching out to your favorite work colleague. 
• Know when to quit. It’s easy to overlook one or two emails, but much harder to overlook three or four. If your client hasn’t responded to the three follow-ups, it’s time to move on.

If you’re just  starting a business and have never written a business proposal before, it’s a good idea to take a look at a few of them to get an idea how they’re composed for different types of businesses . Here are some good places to find examples of templates and layouts to help you in business proposal writing.

• PandaDoc . PandaDoc boasts a wide library of over 167 free business proposal templates. Other features include interactive quote pages, contract templates, and e-signature capabilities. 
• Canva . Among Canva’s wide variety of free design templates are a ton of free business proposal examples. Canva allows you to filter different proposal templates by style and theme, making it easy to find a template that matches your branding.
• Proposify/a>. Proposify offers a ton of templates for business proposals and business contracts that include features like electronic signatures, interactive client previews, language translation, and data metrics that help you track open rates⁠—which is especially useful if you’re sending your proposal to multiple clients. 
• Jotform . Jotform includes a wide collection of free and paid PDF templates for proposals in all kinds of industries, for all kinds of projects. Templates are converted into PDFs for easy printing, and even include a digital signature feature that allows your clients to sign your agreement digitally. 
• Better Proposals . Better Proposals has a ton of free resources for business owners looking to learn more about how to write proposals. Along with business proposal templates, they also offer templates for quotes, contracts, and online brochures.

Learn more:

• Business Plan Template: A Practical Framework for Creating Your Business Plan
• The Road to Success: Business Plan Examples to Inspire Your Own

Don’t miss the opportunity to grow your small business

Working with clients is an incredible opportunity to grow your business. Not only because of the financial gains, but because building strong, working relationships in your industry will open up new avenues for growth and help build your reputation among your peers. 

A lot of work goes into creating a business proposal, but learning how to compose an effective business proposal will set you up for years of success. No matter what industry you’re in, there will likely come a time when you’ll need to write a business proposal.

The more satisfied customers you have, the easier it will be to attract new clients. Each new opportunity at a partnership is a stepping stone toward continued success. Give some of these business proposal ideas a try today.

Start your free trial of Shopify—no credit card required!

How long should a business proposal be.

A business proposal should ideally be less than 10 pages where possible, but it’s largely dependent on the type of proposal you’re making and how far your services stretch. Things like your cover letter, summary, and pricing page should be kept short⁠—no more than two pages for each. The majority of your proposal should be your proposal pages, which go into detail about each aspect of your proposal.

What are the different sections of a business proposal?

A basic business proposal consists of a titles page, tables of contents, cover letter, executive summary, proposal pages, pricing page, additional info about your business, and the agreement you’re proposing.

What is a basic business proposal?

A basic business proposal includes all of the elements listed above. Different industries may include unique features (for example, an app developer may include interactive elements to illustrate how their product works), but these aspects are considered standard features to business proposals.

How do you write a business proposal?

Start by choosing a template and considering what makes your business different from the competition, and why you’re in the best position to assist potential clients with their needs. Be specific about what you can help your potential clients with, and make it easy for them to find out how to get in contact with you if they have questions.

About the author

Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson is a writer, digital artist, and content creator at Shopify. He is best-known for once being retweeted by Ice T.

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25 Creative Business Proposal Ideas for Better Sales in 2022

A great business proposal has two jobs:

•  It helps you stand out and be memorable.
•  It also helps you close the deal by presenting a more compelling offer. 

It’s crucial for your business proposal to include all the important details and have an attractive creative proposal design and compelling copy.

If you’re wondering how to close more sales and win more clients with your proposals, you’re in the right place. 

We’ve gathered 20 creative business proposal idea examples that'll help you improve your sales in 2022. We'll also explain how you can use ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">proposal templates to create attractive proposals quickly.

Find Stunning Business Proposal Templates on Envato Elements

If you’re ready to start implementing some of these unique business proposal ideas, stop by Envato Elements and check out our collection of ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">awesome premium business proposal templates .

We've got thousands of business proposal ideas templates on Envato Elements that not only have an attractive creative proposal design but are also easy to customize. The best part about business proposal templates is that they save you time. They already include all the important elements, so you won’t have to start from scratch.

ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Explore Business Proposal Templates

25 Great Business Proposal Ideas for 2022

Here are 25 creative business proposal idea examples that you can use to improve your bottom line and close more deals:

1. Outline Your Proposal First

No matter how many proposals you’ve written so far, creating an outline for your proposal should always be the first task on your list. An outline will help you get clear on what you’re offering to the client. It'll also help you create a structure that'll present all the needed information in a logical manner. 

Your proposal should include the following sections:

• an introduction section 
• your client’s problem 
• your proposed solution 
• examples and case studies that show your previous expertise and success rate 
• how much the project will cost 
• what steps they need to take to get the project rolling

Outlining your proposals and structuring them logically helps potential clients understand exactly how you can help them and why they should hire you. The following tutorial will help you to learn more about writing a proposal:

2. Include Testimonials

Testimonials aren’t reserved only for your website. Add them to your business proposal to establish trust and help your potential clients or business partners understand that you're the right person for the job.

According to research published at BigCommerce , 72% of customers say that testimonials and reviews make them trust a business more.  So, there's no reason not to capitalize on this trend and use it in your own marketing.

If you already have testimonials, go ahead and include them in your next business proposal. Or reach out to past clients and customers and invite them to share their opinion about your business and what it was like working with you.

3. Get Creative With Calls-to-Action

It goes without saying that your business proposal topic should include a call to action at the end. A CTA is the best way to invite potential clients to take the next step towards getting the project started. 

Your call to action should stand out from the rest of the proposal. So, consider using colored background or text to make it easier to see. But the color of your call to action isn't the only thing you should get creative with.

The text that you use for the call to action is just as important. For example, instead of using generic language such as Get In Touch, Call Now or Email Today, try to add a dash of personality and creativity. For example, you could use a CTA that reads Let’s Do This or It’s Time to Get Started or Take Action.

Not only are the examples above more powerful because they use action words, but they also give off a sense of urgency that'll make your clients more inclined to act.

4. Be Brief and Concise

When you share project proposal ideas, you need to capture all your key points. But keep in mind, you’re sharing your message with a busy audience. Key stakeholders face many tasks and can dedicate only so much time to your presentation.

That’s why it’s key to be brief and concise when you present your creative proposal. You need to hit on each main element of your idea.

By speaking clearly and concisely, your proposal will impress. Listeners will appreciate your focused delivery and clarity of the message. To help deliver a brief and concise proposal, refer to our helpful tutorial:

5. Introduce Your Team

The best business proposal ideas examples for 2022 include a personal touch. Remember, anything that you propose will be brought to fruition by you and your team.

It's critical to introduce those team members to your audience. Team intros help put faces with names, and convey how you will work together to achieve common goals. 

Many premium graphics templates from Envato Elements have team intro pages built. These are the perfect way to introduce each person to key stakeholders.

It's a good idea to feature a professional headshot, along with a name and brief job description. In doing so, as you present, listeners will learn who will bring your proposals to life.  

6. Add an Expiration Date to Your Proposal

According to research published at Business2Community , when items are scarce, they're perceived to be more valuable. Apply the same approach to your business proposal. A great way to add genuine scarcity to your business proposal is to make your proposal available only until a certain date.

You can, for example, explain that after a certain date you won’t be able to offer the same pricing, so now is the time to act if they want to lock in the price. Don’t forget to follow up a day or two before the proposal expires to remind them about it. Another benefit of adding an expiration date to your proposal is that you won’t have to wait indefinitely to hear back from the client.

7. Include a Case Study

Another unique business proposal topic idea is to include a case study. Like testimonials, a case study is an excellent way to showcase your expertise and the results you can get for your clients.

A case study will have an even bigger impact if you can find similarities between the past and the potential client. Explain them in a way that helps potential clients understand you're the right person or company for the job. Remember, a case study doesn’t have to be official and use corporate jargon to be effective. You’ll achieve much better results if you personalize the story.

8. Create a Prominent Summary or Project Statement

Here’s a great business proposal idea that's sure to make your proposal stand out from the competition. Consider including a prominent summary or project statement at the beginning of your business proposal . Your summary can be a sentence or two that tells the client the problem you’ll solve. Or use a bullet point summary that outlines the goals of the project.

This is a great way to pique the client’s curiosity and encourage them to read further. A compelling project statement can set the tone for the entire proposal. All you've got to do is explain exactly how you would achieve the result or the goal that you’ve summarized at the beginning. It can also help the client immediately see that you've got a deep understanding of their problem and the knowledge to solve it.

9. Include Add-On Items

Consider including add-on items to each proposal you send out from now on. This helps the clients see all the services you've got to offer, and it can help you increase your profits.

For example, if you’re sending out a web design proposal, you could include an add-on design package for their social media graphics or logo design. If you’re a copywriter sending a proposal for a sales page copy, include an add-on service for writing their monthly email campaigns or sales sequence.

By including add-on services in your proposal, you give the client a chance to take their project to the next level. Plus, you make more money without having to bring on more clients.

10. Make the Decision a No-Brainer

Make sure your business proposal makes the decision to hire you an easy one. For starters, cut the number of options and packages you offer in your proposal. Presenting your client with more than three options can lead to decision paralysis.

Another way to make the decision a no-brainer is to create a comparison checklist between you and your biggest competitor.

It’s also a good idea to clearly outline the next steps the client should take to get the project started at the end of the proposal.

11. Use Legible Fonts

When it comes to the design of your business proposal, use legible fonts. Refrain from using dark text on a dark background or light text on a light background.

Stick to sans-serif or serif fonts for the text and refrain from using decorative or script fonts. While they do look nice, they're quite hard to read and will make you look amateurish.

Make sure your font size is adequate as well. If you use small font sizes, you risk your proposal being quite hard to read.

12. Include Visuals

A few visual elements here and there can make your proposal more appealing. They'll break up long paragraphs of text to make your creative proposal easier to read. There are several ways to include visuals in your proposals.

The easiest and the most obvious way to include visuals is to use images in your proposal. Include photos of yourself and your team members. You can also include photos of past clients, especially if you decide to include testimonials or case studies in your proposal.

Another way to use visuals is to add charts or graphs to visually represent important data. This can include projected revenue, costs, time estimates or other statistics.

The third way to include visuals in your business proposals is to add icons. Use icons to make various sections or headings stand out more.

13. Format Your Text

Your business proposal will consist of several different sections. So,  use text formatting to make it more visually appealing. Use headings to signify the beginning of the next section and make the text larger than your usual paragraph size. You can also use bold text for the headings to make sections easier to spot.

Consider using italics for testimonials or other text that needs emphasis. Of course, don’t forget bullet points or numbered lists to break up your text and make it easier to read.

14. Personalize the Covers

A great business proposal idea example is to personalize the cover page for each client. You should include the client’s name on the proposal's cover, but don’t let that be the only personalization you do.

Consider getting creative and using images that represent the project or your client. For example, if you’re writing a marketing proposal for a restaurant, consider adding a photo of a delicious meal as the background photo. Using a cover page that's tailored to each client makes them feel more appreciated and more inclined to check out the rest of the proposal.

15. Create Handout Notes to Share

No matter how solid your project proposal ideas are, you need to create a lasting impression. In time, details that you share might be overlooked or forgotten.

Similarly, you want your audience engaged as you share your creative proposal. If they feel obligated to take copious notes, they might miss out on your important points. 

A great way to manage this is to create shareable handout notes. These let you print and hand out copies of your slides. Plus, you can fill in supporting details and leave room for handwritten notes. It’s a subtle, useful way to ensure that your product proposal ideas are remembered. This will last long after you’ve finished speaking. 

Creating PowerPoint handout notes is easy, and you can do it with any set of slide templates. Learn how with our handy full tutorial:

16. Use and Customize a Template to Save Time

The last tip is to use a ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent"> business proposal template and customize it with your brand colors, fonts, and other assets.  Premade business proposal templates can save time when you need to send out a business proposal.

Business proposal templates have been designed with all the necessary pages and elements already in place. All you've got to do is replace the dummy information with your own. 

Learn more about customizing business proposal templates here:

17. Show How You Differ From Competitors

Chances are, you won’t be the only business offering project proposal ideas. That means you need to clearly communicate a value offering. Not only that, you need to identify how you differ from others. That’s a key driving factor as your proposal is considered.

A good way to do this is to use metrics. Metrics essentially are measurements of success: how you quantify results. Comparing your metrics to those of competing proposals goes a long way in helping close the sale. 

Remember, the competitive landscape is ever more crowded. Making a proposal alone won't work. You need to ensure your proposal is recognized as the best proposal. Find some unique templates to help you create the best proposal in this article:

18. Use a Minimalist Design

Minimalism is a popular design philosophy, and for good reason. It offers two key benefits: 

• It offers a modern style.
• It's easy to read.

Both are essential in helping you deliver marketing proposal ideas. Discerning readers will appreciate your embrace of the latest design trends. It shows you stay current and focus on the future. 

Readability is even more important. Your project proposal ideas may take up several pages. The last thing you want is to build a cluttered, confusing, and messy document. That ensures your business proposal topics and ideas will be lost. Minimalism is your ticket to stylish success .

19. Focus on Collaboration

Many marketing proposal ideas may span over months, or even years. In today’s global, connected world, collaboration is more important than ever. Establishing regular communication forms the foundation of successful business proposals. 

You need to ensure the client knows how to reach out throughout the life of a project. With a collaborative focus, you can also set ground rules. This can include proposals for touch-base meetings, status reports, and more. Communication is really about outlining the boundaries of the proposed project itself!

Consider adding a page (or two) in your project proposal ideas to cover collaboration. This might include setting meeting schedules. Or it may propose the use of online file-sharing and collaboration tools.

The idea of collaboration lies at the heart of any proposal. Plan to talk early and often. It's key to success.

20. Know Your Client's Style

Winning sales and clients requires knowing how to present your project proposal ideas. That means communicating in a way prospects will appreciate. This requires some work in advance, but ultimately pays off down the road.

Learn more about the various types of business proposals in this article:

You may be presenting your proposal to strategic leaders who look at the big picture. Or you might be sharing with experts who expect minute detail and exacting analysis. Either way, knowing your client’s preferred style goes a long way in closing deals.

21. Lay Out a Roadmap with Measurable Goals (Progress Tracking)

Business proposal topics set clients on a journey to success. Regular monitoring helps ensure that the journey is successful. It’s helpful to outline a project roadmap as part of your project proposal ideas.

A roadmap establishes key milestones. These may be profit targets to meet, sales volumes to reach, or countless other factors. Having these “ground rules” right from the start allows clients to gauge your success at a glance.

This is a great example of using data visuals. Flowcharts and timelines are useful tools to build this roadmap. It's all about adding simplicity, and infographics like those are a big help. 

22. Clearly Define Pricing 

Marketing proposal ideas come at a price. Clients know that, and it pays to be straightforward. Having a pricing table inside your proposal helps weigh your value versus cost.

One option for some businesses is tiered pricing. You may offer many levels of service based upon the price point. In a business proposal, this offers significant advantages. 

For example, you might upsell from a lower to a higher price tier by showing the virtues of extra engagement. Or you might convince hesitant clients to give your ideas a try, thanks to a lower introductory price. Either way, including pricing detail helps you be open, honest, and transparent.

Learn more about pricing in this tutorial:

23. Bring Data to Life with Infographics

Product proposal ideas need to be specific, with supporting data to back up your ideas. But if you talk through endless numbers and statistics, you may lose audience attention. Remember, you’re presenting to inspire action. You need everyone to stay on track.

Fortunately, it’s easy to keep data interesting. The trick is to use infographics. These are visuals that combine information and graphics together. They form compelling illustrations that showcase your creative proposal. 

Infographics are hallmarks of premium templates from Envato Elements. They take countless forms. Some are classic charts, while others are fully unique data visuals.

But infographics share one thing in common. They bring your data to life in a stylish, easy-to-understand way. They should be an essential part of your business proposal. Infographics help ensure your success.

24. Make a Shareable Document

Getting your project proposal ideas in front of the right audience is a must. You want to be sure people can read and review them from anywhere. That’s why you should always create a shareable document.

Try to stay away from word processor files like .docx or .pages for proposals. Depending on their devices of choice, readers might not be able to open your file! The best bet is to use a format like .pdf, commonly accessible and easy to read on mobile devices.

Using PDF files also offers a second advantage: it locks in your formatting. Different versions of word processing software might rearrange your content. A PDF copy is version-controlled and will look identical on any screen or device.

Here's a tutorial on how to convert PDF documents to Word and Word documents back into PDF files:

25. Leave Time for Questions

When you share your topics for business proposal ideas, you should always be thorough. But odds are, you won’t explain every detail fully every time. And that’s okay! Remember, we’ve already learned to be concise when presenting. The trick for success here is to leave plenty of time for questions.

When you leave time for audience questions, you give them a chance to seek clarity on your proposal. Questions allow stakeholders to dial in on elements of the proposal that matter most to them. 

As you structure time for questions, there are two good approaches to take.

• You can reserve questions for the end of your project proposal ideas presentation.
• You can answer questions as you work through each section.

These methods allow for ample time, while avoiding becoming off-track by constant interruptions. 

If you’re giving out a written proposal, ensure that you include contact information. This way, readers can seek answers even if you aren’t in the room with them as questions arise. Learn more about how to spark questions with this tutorial:

How to Quickly Customize Adobe InDesign Creative Proposal Templates (In 2022)

We’ve looked at great ways to build stunning product proposal ideas. Now, it’s time to bring these to life. The perfect companion is a premium InDesign creative proposal template from ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Envato Elements . 

Premium InDesign templates are sure to make a winning impression. They’re packed with stylish features that you won’t find in free offerings. Plus, they’re amazingly easy to customize. They leave you more time to focus on your message. Experts have already done the complex design work for you.

For this quick tutorial, we’ll use the beautiful ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Proposal template from Envato Elements. It’s a stunning project design that you can work with now. Download it to follow along.

Let's get started:

1. Open the InDesign Template

Once you click Download , you’re ready to start using your new InDesign template. But first, you’ll need to open it in the InDesign app. Begin by browsing to wherever your computer stores downloaded files. You’ll see the compressed folder from Envato Elements.

Extract the contents and open up the folder. Inside, there are usually many files and folders. Premium templates often come with many variants and styles that you can choose from. What you are looking for is a .indd file. Double-click on it and InDesign opens.

Your template now displays in the center of the InDesign window. You’re ready to begin editing.

2. Add Custom Text

Creative proposal layouts in InDesign feature an array of text on each page. This is the core of any proposal - the words you use to explain your proposal and its details.

The words you see in an InDesign template are placeholders. You’ll swap this text for your own words.

To customize text in InDesign, find the Type tool . This sits on the toolbar on the left side of the screen. It’s shaped like a capital T .

Click on the Type tool , and then hover over any text on the template itself. Click once, and the text becomes editable. From here, you can delete the existing words and type in your own. It’s that easy!

Repeat this step throughout your proposal template to customize text in a flash. 

3. Illustrate

Illustrations and photos are a great way to bring your project proposal ideas to life. And with InDesign, adding them is as easy as dragging and dropping. Begin by navigating to an open section of your template where you want to place an image.

Then, browse to an image file stored on your computer. Click on it, and drag it over the InDesign canvas. InDesign will place the photo onto the template.

From here, you can click and pull on the corners to resize the photo. You can also hold down your cursor to drag the image into position. 

Need cool images for your project proposal ideas? Turn once again to Envato Elements. Elements features a ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">library of millions of stock photos . And with unlimited downloads, you can try out and use as many as you want.

4. Change Object Colors 

Color is a perfect means of making your product proposal ideas unique. Color adds contrast and helps you call out specific parts of your proposal.

It also lets you match your proposal document to your company’s branding. With a premium InDesign template, changing colors is amazingly easy.

To get started, click on the Selection tool . It’s on the main toolbar on the left side of your screen, and it’s the topmost button. With the Selection tool active, move your cursor over any object or shape on the template. Click once, and you’ll see the Properties sidebar launch on the right side.

Midway down, in the Appearance group, notice the Fill window. Click on Fill , and you’ll see a color chooser menu appear.

You can choose from preset palettes or make your own using the CMYK sliders. As you choose new colors, they automatically apply to the selected shape. As you can see, it’s easy to customize colors with Adobe InDesign. 

5. Export Your Proposal to Share

Once you’ve built out your topics for business proposal ideas, you’ll need to create a shareable document. Keep in mind, InDesign is a creative studio for building graphic designs. It’s not the best option for sharing them with others.

You want an easy-to-read layout that can be widely shared. It’s best to save your InDesign work as a PDF file. PDF files are viewable on virtually any device.

To save your InDesign file as a PDF, go to the File menu, and choose Export . Name your creative proposal by typing in the box. Then, under the Format drop-down menu, select Adobe PDF (Print). Finally, click Save in the lower right corner.

That’s all it takes! In five quick steps, you’ve crafted a compelling creative proposal using Adobe InDesign. It’s now ready to share with the world. 

5 Creative Business Proposal Template Design Ideas for 2022

Now that we’ve shared these business proposal ideas with you, it’s time to put them to use. If you’re wondering how to do that and make sure your proposal has an attractive design, we’ve got a few ideas for you. 

Explore some of the ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">best business proposal templates from Envato Elements. Premium proposal templates already have all the pages you’ll need for your proposal in place. Plus, they offer plenty of customization options. Use these designs as an inspiration while you’re working on your proposal:

1. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Pro Business Proposal

Check out this Pro Business Proposal template if you’re looking for a template with a professional and polished design. Edit the template with Illustrator, InDesign, or Photoshop. It includes image placeholders and premade character and paragraph styles for easy customization. 

2. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">DIGIBOX Business Proposal Template

The DIGIBOX template has a minimal and clean design. Use it for any type of business proposal topic. It's easy to edit thanks to paragraph styles. The template comes with 24 premade pages and can be edited with InDesign.

3. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Jacob - Business Proposal Template

Try the Jacob business proposal template if you’re looking for a modern and sleek template. It comes with 25 premade pages in A4 and US letter size. Edit it using Illustrator or InDesign. The template also includes predefined character styles and master pages.

4. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Company Business Proposal Template

This company business proposal template has a modern sales proposal design. Edit it with InDesign. It comes with premade character styles for easier editing. You’ll find templates for both A4 and US letter paper size along with 20 premade pages.

5. ga-analytics#sendElementsClickEvent">Buzzer Clean Business Proposal Template

The Buzzer proposal template has 52 pages in total. That's more than enough to provide all the details about the project, cost estimations, and other important information. Edit the template using InDesign. It includes A4 and US letter paper size.

5 Creative Business & Project Proposal Design Trends for 2022

As you’re designing your business or project proposal, here are a few design trends to help your proposal look modern and relevant:

1. Add Geometric Overlays or Crops to Images

Make your proposal more interesting by adding geometric overlays to your images. Experiment by staying away from the traditional square or rectangle image crop. Try circles, triangles or other geometric shapes.

2. Include Visual Aids

Your proposal should include visual aids such as charts, graphs, and diagrams. Consider anything that'll make it easier for potential clients to picture the data you’re presenting.

3. Color or Pattern Overlays

Another emerging trend when it comes to proposal and graphic design is to use color or pattern overlays. They work well with black and white images so that your sales proposal design doesn’t look too busy.

4. White Space Still Matters

White space is still important. It'll add breathing room to various elements and pages in your proposal. 

5. Use Bold Typography

Typography is getting bolder and more decorative. Using flourishes and illustrative fonts in your proposal isn't recommended. Instead, consider using a bold font weight for your headings to make them stand out more.