how to write proposal letter

6 Examples: How to Write a Perfect Proposal Letter (Step-by-Step)

By Status.net Editorial Team on November 8, 2023 — 14 minutes to read

• Understanding Proposal Letters Part 1
• Structuring Your Proposal Letter Part 2
• Key Elements of a Proposal Letter Part 3
• Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Proposal Letter Part 4
• How to Write a Business Proposal Letter (Example) Part 5
• How to Write a Job Proposal Letter (Example) Part 6
• How to Write an Academic Proposal Letter (Example) Part 7
• Successful Business Proposal Email Example Part 8
• Example of a Proposal Letter for a Marketing Project Part 9
• Effective Job Proposal Email Example Part 10

Part 1 Understanding Proposal Letters

A proposal letter is a written document sent to a potential client, employer, or partner, outlining your proposed idea, project, or plan. It aims to persuade the recipient to consider your proposal and take action on it.

To begin with, think of the end goal. Identify what you want to achieve with your proposal letter. This could be anything from securing a contract to obtaining funding for a project. Having a clear objective in mind helps you create a compelling document.

Next, research your target audience. Understand the recipient’s needs, preferences, and potential pain points. Tailor your letter to demonstrate how it addresses their specific requirements boosting your chances of success.

Now, let’s discuss the structure of a proposal letter. Generally, it follows a simple layout:

• Salutation : Start with a formal greeting, addressing the recipient by their full name or title.
• Introduction : Introduce the purpose of your letter, highlighting the central theme of your proposal.
• Body : Explain your proposal in detail, including benefits, costs, timeline, and any other vital information.
• Conclusion : Summarize the key points and request for a follow-up meeting or discussion.
• Closing : End with a courteous sign-off, such as “Sincerely” or “Best regards.”

Part 2 Structuring Your Proposal Letter

Starting with a strong introduction.

Begin your proposal letter with a friendly, professional tone that captures your reader’s attention. Introduce yourself and your organization, briefly explaining your background and experience. Connect with your reader by showing that you understand their needs and goals. Make sure you mention the purpose of your proposal and the solution you want to offer with confidence.

Proposing Your Idea

After laying the groundwork, dive into the details of your proposal. Explain what your solution or idea is and how it addresses the needs and goals mentioned earlier. Make sure to highlight the key benefits, focusing on what’s in it for your reader. Be specific and use facts, figures, and examples to support your claims. Keep your paragraphs organized and use bullet points or bold text to emphasize important information.

For example:

• Benefit 1: Reduction in production costs by 30%
• Benefit 2: Improved customer satisfaction
• Benefit 3: Streamlined workflow processes

This will help your reader easily understand and remember the main points of your proposal.

Ending with a Perfect Conclusion

End your proposal letter on a positive note, summarizing the main benefits and advantages of your idea. Reiterate your enthusiasm and commitment to providing the best solution possible. Offer your assistance in answering any questions or addressing concerns your reader might have. Finish with a call-to-action, such as setting up a meeting or signing a contract, and provide your contact information so they can easily get in touch with you.

Part 3 Key Elements of a Proposal Letter

Clear objective.

A successful proposal letter begins with a clear objective. When writing your letter, make sure to state the purpose of the proposal in a concise and straightforward manner. This helps the reader understand what you want to achieve and the solution you’re providing. Avoid using jargon or complex language, as it can be confusing and might lead the reader to misunderstand the core message.

Specific Details

Providing specific details is important to make your proposal letter more persuasive. This includes outlining the scope of work, timeframe, and estimated costs for the project. You should also highlight any unique aspects of your proposal that set it apart from competitors or alternative solutions.

For example, if you’re proposing a marketing campaign, you could outline the target audience, marketing channels you’ll use, content creation, and metrics for success. By providing specifics, you demonstrate that you’ve put thought into the project and have a well-planned approach, instilling confidence in the reader that you are the right choice.

Compelling Reasoning

Your proposal letter should include compelling reasoning for why the recipient should choose your solution. This can include:

• Demonstrating your expertise and experience in the field
• Explaining the benefits of your proposed solution
• Sharing success stories and testimonials from past clients or projects
• Outlining how your proposal aligns with the recipient’s goals and needs

For example, continuing with the marketing campaign proposal, you could discuss how your experience in handling similar projects has led to significant increases in sales and brand recognition for your clients. Also, you might explain how your approach aligns with the recipient’s target demographics or business objectives to strengthen your case.

Part 4 Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Proposal Letter

• Start by addressing the recipient with their professional title and full name.
• In the first paragraph, state the purpose of your letter and summarize your proposal briefly. Make sure to highlight the key benefits of your proposal for the recipient or their organization.
• In the next few paragraphs, provide details about your proposed project or partnership, such as your objectives, timelines, and expected outcomes. Also, showcase your competence and experience by mentioning relevant achievements or past collaborations.
• When closing the letter, express gratitude for their time and consideration. Offer to provide further information or answer any questions they may have.
• Lastly, include your full name, title, contact information, and signature.

Choosing the Right Format

Make sure your letter is in the right format to make it look professional. You will typically use a business letter format, which includes:

• Your contact information
• The recipient’s contact information
• Subject line (optional)
• Body of the letter

[Contact Details]

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

Re: [Proposal subject]

[Body of the letter]

[Your Name]

Setting the Tone

Maintain a friendly yet professional tone throughout your proposal letter. Be polite and respectful, addressing the recipient by their full name, and using “please” and “thank you” when appropriate. Keep the language conversational but clear, so your reader can easily understand your proposal. Stay away from overly technical terms or jargon, unless it is necessary and you’re sure your recipient will understand it.

Drafting the Body

Begin by providing an overview of the problem or need your proposal is addressing. Clearly explain the issue and why it’s important to solve it. Next, describe your proposed solution in detail, outlining your plan and how it will benefit the recipient. Be specific and realistic in your description; for example, if you’re proposing a project with a timeline and budget, include concrete figures and dates.

Break down your proposal into smaller sections, using separate paragraphs or even bullet points if helpful. This makes it easier for your reader to follow your argument and understand the various aspects of your proposal. Here’s a quick outline of what you should cover in the body of your proposal letter:

• Problem/need introduction
• Proposed solution
• Benefits of the solution
• Timeline and budget (if applicable)
• Your qualifications (why you’re the right choice to carry out the proposal)
• A call to action (how they can take the next step)

Proofreading Carefully

Before sending your proposal letter, take the time to thoroughly proofread it for errors in grammar, spelling, and formatting. Ensuring that your letter is polished and error-free shows the recipient that you take your proposal seriously and are committed to quality in your work. If possible, ask a colleague or friend to review your letter as well since a fresh set of eyes can often catch errors that you might have missed.

Part 5 How to Write a Business Proposal Letter (Example)

When writing a business proposal letter, your goal is to present your ideas or services in a way that’s compelling and clear. Business proposal letters can be sent to potential clients, partners, or investors. Here are some tips for writing an effective business proposal letter:

• Start with a brief introduction of your company and its offerings.
• Highlight the benefits of your product or service, focusing on the value it will bring to the recipient.
• Be specific about costs, timelines, and any other relevant information.
• Use clear, concise language, and avoid using jargon or overly technical terms.
• Close the letter by mentioning next steps, such as arranging a meeting or following up with further information.

Subject: New Collaboration Opportunity with [Your Company Name] Dear [Recipient’s Name], I’m reaching out on behalf of [Your Company Name] to discuss an exciting opportunity for collaboration. Our team has developed an innovative marketing strategy that could greatly benefit your company by increasing your customer acquisition rate by 20% within the next six months. […] We look forward to the possibility of working together and will be in touch shortly to schedule a meeting to discuss further details.

Part 6 How to Write a Job Proposal Letter (Example)

Job proposal letters are typically written by job seekers looking to create their own position within a company or to highlight their unique skills and experience. These letters should be concise, persuasive, and tailored to the specific company and its needs. Here are some key points to include:

• Briefly mention your background and skills relevant to the position.
• Describe how your unique abilities can positively impact the organization.
• Offer specific examples of how you can contribute to the company’s goals and objectives.
• End with a call to action, offering to provide more information or meet to discuss the opportunity further.

Subject: Job Proposal for Social Media Manager at [Company] Dear [Recipient’s Name], As an experienced social media professional, I am excited by the opportunity to bring my skills and expertise to [Company]. Based on my research of your current online presence, I believe I can contribute to increasing your brand awareness and engagement through a tailored social media strategy. […] I would appreciate the opportunity to further discuss how my background and passion for social media can contribute to [Company]’s growth and success. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience.

Part 7 How to Write an Academic Proposal Letter (Example)

Academic proposal letters are typically written by students or researchers seeking funding or approval for a research project. These letters should be well-organized, clear, and focused on the proposed project’s objectives and potential benefits. Consider the following when working on your academic proposal letter:

• Introduce the main research question or hypothesis.
• Provide a brief overview of the project’s methodology and work plan.
• Describe the expected outcomes and significance of the research.
• Include information about the project’s potential impact on the field and broader society.

Subject: Research Proposal for Study on the Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions Dear [Recipient’s Name], I am writing to propose a research project investigating the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on individuals suffering from chronic stress. The primary aim of the study will be to determine the overall efficacy of these interventions in reducing stress levels and improving overall mental wellbeing.

[…] I am confident that the results of this research will contribute significantly to our understanding of the relationship between mindfulness and mental health.

Part 8 Successful Business Proposal Email Example

Imagine you own a marketing agency, and you’d like to help a local business grow their social media presence. Start by addressing the recipient’s pain points, such as limited engagement on their platforms. Then, briefly introduce your agency and express excitement about working together:

Subject: Boost Your Social Media Engagement with Our Expertise

We’ve noticed that your business has a strong online presence, but engagement on your social media channels seems to be underwhelming. Our team at [Your Agency’s Name] can help you turn this around and maximize your audience interaction.

With our tailored social media marketing strategies, we’ve helped numerous clients increase their online engagement by an average of 65%. Our approach focuses on:

– Identifying and targeting your ideal customers – Creating high-quality, engaging content – Enhancing brand image and authority

We would love to discuss this opportunity further and provide you with a detailed plan on how we can work together to elevate your social media presence.

Looking forward to hearing from you, [Your Full Name] [Your Agency’s Name] [Contact Details]

Part 9 Example of a Proposal Letter for a Marketing Project

I’m excited to present our idea for boosting sales at ABC Company through a targeted marketing campaign.

As we discussed in our previous meeting, the sales figures have plateaued over the past year. Our marketing team has analyzed the situation and developed a strategy to increase brand awareness and boost sales. The campaign will focus on social media, email marketing, and online advertisements.

By implementing this project, we expect the following results:

– Enhanced brand visibility – Increased customer engagement – A 20% rise in sales within six months

The total cost for the marketing campaign is $10,000. This includes creative design, copywriting, ad placements, and performance monitoring. We propose a six-month timeline for the project, starting in December.

I would be delighted to discuss the proposal in more detail or provide further information as needed. Please let me know your availability, and I’ll schedule a follow-up meeting at your convenience.

Thank you for considering our proposal. I look forward to working together on this exciting project.

Best regards, [Name]

Keep in mind that proposal letters vary in length and detail depending on the project’s size and complexity. Always customize your letter to fit the specific requirements and expectations of the recipient.

Part 10 Effective Job Proposal Email Example

Now, let’s say you’re a freelance graphic designer aiming to work with a company that recently launched a new product. Start by expressing your intentions and introduce your expertise. Showcase your experience and services offered related to their needs:

Subject: Elevate Your New Product Launch with Professional Graphic Design Services

Hello [Recipient’s Name],

I recently came across your new product launch, and I believe your marketing materials could benefit from some professional graphic design enhancements. As an experienced graphic designer, I’d like to offer my services to help elevate your visual presentation and attract more customers.

With over five years of experience in the industry, I can create compelling designs for:

– Product packaging – Promotional materials (e.g., brochures, banners, posters) – Social media graphics – Website elements

Please find my online portfolio attached, showcasing my diverse design styles and previous projects. I’m confident that my skills and expertise can significantly contribute to your product’s success in the market.

If you’re interested, kindly reach out to me to discuss further details and pricing.

Best regards, [Your Full Name] [Contact Details]

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what are the key components to include in a proposal letter.

A well-crafted proposal letter should include the following key components:

• Opening Statement: Start with a concise and informative introduction that grabs the reader’s attention.
• Background Information: Provide necessary context to help your reader understand the problem or opportunity.
• Proposed Solution: Outline your proposed solution, including your unique selling points or innovative approach.
• Timeline and Budget: Give a brief overview of the estimated project duration and budget required.
• Call to Action: End with a call to action, inviting the reader to take the next step, whether it’s to request more information, schedule a meeting, or approve the proposal.

2. Can you share some tips on making a proposal letter persuasive?

To make your proposal letter persuasive, consider these tips:

• Use clear and concise language to effectively communicate your ideas.
• Focus on the benefits that the reader will gain from your proposal, emphasizing the value you bring.
• Include specific examples, case studies, or testimonials to back up your claims.
• Address any potential objections or concerns the reader may have and provide appropriate solutions.

3. What’s the best way to structure a proposal letter for a research project?

A research proposal letter should generally include the following structure:

• Introduction: Provide a brief overview of your research topic and its significance.
• Background and Literature Review: Summarize relevant research and demonstrate your expertise in the field.
• Research Questions and Objectives: Clearly state your research questions and the expected outcomes.
• Methodology: Explain your research approach and the techniques you will use.
• Expected Results: Provide an idea of the anticipated results and their significance.
• Timeline and Budget: Outline the project timeline and the funding required.

4. How do I create an effective business proposal letter for a potential client?

To create an effective business proposal letter, follow these steps:

• Start with a strong opening that captures the client’s attention.
• Clearly state the problem or opportunity your proposal addresses.
• Present your proposed solution, focusing on its unique and beneficial aspects.
• Provide evidence of your expertise and past successes, such as case studies or testimonials.
• Detail any necessary resources, deliverables, and a realistic timeline.
• End with a compelling call to action, inviting the client to take the next step.

5. In what order should I present my ideas when writing a proposal letter step by step?

When writing your proposal letter, present your ideas in a logical order that flows well for the reader. A typical order could include:

• Opening Statement: Grab the reader’s attention and introduce your proposal.
• Background Information: Provide relevant context to help your audience understand the issue or opportunity.
• Proposed Solution: Detail your unique and compelling solution to the problem.
• Evidence and Support: Showcase your expertise, past successes, and any supporting data.
• Timeline and Budget: Give an overview of the project’s duration and required funding.
• Call to Action: Conclude with a strong call to action that encourages the reader to move forward.
• 5 Examples: How to Write a Letter of Employment
• 6 Example Emails: How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation
• 5 Effective Examples: How to Write a Letter of Intent
• 5 Effective Examples: How to Write a Two-Week Notice
• Cover Letter vs. Letter of Interest vs. Letter of Intent
• 9 Inspiring Examples - How to Write a Thoughtful Apology Letter

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. 

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. 

• 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 3 rd 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. 

• 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. 

• 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. 

• Evaluating Results Over Time 

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. 

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

• 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. 

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.  

• 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. 

• 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]

[Recipient’s Name]

[Recipient’s Company]

[Recipient’s Mailing Address]

[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]

[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.

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 19 th 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, 

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. 

[XYZ] 

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. 

Additional Examples of Proposal Letters for Inspiration

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

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:

• Blog Post Structure: Create The Ideal Blog Post (Beginners)
• Bullet Form Examples: How to Use Bullet Points Effectively
• How To Do A Voiceover On TikTok in 7 Steps
• A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Do a Facebook Giveaway
• How To Write a Discount Offer Email (Templates, Examples & Tips)
• How to Write a Formal Business Report (Template and Examples)

Stop Stressing, Start Writing

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

Advanced AI writing tool trained to write better content faster.

• Sentence Rewriter Tool
• Instagram hashtag generator
• LinkedIn headline generator
• Acronym generator
• Title generator
• Business name generator
• Slogan generator
• Blog ideas generator
• Job Description Generator
• Brand Style Guide
• Affiliate Program
• Paraphrasing tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Content Detector
• Character Counter
• Word Counter

Copyright © 2024 WriterBuddy. All rights reserved.

How to Write a Proposal Letter (With Template and Example)

• Career Advice

• Posted On: 2023-07-25
• Posted By: Kunlery

Introduction

Definition of a proposal letter, importance of proposal letters, contact info.

• Do You Have a Question? [email protected]

Quick Links

• Order a Resume

Our Company

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Copyright 2024 My Job Gator . All rights reserved

• Design for Business
• Most Recent
• Presentations
• Infographics
• Data Visualizations
• Forms and Surveys
• Video & Animation
• Case Studies
• Digital Marketing
• Design Inspiration
• Visual Thinking
• Product Updates
• Visme Webinars
• Artificial Intelligence

How to Write Professional Proposal Letter for Your Business [Including Template]

Written by: Olujinmi Oluwatoni

The power of a well-crafted proposal letter cannot be understated. It holds the potential to effectively communicate the value of your offerings to potential clients.

The best part? Writing a compelling proposal letter can help you secure more business opportunities and achieve your sales targets

So how do you actually create a professional proposal letter that’s strong enough to lift conversion rates and sales?

This article will show you how to write winning proposals that not only capture attention but also persuade your prospects to hire your services. We've also included customizable templates to get you started.

Table of Contents

• What is a Proposal Letter

Benefits of Using a Proposal Letter

How to write a proposal letter, 4 proposal letter templates to use.

• A proposal letter is a formal document summarizing your business's interest and capability in helping a client meet a need.
• The letter conveys your knowledge of the client's problem, your solutions and the benefits of working with your organization.
• Proposal letters stand out because they are versatile, easier to read and understand, set you apart from your competitors and ensure clarity.
• Follow these steps to write a proposal letter: Research your potential client and their pain point, choose a proposal letter template, insert your company details and personalize your introduction.
• Share your achievements and testimonials, customize your solution to fit their needs, add a clear call to action and end with a salutation.
• Sign up for Visme to access various features and customizable proposal letter templates to take your sales game to the next level.

What Is a Proposal Letter?

A proposal letter is a formal document that summarizes your company’s interest and ability to solve a prospective client’s pain point. It communicates your understanding of your potential client’s problem, how your company plans to solve it and why they should choose you.

A prospective client may request a business proposal after an initial consultation to better understand how your company can help them reach their goals.

You can attach your proposal letter to your business proposal to briefly highlight your company’s expertise and strategy. This gives your reader a chance to assess your company before diving into the full proposal.

Let’s explore four reasons why a proposal letter is a great fit for your company.

Easier to Read and Understand

A proposal letter is an abridged form of a business proposal. It contains key information your reader can use to make a decision right away if necessary.

Proposal letters give room for your client to quickly understand who you are, your proposed line of action and where they can get more information.

So, if you want to be heard and considered in a busy schedule, then a proposal letter will be of great benefit!

Sets You Apart from Competitors

Writing a proposal letter in itself isn't what sets you apart from competitors. Rather, it is how well you position your company that gives you a chance at being chosen.

A proposal letter gives you the opportunity to highlight your most relevant achievements that give your company credibility. It shows your prospective client what makes you fit to help.

In your proposal letter, you can mention how you have helped companies such as theirs grow by 50% in 3 months using your solution. Or you can mention how many years you have served in your industry.

This personal touch can help to build trust with your client and boost your chances of standing out from your competitors.

Proposal Letters Are Versatile

They can be used exclusively as a proposal, that is, without having to send a separate document. This can come in handy if you just want to signify interest or don’t have a separate proposal ready.

Your proposal letter can be attached to a business proposal as a cover letter that makes your readers aware of what to expect from the document.

Another way a proposal letter is used is in the body of an email that responds to a proposal request. This can be shared with other decision-makers and gives them an idea of what to expect from other supporting documents.

Promotes Clarity and Clear Communication

Writing a proposal letter will help you articulate your ideas and objectives and communicate them in a clear and simple manner. Once this is achieved, your prospect will have an easier time understanding your role in their success.

Just like any other business letter template , a proposal letter follows a structure that begins with your company details and ends with a formal salutation.

Your professional proposal letter may include:

• Your company name, address and contact details
• The date the proposal was written and sent
• An overview of the problem your potential client is facing
• Your credibility, results and past achievements
• Your value proposition or plan to solve their problems
• Results your potential client should expect from working with you
• A proposed budget or timeline of action
• A clear call to action
• Formal greetings and salutations.

Now let’s go into details on how to write a strong and persuasive proposal letter.

Research Your Potential Client and Their Pain Point

Before you draft your proposal, it is important you do your research about your potential client and understand the problems they are facing.

You may get some information during an initial consultation or sales call. Whatever the case may be, try to dig deeper by getting to know their company’s values and growth plan.

Map your buyer persona to understand their pain points, budget, timelines and more. This information will improve your chances of closing the deal.

Choose a Proposal Letter Template

Starting from scratch isn’t always the best idea, especially when there is a suitable alternative.

After you have done your research and are ready to start, you can choose a template from Visme’s library of professionally designed proposal templates and customize it. You can change the colors, font and typefaces or visuals in a proposal template to suit your company's brand and support the message you want to pass across.

We recommend using Visme’s templates because they are expertly designed and you can access lots of features that’ll make your proposals stand out. Not only will this help you hone in on your proposal designs, but it’ll also give you a boost when crafting your content.

Hear what one of our users has to say about Visme’s templates:

You stumble on some templates and are blown away that someone put the time and effort into creating them. You did not know you needed them in your life until that minute.”

- Lorens, Graphic Designer

Insert Your Company’s Details and Formal Greetings

You should begin writing your proposal letter by inserting your company address and date on the top right-hand side of the page. You can add more authenticity to your proposal by creating a professional company letterhead with Visme.

Right below your company address, insert the name and address of your recipient. It is important to know who will receive your letter so as to address it accordingly.

Don't forget to input the date of the letter and an appropriate salutation such as “Dear sir, Dear ma, Dear Mr. XYZ” etc.

Personalize Your Introduction

The introduction section of your proposal letter is so important. In this section, you are to

• Introduce yourself and your company
• Reference a previous discussion, meeting, or consultation that gives background as to why you are sending this letter
• Highlight the problem or pain point of your potential client
• Share your interest in offering a solution to that problem

For example, as the sales manager of an IT infrastructure company, you may begin your introduction like this;

“I am writing this letter to you on behalf of ABCTech, a leading provider of innovative IT solutions for businesses like yours.

During our consultation call last week, we discussed how XYZ challenges have affected your company’s productivity and growth in the first quarter of the year. You highlighted specific challenges such as slow performance, security risks and software compatibility issues.

I am excited to propose a special IT upgrade plan designed to solve these specific issues and help your company become more efficient and secure.”

Share Your Achievements and Testimonials

Don’t hold back from telling your potential client why you are the best fit for the job.

In this section, discuss your past achievements, results and victories. You can include social proof like testimonials , reviews, case studies and client success stories. Feel free to attach a link to a portfolio of the work you've done before or a list of clients you've served. This will give you credibility and distinguish you from your competitors.

Here’s an example;

“At ABCTech, we take pride in our proven track record of success. With over 40 years of experience in the IT industry, we have helped numerous companies like yours achieve remarkable results.

Our specialized IT upgrade package in particular has a 90% success rate boosting efficiency by up to 60% and enhancing security by implementing state-of-the-art measures.

We have a team of skilled professionals dedicated to providing top-notch service and ensuring your complete satisfaction.”

In a simple and concise manner, utilize this section to give your clients a reason to want to choose you.

Customize Your Solution to Fit Their Needs

The next thing to do is highlight a specific plan or strategy you have to solve your potential client’s business concerns.

You can maximize this section by listing your plans or objectives in bullet points. This clearly highlights each plan for your prospective client to see.

Remember, this is not the full proposal, so you do not have to go into much detail here. Ensure it is concise but convincing enough to your client. You can also include certain benefits your client should expect by working with you.

Using the same example, you can write something like this;

“Our approach to addressing your business concerns is comprehensive and effective. Here are the key points of our plan:

• Conduct a thorough IT infrastructure audit to identify weaknesses and areas for improvement.
• Develop a customized modernization roadmap that aligns with your specific needs and goals.
• Implement cutting-edge software and hardware upgrades to enhance system performance and security.
• Provide regular training to your staff to ensure a smooth transition and maximize productivity.
• Offer ongoing support and maintenance to promptly address any issues that may arise.

Our goal is to empower your company with the tools and expertise necessary to thrive in today's competitive business landscape.”

Provide a Clear Call to Action

In some cases, you may need to include a proposed budget or timeline for achieving results.

Where that isn’t necessary, the next step will be to let your client know how much you look forward to working with them and improving their businesses.

In your conclusion, add a clear Call to Action (CTA) – where your reader can get more in-depth information or how they can reach you to ask questions. A good CTA is important as it gives your reader directions on what action to take next.

A simple but effective CTA can look like this;

“We at ABCTech are thrilled about the opportunity to work with XYZ Corporation and improve your business. For more information, please find attached to this letter a comprehensive business proposal.

If you have any questions, please call 1-000-123-4569. I look forward to hearing from you soon! Thank you for considering ABCTech as your trusted IT partner.”

Include a Closing Salutation

At the end of your letter, include an appropriate closing salutation such as “yours sincerely, yours truly, yours faithfully,” etc. Ensure you create a space to sign the document with your name, email address, or company website.

If you feel well-equipped to write your own proposal letter, let’s explore four professional proposal letter templates that will take your business to the next level.

Partnership Proposal Letter

This sleek proposal letter template works well for establishing your prospective client’s expectations before they enter into a partnership with your company.

It doesn’t matter if you're a seasoned negotiator or a novice in partnership dealings. This template serves as a proven foundation for your outreach efforts.

With this template, you can break down the benefits of partnership and highlight the key areas you wish to collaborate on.

Simply insert your company's unique details and watch your proposals come to life with impact and professionalism.

And when you’re done, Visme allows you to share and publish your proposal letter in easy and convenient ways. You can get a shareable link or download it in PDF, JPG, PNG and HTML5 format.

Utilize Visme’s analytics features to track prospects that have viewed your proposal.

Product Business Proposal Letter

Are you prepared to pitch your game-changing product to potential partners, investors, or clients? Say hello to our Product Business Proposal Letter Template.

The bold colors and abstract shapes of this proposal letter give it a professional feel and draw your reader in to pay attention to the details of your proposal.

Utilize interactive features like hover effects and pop-ups to reveal additional information or link text to brochures, testimonials and more. This will not only engage your readers but add more value to your proposal letter.

Sales Proposal Letter

A great way to warm up to your prospective client is by communicating a vision of their success through your services.

When they can see themselves doing great with your proposal, you know you’ve done something right.

This sales proposal letter template lets you break down your company’s services and how they help your prospective client achieve their goals.

The bright colors used in this template give it an appealing and inviting feel so that the person reading your proposal can relax and dive into the information you’re presenting.

Having trouble crafting the content of your proposal letter? Use Visme's built-in AI writer to your advantage. You can generate a draft in minutes by inputting the right prompt. Simply edit the content with your own information.

Event Proposal Letter

If you’re going for a more traditional but trendy proposal letter, then this one is for you. It strategically incorporates your brand colors on each page, which is good for brand awareness, especially when requesting sponsorship.

The template also highlights various segments in prominent blocks, which is great if you don't want your reader to skip over important information.

Take advantage of Visme’s brand wizard , which helps you create branded documents easily.

By uploading your website link, Visme’s tool takes notes of your brand assets, including your logo, font, colors, etc. This way, you’ll have all your designs automatically customized.

Easily Create Professional Documents with Visme

A well-written proposal letter closes the gap between you and your prospective client. It demonstrates your understanding of the recipient's needs and presents a compelling case for they should hire your services.

With this guide, you can start closing deals with your proposal letters.

Visme empowers you and your team with cutting-edge tools, designs and resources to create professional proposal letters that stand out.  You can use also to create stunning proposal letters and business proposals, presentations, reports , training manuals , ebooks, case studies and more.

Visme offers collaborative features, enabling teams to work together in real time, streamlining workflow. You can use a variety of admin tools to manage, save, track, share, and track the progress of projects across teams and workspaces.

Create an account and take your business to the next level with Visme!

Put together professional and engaging proposals in minutes with Visme

Trusted by leading brands

Recommended content for you:

Create Stunning Content!

Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.

About the Author

Olujinmi is a Content writer for Visme who creates human-first SEO content. She loves helping businesses smash their ROI goals with strategic content development and optimization. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her composing songs.

• Start Free Trial

How to Write a Proposal Letter: Get Noticed and Close Sales

That’s a common observation heard from grandmothers worldwide. And while it’s undeniable that letters have given way to voice mails, emails, and text messages, one remains crucial for those of us who run our own businesses:

Proposal letters.

Most of us spend the vast majority of our time writing the proposals themselves. But in some situations we need to do a bit more. A brief cover letter introducing the proposal is expected by some potential clients, and appreciated by many.

Unfortunately, it’s tempting to just throw this cover letter together in a hurry. We spend painstaking hours getting the proposal just right… but end up neglecting a great opportunity to forge an immediate connection with a potential client.

Let’s get into what proposal letters are, when you should use them, and how to make them as simple and effective as possible!

What Are They?

The term “proposal letter” actually has multiple meanings. It can be a bit confusing to get your head around the concept without knowing which interpretation people are referring to.

Here are the two most common versions:

• A brief cover letter that serves as a formal introduction to a potential client . This letter shows the reader you understand their needs, highlights a few key differentiators why you’re the best choice to meet them, and hopefully intrigues the reader enough to read your full proposal.
• A letter that acts as the proposal itself. You’ll see these most often with small projects and more informal clients.

I’m focusing on the first interpretation today. These letters are meant to accompany a standard proposal – like the ones we give away in our proposal template library  and can quickly be created with  proposal software, Bidsketch .

A proposal letter isn’t just a summary of your full proposal. It’s a persuasive introductory document meant to intrigue a reader enough to find out more.

How About Some Examples?

The easiest way to understand how writing a proposal letter works is to see a few of them in action.

Here’s a proposal letter example from consultant and proposal expert Tom Sant’s book  Persuasive Business Proposals :

Dear Mr. Taylor: The enclosed proposal responds to your request for audits of the following facilities: • the Patriot Center for Rehabilitative Medicine in San Luis Obispo, California • the Phoenix City Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona • the Moreno Valley Wellness Center in Sunnymead, California • the Playa Vista Health Care Center in Los Angeles, California Our proposal addresses your need for thorough audits of all four operations, but we have also gone a step further, taking into account your broader objectives. We have developed an overall plan to help you gather the necessary data to turn the properties around financially and protect the value of your investment. We have also outlined our services in the event that one or more of these properties cannot be made profitable and must be sold or liquidated. We recommend handling the audits by means of a partnership between ourselves, through our headquarters in Los Angeles, California, where we have extensive experience in real estate audits, and James J. Harrison, CPA, & Company, a firm with offices in Phoenix, Arizona, with recognized expertise in supporting the health care industry. This partnership is uniquely qualified to handle the audit and provide additional services as may be required. We bring some distinct advantages to the process of handling your audit: As medium-size firms, we have the flexibility and responsiveness to meet all deadlines, especially those imposed by third parties and regulators. We offer you the level of service and commitment that the national firms save for their largest clients. At the same time, we have the resources, specialized knowledge, and experience to handle complex audits of long-term care facilities quickly. Senior partners of both firms will be personally involved in conducting your audits. We provide the highest-quality services at a cost-effective price. We seek to handle all four audits because it is important to develop a total picture of the financial situation for all four facilities. In addition, by handling all four audits, we can save you money. For these reasons, our firms would decline to participate in a split or partial award. We are eager to work with you on this project. May we schedule a time to present our proposal to the entire management team? Sincerely, Donald Miller, CPA

Here’s another from Alan Weiss’s excellent book  Million Dollar Consulting Proposals :

Wile E. Coyote Vice President, Predation Acme Co., Inc. 85 Canyon Dr. Notsocarefree, AZ 88901 Dear Wile, As promised, I’ve enclosed two copies of the proposal reflecting our agreements reached yesterday in your office. I’ve forwarded an electronic version as well this morning. Please choose the option you prefer, the payment terms you prefer, and return one of the copies I’ve already signed via the FedEx envelope enclosed. I’ve also enclosed an invoice in different varieties in case this helps in the process. I’m prepared to begin within a week of your acceptance, as discussed. Please note that this proposal is copyrighted and contains my intellectual property. It may not be shared with anyone outside of your organization for any reason without my express approval. I’ll call you Friday at 10 a.m. as agreed, if I don’t hear from you prior, to see which choices you’ve made. If you’d like to begin immediately with a telephone “handshake,” I’m happy to accommodate you. Thanks for the opportunity to work with you on this important project. Sincerely, Alan Weiss, PhD

Finally, here’s one more proposal letter from Kurzweil Education Systems . Although the context is different (requesting a grant) the objectives are identical:

Dear Ms. Atwater, Orchard Middle School is pleased to present this proposal for your review. We look forward to partnering with you to provide a reading intervention program for our students with poor reading skills called Read to Succeed! Orchard Middle School has over 50 at risk students with a reading performance of at least two years behind their current grade level. The objective of the Read to Succeed! program is to help all students with poor reading skills learn to read at grade level and increase their reading speed, comprehension, and reading attention span. During the last year, we have been piloting the Read to Succeed! program with a small group of students with poor reading skills and have seen dramatic improvements with most of the students increasing their reading ability by one to two grade levels. The Read to Succeed! program provides students with access to assistive reading systems, along with training for classroom teachers and reading specialists. We have seen measurable success and we are now seeking to expand our Read to Succeed! program to address the needs of all the at risk students in the Orchard Middle School. Our proposal requests $16,504 in funding to obtain the software, hardware, and training necessary to equip the Orchard Middle School resource room with five assistive reading systems, each including a computer, scanner and assistive reading software. We appreciate ABC Foundation taking an interest in helping our students develop their reading skills through our new reading program! Please give me a call at 703-555-1212 x342 if you require any further information or have any questions concerning this proposal. Thank you, Jennifer Hazelton Special Education Coordinator

When Do You Use Proposal Letters?

Image credit: jackmac34

You don’t need proposal letters for every project you try to land. A lot depends on the scope of the project and the nature of the client .

A large corporate client with an extensive project is much more likely to expect a proposal letter than a smaller project from a new startup.

Larger corporate clients are accustomed to seeing cover letters on their intra-office communications and memos, as there’s more red tape and a well-defined corporate hierarchy. The whole process is a bit more formal.

You don’t need proposal letters for smaller jobs, though you could include one if you want to. As you’ll see in just a second, they don’t take too long and, when done right, can be persuasive sales documents . They can also add a nice personal touch.

Some businesses skip a cover letter and opt for a personalized thank-you letter at the end of their proposals instead. This is pretty uncommon, but a good way to show the client you appreciate the opportunity with a nice personal touch.

Executive Summary vs. Proposals vs. Proposal Letters

Image credit: shauking

If you’re familiar with submitting proposals for larger projects and clients, you might be wondering what distinguishes a proposal letter from an executive summary. How does everything fit together?

The biggest difference between here lies in the purpose . With full proposals, the goal is simple: convey the key information needed to convince a client to choose you for the gig.

An executive summary is essentially a condensed, less detailed version of that proposal. The idea is to be able to have a busy upper manager quickly scan it and get the reassurance they need to pass it along to their subordinates, who will review the proposal in detail.

We’ll actually have an entire post about executive summaries out shortly, so stay tuned!

A proposal letter, on the other hand, is meant to introduce yourself, quickly show the client you understand their needs, and briefly mention a few things that make you the ideal choice. The aim is to make a good impression. There’s no need to hard sell or get into the gritty details. All you have to do is intrigue the reader enough to turn to the full proposal.

These documents also have different lengths . While truly massive projects (with defense contractors, Fortune 500 companies, etc.) might have proposals that run hundreds of pages, our research of over 25,000 proposals found that around five is ideal.

That’s a good baseline for small to mid-range projects. An executive summary, which you only really need on large projects, is a fraction of the full proposal. A few pages is ideal. The proposal letter should be even shorter – no longer than one page for best results.

Structurally, these documents are actually extremely similar . The difference lies in the level of detail. As you’ll see below, the proposal letter tracks along nicely with the full proposal (identify the client’s need, recommend the solution, introduce benefits, and give them a simple way to act).

This structure makes all of your documents persuasive. Follow it, and you can appeal to people no matter how much (or little) of your proposal package they read.

How to Write a Proposal Letter in 5 Simple Steps

Image credit: asi24

Just as every client is unique, so is every proposal letter.

With that said, you can save yourself a mountain of trouble by embracing a persuasive structure that works well for every situation. Once you grasp the key elements and how to order them, it’s a matter of filling in the blanks to adapt each letter to the client.

Tom Sant breaks how to write an effective proposal letter in five simple steps :

Step 1. Identify the Client’s Key Business Need(s)

A strong proposal letter starts on a topic the potential client is already thinking about: their business needs. What is the challenge that’s keeping them up at night? What are they worried about? Why are they requesting proposals in the first place?

If you lead with that information, it feels like you’re joining in on the conversation they’re already having in their head. There isn’t a better way to make a potential client feel understood.

This is more than just regurgitating project specs from the RFP. Someone might want a new website design , for instance, but that’s only the surface-level requirement.

Not having a shiny new website isn’t causing anyone to lose sleep. But a gradual reduction in their customer base or loss of market share – the deeper business implications – certainly could.

You might have to do a little digging to spot the business pain point beneath the surface-level project. But if you do that and share it with the client, you’ll instantly distinguish yourself from the competitors who just reiterate project specs without deeper thought.

A good needs statement paragraph might look something like this:

The enclosed proposal responds to your request to re-design your website. We understand you would like to consolidate multiple websites after your merger with Acme company. The challenge lies in uniting two distinct customer bases, while getting them accustomed to the new brand and reassuring them the quality of their service won’t decrease.

Step 2. Recommend a Solution to Meet Those Needs

Once you identify the client’s pain points, it’s time to outline your recommended solution.

Use this paragraph to give the reader a broad overview of the favorable outcome(s) they’re looking for. Again, these outcomes cut beneath the surface-level requirements as expressed in the RFP.

No one will pay serious cash just for a cool new website; they pay because they want what that new website can offer their business (more customers, sales, brand recognition , etc.)

Leave the gritty details for your full proposal, but use this paragraph to identify the solution and connect it to tangible business benefits.

A good solution paragraph might look like this:

We recommend a revitalized digital presence that leverages the strengths of both websites under a single banner. Our proposal includes a plan to launch the new brand within nine months. This plan includes a mobile-responsive website, an updated e-commerce store, and a community forum where customers can receive technical support.

Step 3. Explain Your Basic Approach

After you’ve described what your solution looks like, take a minute to explain how you’ll put it into place. Remember, proposal letters are most useful for large, complicated projects. There are a lot of moving pieces; it’s a good idea to give clients an idea of how things will proceed.

Your recommended solution probably consists of a suite of services that, when performed all together, achieve the solution. Use this paragraph to highlight the major services involved and describe what will happen when.

A good example might look like this:

Our process begins with a kick-off meeting between our strategists and key digital marketing stakeholders from your team. After settling on a vision for the re-design, we will design several wireframe versions for you to choose from. We will incorporate your feedback from weekly phone meetings as we finalize the winning design.

Step 4. Mention A Few of Your Most Important Differentiators

Why should the client hire you instead of anyone else?

Understanding their needs and recommending the right solution gets you pretty far, but it’s the unique value you bring to the project that really seals the deal.

Your full proposal will lay this out in detail. Use the proposal letter to highlight just a few of the most important factors that make you the perfect choice for the job.

Because this tends to be a longer paragraph, you can break up each factor with bullet points to make things easier to read.

Continuing on with the web design example, a good example might look like this:

We bring some distinct advantages to the process of handling your re-design: Our process is unique in that our marketing specialists work closely with our designers throughout. This ensures the new website is beautiful, functional, and a powerful tool to generate business. Our consultants have extensive experience in the communications industry and re-designed the Beta company website after their merger with Delta company. We our also located in Los Angeles, which allows our senior consultants to work closely with your team and provide ongoing support after launch.

Step 5. Finish with a Call to Action

Imagine this situation. A busy, overwhelmed executive who works for your dream client reads your proposal letter and loves it. He or she makes a mental note to follow up later, but an urgent call comes in and your proposal is set aside.

“Later” never comes; an interested prospect forgets about you because you get lost in the shuffle!

Including a short call to action helps avoid these situations. Give your reader a straightforward action to take if they’d like to proceed. Better yet: give them that option and a heads up about how and when you will follow up too.

Here’s an example of a good call to action:

After you have reviewed the enclosed proposal, sign the contract electronically if you’d like to proceed as is. I will call you on Friday to discuss any questions you might have.

See how that works? Even if the interested prospect forgets to follow up , taking matters into your own hands gives you another chance to land the gig.

To recap the process from start to finish:

• Introduce yourself by identifying key client needs
• Recommend a solution to address them
• Explain your basic process
• Mention a few key differentiators
• Conclude with next steps/call to action
• (Edit and proofread)

A Few Tips to Make Your Proposal Letters Even More Effective

Image credit: StockSnap

If you follow the framework above, you can get noticed and intrigue a reader enough to find out more. All within a span of just a single page.

A big caveat: if the client wants something different, their guidelines trump all. If they specify which information to include or omit within a proposal letter, follow their guidelines diligently. How can you expect to convince them you understand their needs if you can’t even follow basic instructions?

One thing you might have noticed that’s missing: cost . In almost every situation, putting a dollar amount in your proposal letter is a mistake. That just gives busy executives – people who haven’t had time to read your proposal and fully understand the value you can deliver – an easy excuse to reject you.

If they spot a high figure on page one, your package might end up in the trash bin before you get a fair shot. The only exception would be if the client specifically asks for it. Or if a bargain price is your competitive advantage.

Don’t overlook formatting . The words you use and how they’re structured are key. But presentation is equally important. A letter submitted with a company header and stationary conveys professionalism. And make sure to formally address the recipient. This website has a great example of a business letter format.

Finally, remember your goal . Keep your proposal letter short and focused on the client. Resist the temptation to go on and on about yourself, qualifications, or experience. Forget about selling the client on hiring you after reading the letter alone. The pressure is much lower than that. Just get them to the next page.

Make an Unforgettable First Impression

Writing a proposal letter can sound like a drag. Especially after you slog through a proposal and think you had already finished.

But it doesn’t have to be. If you follow the simple framework above, you’ll make an unforgettable impression on larger clients with extensive (and lucrative) projects. Don’t miss this opportunity to stand out from the pack.

Do you use proposal letters? Have you noticed an impact they’ve had on landing clients? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Get Our $270M Client Proposal Kit (free)

• Created from research of 25,000 proposals worth $270M
• Used by top agencies to land high paying clients
• Includes templates, worksheets, cover page designs, and more

• Privacy Policy

Home » How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

How To Write A Proposal – Step By Step Guide [With Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write A Proposal

Writing a Proposal involves several key steps to effectively communicate your ideas and intentions to a target audience. Here’s a detailed breakdown of each step:

Identify the Purpose and Audience

• Clearly define the purpose of your proposal: What problem are you addressing, what solution are you proposing, or what goal are you aiming to achieve?
• Identify your target audience: Who will be reading your proposal? Consider their background, interests, and any specific requirements they may have.

Conduct Research

• Gather relevant information: Conduct thorough research to support your proposal. This may involve studying existing literature, analyzing data, or conducting surveys/interviews to gather necessary facts and evidence.
• Understand the context: Familiarize yourself with the current situation or problem you’re addressing. Identify any relevant trends, challenges, or opportunities that may impact your proposal.

Develop an Outline

• Create a clear and logical structure: Divide your proposal into sections or headings that will guide your readers through the content.
• Introduction: Provide a concise overview of the problem, its significance, and the proposed solution.
• Background/Context: Offer relevant background information and context to help the readers understand the situation.
• Objectives/Goals: Clearly state the objectives or goals of your proposal.
• Methodology/Approach: Describe the approach or methodology you will use to address the problem.
• Timeline/Schedule: Present a detailed timeline or schedule outlining the key milestones or activities.
• Budget/Resources: Specify the financial and other resources required to implement your proposal.
• Evaluation/Success Metrics: Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Conclusion: Summarize the main points and restate the benefits of your proposal.

Write the Proposal

• Grab attention: Start with a compelling opening statement or a brief story that hooks the reader.
• Clearly state the problem: Clearly define the problem or issue you are addressing and explain its significance.
• Present your proposal: Introduce your proposed solution, project, or idea and explain why it is the best approach.
• State the objectives/goals: Clearly articulate the specific objectives or goals your proposal aims to achieve.
• Provide supporting information: Present evidence, data, or examples to support your claims and justify your proposal.
• Explain the methodology: Describe in detail the approach, methods, or strategies you will use to implement your proposal.
• Address potential concerns: Anticipate and address any potential objections or challenges the readers may have and provide counterarguments or mitigation strategies.
• Recap the main points: Summarize the key points you’ve discussed in the proposal.
• Reinforce the benefits: Emphasize the positive outcomes, benefits, or impact your proposal will have.
• Call to action: Clearly state what action you want the readers to take, such as approving the proposal, providing funding, or collaborating with you.

Review and Revise

• Proofread for clarity and coherence: Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
• Ensure a logical flow: Read through your proposal to ensure the ideas are presented in a logical order and are easy to follow.
• Revise and refine: Fine-tune your proposal to make it concise, persuasive, and compelling.

Add Supplementary Materials

• Attach relevant documents: Include any supporting materials that strengthen your proposal, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
• Appendices: Add any additional information that might be useful but not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Formatting and Presentation

• Follow the guidelines: Adhere to any specific formatting guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.
• Use a professional tone and language: Ensure that your proposal is written in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
• Use headings and subheadings: Organize your proposal with clear headings and subheadings to improve readability.
• Pay attention to design: Use appropriate fonts, font sizes, and formatting styles to make your proposal visually appealing.
• Include a cover page: Create a cover page that includes the title of your proposal, your name or organization, the date, and any other required information.

Seek Feedback

• Share your proposal with trusted colleagues or mentors and ask for their feedback. Consider their suggestions for improvement and incorporate them into your proposal if necessary.

Finalize and Submit

• Make any final revisions based on the feedback received.
• Ensure that all required sections, attachments, and documentation are included.
• Double-check for any formatting, grammar, or spelling errors.
• Submit your proposal within the designated deadline and according to the submission guidelines provided.

Proposal Format

The format of a proposal can vary depending on the specific requirements of the organization or institution you are submitting it to. However, here is a general proposal format that you can follow:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your proposal, your name or organization’s name, the date, and any other relevant information specified by the guidelines.

2. Executive Summary:

•  Provide a concise overview of your proposal, highlighting the key points and objectives.
• Summarize the problem, proposed solution, and anticipated benefits.
• Keep it brief and engaging, as this section is often read first and should capture the reader’s attention.

3. Introduction:

• State the problem or issue you are addressing and its significance.
• Provide background information to help the reader understand the context and importance of the problem.
• Clearly state the purpose and objectives of your proposal.

4. Problem Statement:

• Describe the problem in detail, highlighting its impact and consequences.
• Use data, statistics, or examples to support your claims and demonstrate the need for a solution.

5. Proposed Solution or Project Description:

• Explain your proposed solution or project in a clear and detailed manner.
• Describe how your solution addresses the problem and why it is the most effective approach.
• Include information on the methods, strategies, or activities you will undertake to implement your solution.
• Highlight any unique features, innovations, or advantages of your proposal.

6. Methodology:

• Provide a step-by-step explanation of the methodology or approach you will use to implement your proposal.
• Include a timeline or schedule that outlines the key milestones, tasks, and deliverables.
• Clearly describe the resources, personnel, or expertise required for each phase of the project.

7. Evaluation and Success Metrics:

• Explain how you will measure the success or effectiveness of your proposal.
• Identify specific metrics, indicators, or evaluation methods that will be used.
• Describe how you will track progress, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed.
• Present a detailed budget that outlines the financial resources required for your proposal.
• Include all relevant costs, such as personnel, materials, equipment, and any other expenses.
• Provide a justification for each item in the budget.

9. Conclusion:

•  Summarize the main points of your proposal.
•  Reiterate the benefits and positive outcomes of implementing your proposal.
• Emphasize the value and impact it will have on the organization or community.

10. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as research findings, charts, graphs, or testimonials.
•  Attach any relevant documents that provide further information but are not essential to the main body of the proposal.

Proposal Template

Here’s a basic proposal template that you can use as a starting point for creating your own proposal:

Dear [Recipient’s Name],

I am writing to submit a proposal for [briefly state the purpose of the proposal and its significance]. This proposal outlines a comprehensive solution to address [describe the problem or issue] and presents an actionable plan to achieve the desired objectives.

Thank you for considering this proposal. I believe that implementing this solution will significantly contribute to [organization’s or community’s goals]. I am available to discuss the proposal in more detail at your convenience. Please feel free to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

Yours sincerely,

Note: This template is a starting point and should be customized to meet the specific requirements and guidelines provided by the organization or institution to which you are submitting the proposal.

Proposal Sample

Here’s a sample proposal to give you an idea of how it could be structured and written:

Subject : Proposal for Implementation of Environmental Education Program

I am pleased to submit this proposal for your consideration, outlining a comprehensive plan for the implementation of an Environmental Education Program. This program aims to address the critical need for environmental awareness and education among the community, with the objective of fostering a sense of responsibility and sustainability.

Executive Summary: Our proposed Environmental Education Program is designed to provide engaging and interactive educational opportunities for individuals of all ages. By combining classroom learning, hands-on activities, and community engagement, we aim to create a long-lasting impact on environmental conservation practices and attitudes.

Introduction: The state of our environment is facing significant challenges, including climate change, habitat loss, and pollution. It is essential to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills to understand these issues and take action. This proposal seeks to bridge the gap in environmental education and inspire a sense of environmental stewardship among the community.

Problem Statement: The lack of environmental education programs has resulted in limited awareness and understanding of environmental issues. As a result, individuals are less likely to adopt sustainable practices or actively contribute to conservation efforts. Our program aims to address this gap and empower individuals to become environmentally conscious and responsible citizens.

Proposed Solution or Project Description: Our Environmental Education Program will comprise a range of activities, including workshops, field trips, and community initiatives. We will collaborate with local schools, community centers, and environmental organizations to ensure broad participation and maximum impact. By incorporating interactive learning experiences, such as nature walks, recycling drives, and eco-craft sessions, we aim to make environmental education engaging and enjoyable.

Methodology: Our program will be structured into modules that cover key environmental themes, such as biodiversity, climate change, waste management, and sustainable living. Each module will include a mix of classroom sessions, hands-on activities, and practical field experiences. We will also leverage technology, such as educational apps and online resources, to enhance learning outcomes.

Evaluation and Success Metrics: We will employ a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Pre- and post-assessments will gauge knowledge gain, while surveys and feedback forms will assess participant satisfaction and behavior change. We will also track the number of community engagement activities and the adoption of sustainable practices as indicators of success.

Budget: Please find attached a detailed budget breakdown for the implementation of the Environmental Education Program. The budget covers personnel costs, materials and supplies, transportation, and outreach expenses. We have ensured cost-effectiveness while maintaining the quality and impact of the program.

Conclusion: By implementing this Environmental Education Program, we have the opportunity to make a significant difference in our community’s environmental consciousness and practices. We are confident that this program will foster a generation of individuals who are passionate about protecting our environment and taking sustainable actions. We look forward to discussing the proposal further and working together to make a positive impact.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at [your email address or phone number].

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Grant Proposal – Example, Template and Guide

How To Write A Business Proposal – Step-by-Step...

How To Write A Grant Proposal – Step-by-Step...

Business Proposal – Templates, Examples and Guide

Research Proposal – Types, Template and Example

How to choose an Appropriate Method for Research?

• IT/Operations
• Professional Services & Consulting
• IT and Software Solutions
• Facilities & Maintenance
• Infrastructure & Construction

Want help from the experts?

We offer bespoke training and custom template design to get you up and running faster.

• Books & Guides
• Knowledge Base

State of Proposals 2023

Distilling the data to reveal our top tips for doing more business by upping your proposal game.

• Book a Demo

How to Write a Proposal in 10 Easy Steps [Templates Included]

You’re tasked with writing a proposal, and a lot is at stake.

Now is not the time to guess. What should you write? How can you appeal to the client’s deepest desires? How do you satisfy client expectations for your specific industry?

Now is the time to follow a proven process. We’ve analyzed millions of proposals sent with our software to see which tips and tricks actually have an impact on closing rates.

We’re covering all that and more.

Keep reading for our step-by-step guide that shows you exactly how to write a proposal simply by customizing the sections in one of our proposal templates . The right template will show you exactly what to include while helping you save hours on design and formatting.

What’s in this guide:

What is a proposal?

How to write a proposal in 10 easy steps, industry-specific proposal writing guidelines, 3 proposal templates, next steps: write your own proposal.

A proposal is a document that outlines a project or service to clarify the details and get agreement from all parties involved. Proposals typically include the overall service approach, important timelines, and key deliverables.

For best results, use proposal software instead of a PDF. This way, you’ll get important features for sales like e-signatures, brand and content control, and full visibility into the client’s viewing activity.

The 9 Important parts of a proposal

There are many different ways to structure a proposal . Through our research of successful proposals , we’ve found that the winning documents usually include these key sections:

Executive Summary

Deliverables

Terms and Conditions

Case Studies (or Social Proof)

Each proposal might name these key sections differently, or put them in a different order.

No matter the sections you choose, make sure you include a table of contents. If you use Proposify , the table of contents is automatically shown on the left-hand side, so clients can easily click around to review different sections again. As you might imagine, the pricing section is often viewed a few times before a decision is made.

Proposals vs reports

While a proposal is used to pitch a new project or service (either to a client or internally to your boss), a report is designed to share details on a project that’s already taken place. Use reports to audit business operations or share the success of a marketing campaign.

Follow along with our step-by-step process, as we use our advertising proposal template . While the content of the examples is specific to advertising, this template can easily be adjusted to fit any industry or project type.

Step 1. Discover the needs and requirements

You can’t write a great proposal without a great pitch.

Take the time to understand what your client needs, what their goals are, what they’re concerned about, and what results they care about most.

If you’re pitching a project internally, be sure to talk with different stakeholders and members of your team.

Tips for discovery:

During discovery sessions , ask the appropriate questions to find out if the client is worth your time. Do they fit your ideal client profile? Are they ready to implement your solution? Set criteria to determine if this prospect is ready to even receive a proposal for you. And make sure to update your criteria over time as you learn more about your ideal client.

Proactively discover and handle objections . Ask the client about any concerns, hesitations, or times they’ve been burned by service providers before. This way, you know exactly what points to cover in your proposal.

Get verbal agreement from the client on your pitch and approach before putting it in writing with a proposal.

Step 2. Create the cover page

Kick off your proposal writing with a compelling cover page (also known as the title page). The visuals and style take center stage here—it’s your first impression after all. As for the text, you just need a proposal title and key details such as your company’s name, the client’s name, the date, and your contact information.

Our proposal example features a bright, bold design and all of the details you need. There’s no “one way” to do this right, as long as you’re following your brand guidelines.

Tips for creating cover pages:

Give your project a results-driven title that will immediately put the entire pitch and investment into perspective.

Make sure to choose a proposal template that matches the style of your brand, as it will be easy to change the colors and text later.

Step 3. Write the cover letter

Now it’s time to write your cover letter. This is one of the most challenging proposal sections to write because it really sets the tone for the rest of your pitch.

The cover letter (also known as the executive summary) should do more than just provide an overview. This section must be persuasive enough to convince your client to read the rest of the proposal.

Appeal to their desires, hit their key pain points, and get them excited about the transformation you can provide. Make sure you’re crafting compelling, relevant messaging specifically for each individual buyer.

Tips for writing cover letters:

Make sure the copy is on brand. That might mean funny and irreverent or serious and formal.

Put the focus on the outcome of the service, whether that’s customer acquisition, improved facility safety, or a memorable event.

Step 4. Create a company bio

Before you move on to the project approach and pricing, it’s smart to tell the potential client a bit about your company.

This section could include basic information such as your founding date and the niche you focus on, as well as small business bragging rights, such as awards, average results, or audience reach.

If this is an internal pitch, you can write about your team instead of the entire company.

In our example proposal, there’s one page for a company bio and one page for company statistics that matter to the potential client.

Tips for writing company bios:

Even though this section is about you, find ways to make it about your prospective client. Include the company details that show that you can get them the results they’re looking for.

Get creative. Instead of just a wall of text, can you use icons or statistics to show who you are?

Make sure to save this section as a template to re-use it for future proposals. You don’t have to modify this for each client, but you might want to create slightly different company bios for different services (if you offer very different services).

Step 5. Add social proof

We recommend that you include social proof immediately after your company bio section. This way, you use the words of your previous clients to back up the nice things you just said about yourself.

Social proof can be testimonials, mini case studies, reviews, and star rating averages.

If you’re doing creative or construction work, you might also want to include a couple of portfolio samples.

Tips for using social proof:

Match the testimonial or review to the pitch. Have a bank of testimonials to choose from so you can always pick the most relevant ones.

Be concise. You may want to trim or edit long testimonials so each one is under 50 words. Otherwise, prospective clients might not read them.

Continue to proactively collect social proof. Ask happy clients to write a testimonial or review you online

Step 6. Outline the core approach

Now it’s time to sell your services. Create an approach section to showcase what you want you plan to offer the client.

There are so many different ways to write this section, as it really depends on what you’re pitching. You might break the work down into categories with bullet points or descriptions for each category. Or, you might write a few paragraphs describing your proposed solution and why you believe it’s the best fit for the client.

Tips for writing approach sections:

Consider giving this section a unique name, such as The Project Path , Our Plan , or Let’s Get to Work .

Beef it up with additional details. You might include a list of deliverables, a more detailed breakdown of the scope of services, or a timeline illustration with important milestones.

If you don’t have package options and there’s only one price listed, then this section should be very detailed. If there are pricing and service options, then this section will be simpler, and the following section will have the service breakdowns (per package options).

Step 7. Create a pricing table

When writing proposals, make sure to give plenty of time and attention to the pricing section. All of the details and options you provide will help clients better understand what they’re getting.

We recommend naming this section "Your Investment" as it helps remind potential buyers of the investment they’re making in their business.

In our example below, you’ll see 3 package options on the first page of the pricing section. And then, the client can select their package choice on the second page. This will automatically update the total pricing of the proposal.

Tips for proposal pricing:

Use optional pricing when possible, such as packages, project lengths, or add-ons, because these methods are known to positively affect closing rates .

Make sure to clarify the different types of costs, such as hourly costs versus fixed costs for an event management pitch.

Step 8. Write bios for your team members

In Step 4, you created a bio for your company to sell your company’s expertise and prove that you have what it takes to succeed at the service you’re pitching.

Now it’s time to show your client the real humans they’ll be working with if they decide to work with you. Think of this as the “you’re in good hands” section.

Include the faces the client will interact with, making sure to specify your team’s unique talents and what they bring to the table.

Tips for writing team bios:

Only include bios for up to 6 people. You could write bios for the entire company (for a very small business), the executive team, or the people who will handle the account if the proposal is won.

Use this section to show off not only your credentials but your personality. Have fun with it, but as always, stay on brand. A formal proposal might skip the jokes and stick just to the accolades.

Step 9. Add your business contract

This section of the proposal should include the contractual details that will formalize the agreement. This way, you can send the business proposal, and you don’t have to also send a separate contract.

You might have multiple pages of legal clauses or a simple statement of work.

Tips for writing proposal contracts:

If the statement of work isn’t already clarified in the meat of the proposal, make sure to include it here.

Include a clause on refunds, cancellations, and project modifications.

Make sure to have your legal team help you craft the contract section so you know it satisfies your company’s requirements.

Step 10. Sign and send it for signature

And lastly, you need to write your e-signatures page and add an e-signature for yourself and one for your client.

As soon as a client has chosen their pricing options, they can sign the proposal to begin the project.

Tips for adding proposal e-signatures:

Write a message above the signature that helps to seal the deal. Talk about how excited you are to get started and clarify what the immediate next steps will be after the proposal is signed.

Always sign your proposals before you send them! Our research shows that a proposal is more likely to close if you’ve already signed it by the time the client opens it.

Review your proposal analytics to know how to follow up with clients. For example, if a client hasn’t opened the proposal yet, remind them to do so. But if they’ve opened it several times, ask if they have any questions or if they would like to modify the project.

Every industry has its own proposal writing best practices. Here are some tips to consider.

When writing a software proposal, ensure you include ample information on how you will help the client implement and utilize your software. That might look like staff training sessions, custom integrations, a pilot rollout, etc.

Construction

In the construction industry, you will likely receive a request for proposals (RFPs) from large corporations and government agencies. So make sure you check the details of the RFP so that your solicited proposal covers all required information.

You typically need to include a very detailed pricing and timeline breakdown, and you might need to showcase your adherence to state and county requirements , whether for certifications, environmental protections, etc.

Marketing is all about results. You should include a couple of different formats of social proof, such as statistics with client results and testimonials. Marketing also requires a lot of creativity regardless of the channel, so make sure you showcase your company’s creative side with unique proposal headings and imagery.

When you’re writing a proposal for event management, catering, or some other service, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, make sure that you source testimonials from event attendees, not just your direct clients. Also, your pricing section should include the fixed costs (such as a venue) and the variable costs (like your team’s hours decorating the event or the venue’s bar tab at the end of the night). For any variable costs, provide an estimate that’s 10% higher that what you actually expect.

Proposify offers dozens of proposal templates to guide your writing and help you win deals. Here are some of our favorites.

1. Construction job proposal template

Ready-made for the construction industry, this template includes previous projects to serve as portfolio pieces, a detailed project summary with items the client is expected to provide, and a project schedule.

2. Accounting proposal template

While this template was created for accounting services , it can be easily modified to fit various consulting services. The top sections include the introduction letter, about us page, project summary with goals and service breakdown, and a detailed pricing estimate.

3. Catering proposal template

With this event catering proposal template , you’ll get a short and sweet introduction page, a longer company bio, a food showcase, event details (great for proactively handling any confusion or mix-ups), a theme moodboard, and a menu sample.

This proposal could be adapted for other types of creative work, such as photography, retail store decorating, or makeup services.

To write an effective proposal, you must start with a solid understanding of the client’s needs. This way, you can put their desired results and transformation front and center. Write a cover letter, project summary, company bio, and pricing table to clarify what the client will receive while also selling your company as the best solutions provider.

You can easily write a proposal using our detailed, beautifully designed proposal templates .

Ready to close deals faster? Start your free trial of Proposify.

Dayana Mayfield is a B2B SaaS copywriter who believes in the power of content marketing and a good smoothie. She lives in Northern California. Connect with her on LinkedIn here: linkedin.com/in/dayanamayfield/

Subscribe via Email

Related posts.

Subscribe via email

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Letter Writing
• Request Letters

How to Write a Proposal Letter

Last Updated: January 1, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Dave Labowitz and by wikiHow staff writer, Christopher M. Osborne, PhD . Dave Labowitz is a Business Coach who helps pre-entrepreneurs, solopreneurs/entrepreneurs, and team leaders start, scale, and lead their businesses and teams. Before beginning his coaching career, Dave was a startup executive who spent over a decade building high-growth companies. Dave’s “path less traveled” life includes adventures such as dropping out of high school, co-authoring a book in the Smithsonian Institute, and getting his MBA at Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 126,964 times.

A proposal letter is a professional letter that states, in an abbreviated form, why an organization, institution, or company should support a professional venture of yours. You may write a proposal letter for a number of reasons—in particular, you may be requesting a grant, requesting a business loan, or requesting that a publisher accepts your book idea. There are general formats and specific arguments you should make in each instance. Here's what you should include.

Formatting the Letter

• You do not need to include your name or title in the return address.
• Do not type out the return address at the top of the letter if you are using paper with a formal letterhead that already includes the address.

• The date should appear in the upper left corner of the letter.
• If you are not using a return address, the date should be the first piece of information on the letter.

• The personal title and name appears on one line, the street address on the next, and the rest of the address follows on the last line. The entire block should be left-aligned and single-spaced.
• It is always best to write to a specific individual at a company by name instead of writing a general letter to anyone who may read it.

• If you do not know the recipient's gender, skip the personal title and use the recipient's full name.
• Follow the salutation with a colon.

• Single-space and left-justify each paragraph.
• Leave a blank line in between paragraphs.
• Do not indent the first line of your paragraph.

• Sign your name above the typed version on your letter and below the closing.
• Best regards

• You also have the option of listing each document you are enclosing below the "Enclosures" label.

• Do not include typist initials if the person signing the letter is the same person who wrote it.

Writing a Grant Proposal Letter

• Instead of dedicating an entire paragraph to explaining how you meet each requirement, weave this information into the body of your letter.
• For instance, if the organization has certain requirements concerning the types of projects the money can be used for and separate requirements about how that money will be allotted, describe these issues in separate paragraphs instead of trying to cram all the information into one.

• State the name of your organization, what it does, why it does it, and who benefits from your organization's work.
• If you have had previous contact with the grant agency or organization, mention any changes or developments your organization has made since you were last in contact.

• You should also explain why your research, charitable effort, or venture is important and what sort of outcome you are expecting to have.

• State when the project will begin and how long you expect it to run.
• Some grants are location-specific. If this is true of the grant you apply for, you will need to indicate where your organization is based, the geographic area that will be studied during your project, or the geographic area that will benefit from the project.

• If you are applying for a grant without a pre-determined funding amount, you should write how much money you are requesting.
• Include a cost-benefit analysis within your application.

• Additional documents may include financial budgets, past financial records, and past records indicating the success of similar projects performed by your organization in the past.

Writing a Business Financing Proposal Letter

• If you interacted with a specific contact at the company, men`ton that individual by name.

• Include your mission statement and a short description of the products or services your company provides.
• To make your case more convincing, you should also include the number of customers served, the number of employees, and information about any administrative boards.

• Mention what, specifically, the funding will be used for.
• You may need to include brief budget data that spells out how funds have been used in the past and projections on how the funds will be used this time around. This additional data may need to be included as a separate attachment or in the body of the letter.
• Regardless of how much information you include in the body of the letter itself, you should always state the total cost of the project and how much of that cost will be covered by the funder's support.

• This should only be a summary. With a full-scale proposal, this information can take pages. This information should take no more than a half page when writing a shorter proposal letter, however.

• You can also offer to meet with the funder personally or via the telephone.

• Possible documentation includes a list of board members, copies of your tax documents, financial documents, and resumes of key staff members.

Writing a Book Proposal Letter

• Submission guidelines outline the types of books a publisher or agent will accept, as well as the format the proposal letter should be in when submitted.

• Write a brief but intriguing summary of your book in the first paragraph. In the case of fiction or creative non-fiction, outline the your narrative and describe your main characters.
• Write a second paragraph describing the essentials of the book. This includes the genre, word count, and the market the book should be pitched to. Also note any images that accompany the book.

• Thoroughly describe the demographic your book is aimed at and make sure that your statistics address that demographic in specific, rather than general, terms.
• Perform a competitive analysis. Every book has competitors. List a few main competitors to your book and explain how well these competitors do in the market as well as why your book will offer something its competitors do not offer.

• Mention any writing experience and publishing experience you have.
• Also mention any experience you have with the subject matter your book deals with. For instance, if you write a book about fashion and had experience as a fashion designer, include that in your letter.

• Be specific, not general. Do not state what you are willing to do but what you will do.
• Possible forms of marketing include professional blogs, book signings, and professional conferences.

• Provide a full summary of the entire plot and purpose of your book. Include all details about the plot and significant sub-plots.
• Write the synopsis in third-person.

• If you do not have a table of contents, you may need to provide a brief summary of each chapter.

• Regardless, the extract should be an example of your strongest writing.

Expert Q&A

• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/business-proposal-letter-examples
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/professional_technical_writing/basic_business_letters/index.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/grant-proposals-or-give-me-the-money/
• ↑ https://jlc.london/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Guidelines-for-writing-a-good-proposal-letter.pdf
• ↑ https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/tips_for_book_proposals_susan_.pdf
• ↑ https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/pubs/Books-Guidelines-for-Submitting-a-Proposal.pdf

About This Article

If you need to write a grant proposal letter, open the letter by introducing your organization, including what it does and who benefits from your work. Explain what your organization will do with the grant and why this work is important, as well as a basic timeline for your project, how much the project will cost, and how much grant money you are requesting. You should also review all of the eligibility guidelines involved with the grant, and explain in the letter how you meet those requirements. To write a business financing proposal letter, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Dec 8, 2018

Did this article help you?

Victor Onyeagoro

Jul 5, 2019

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

• 818-758-4076
• [email protected]
• 3146 Koontz Lane, California

How to Write a Proposal Letter (With Template and Example)

According to a recent search trend analysis, proposal letters are a highly sought-after topic. Landing that dream job, securing a new client, or even getting your grant application approved often hinges on a well-written proposal letter. This guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools to craft a winning proposal letter/ How to Write a Proposal Letter, including two full templates and a helpful FAQ section.

Table of Contents

What is a proposal letter.

A proposal letter is a formal document that introduces your idea, product, service, or qualifications to a potential client, employer, or grantor. It serves as a concise overview of your proposal, highlighting its key benefits and value proposition.

When do you use proposal letters?

Proposal letters are used in a variety of situations, including:

• Job applications:  When applying for a position, a proposal letter can showcase your skills and experience beyond your resume.
• Business proposals:  Use a proposal letter to introduce your company’s services or products to a potential client.
• Grant applications:  Briefly explain your project or initiative and why it deserves funding in a grant proposal letter.
• Partnerships:  A proposal letter can initiate collaboration discussions with another organization.

How To Write a Problem Statement (With an Example)

What is a problem statement?

Why are proposal letters important?

Proposal letters are crucial for several reasons:

• Grab attention:  A compelling proposal letter can pique the reader’s interest and encourage them to delve deeper into your full proposal.
• Highlight key points:  It allows you to succinctly present the most important aspects of your offer.
• Demonstrate professionalism:  A well-written proposal letter showcases your communication skills and seriousness about the opportunity.

How to write a proposal letter?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a proposal letter, along with an example:

Step 1: Introduction and Background

• Briefly introduce yourself or your company.
• State the purpose of your letter (e.g., job application, submitting a proposal).
• Mention any relevant background information or connection to the recipient.

Dear [Hiring Manager name],

I am writing to express my keen interest in the [Job title] position advertised on [Platform where you saw the ad]. As a highly motivated and results-oriented [Your profession] with [Number] years of experience in [Relevant field], I believe my skills and qualifications align perfectly with the requirements outlined.

Step 2: State the Problem or Need

• Briefly identify the issue or need the recipient faces.
• This demonstrates your understanding of their situation.

In today’s competitive market, attracting and retaining top talent is crucial for any company’s success. However, the traditional recruitment process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Step 3: Propose Your Solution

• Explain how your product, service, or skills address the recipient’s need.
• Highlight the unique value you offer.

[Your company name] provides a comprehensive recruitment solution that streamlines the process, reduces costs, and connects you with a wider pool of qualified candidates. Our team of experienced recruiters utilizes innovative strategies to identify top talent and ensure a smooth onboarding experience.

Step 4: Benefits and Qualifications

• Briefly outline the benefits the recipient will gain by accepting your proposal.
• Showcase your relevant qualifications or experience.

By partnering with [Your company name], you can expect a significant reduction in recruitment time, improved candidate quality, and a cost-effective solution. In my previous role at [Previous company name], I successfully implemented a similar recruitment strategy that resulted in a [Specific achievement, e.g., 20% increase in qualified hires].

Step 5: Call to Action

• Clearly state your desired outcome (e.g., interview, project discussion).
• Provide your contact information for further communication.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am confident that [Your company name] can be a valuable asset to your team. I am eager to discuss this opportunity further and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact me at [Your phone number] or [Your email address].

Template 1: Job Application Proposal Letter

[Your Name] [Your Contact Information] [Date]

[Hiring Manager Name] [Company Name] [Company Address]

(Follow steps 1-5 above, tailoring the content to a job application)

[Your Name]

Template 2: Business Proposal Letter

[Your Company Name] [Your Contact Information] [Date]

[Client Name] [Client Title] [Client Company Name]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long should a proposal letter be.

Proposal letters should be concise and to the point, ideally one page long.

Do I need to include a budget in my proposal letter?

Not necessarily in the letter itself. You can mention you’ve included a detailed budget in the full proposal for their reference.

How can I make my proposal letter stand out?

A: Here are some tips: Personalize it:  Address the letter to a specific person and tailor the content to their needs. Quantify your benefits:  Use numbers and data to showcase the positive impact of your proposal. Proofread carefully:  Ensure your letter is free of typos and grammatical errors.

Q: What if I don’t have a lot of experience?

A: Focus on your skills, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Highlight any relevant projects or coursework that demonstrate your capabilities.

Q: Should I attach my full proposal to the letter?

A: It’s not necessary to attach the full proposal initially. However, mention it’s available upon request and include a brief overview of what it contains.

By following these steps and utilizing the provided templates, you can craft a compelling proposal letter that effectively captures the reader’s attention and positions you for success. Remember, a well-written proposal letter can be the key to unlocking exciting opportunities, so take the time to make it count.

Related Posts

Futureproof Your Work: Top 10 In-Demand Skills for 2024 and Beyond

Proposal Letter Template

In the business world, being able to communicate your ideas effectively is a crucial skill, especially when selling an idea. It is the difference between getting funding for your project and getting your proposal rejected. A well-written proposal letter can attract potential clients and investors, convincing them to work with you. Here is everything you need to know to create an effective proposal letter template.

What Is a Proposal Letter?

A proposal letter is a formal document that presents a business idea to potential clients, investors, lenders, or suppliers. The goal is to convince them to invest in your project and provide you with funding or raw materials to achieve your goal.

What Is a Proposal Letter Template?

A proposal letter template is a guiding document you can use to model a business proposal . It contains the prerequisite format and language of an effective proposal, allowing you to input the details of your project rather than write your proposal from scratch.

When to Use the Proposal Letters

Proposal letters have a wide reach, often being used by businesses, startups, students, government agencies, and more. You can use this document to apply for a loan, request funding for a project, bid for a client job, suggest a new project to your manager, apply for a government grant, and more.

How to Write a Proposal Letter

The content of your proposal letter will depend on why you are writing it. For instance, a proposal letter for a bank loan will contain a different language than a marketing proposal. That said, the steps for writing this letter are pretty much the same across the board. To create a proposal, you should:

1. Step 1: Provide Preliminary Details

Start by indicating your name, company name, and contact information. Use the subject line to establish what the proposal is about so the reader knows what they are reading from the get-go. In the first paragraph, mention any previous meetings you have had about the project. This will help provide context and establish a connection with the recipient.

2. Step 2: Indicate the Purpose of the Proposal

In the second paragraph, give the reader insight into your proposal. What is it about? What are your goals? The best approach here is to establish an existing problem and explain how you plan to fix it. Include specific figures and research to show the long-term results of your project.

3. Step 3: Sell Yourself

What makes you the best person to undertake this project? In the next paragraph, establish your unique knowledge of the problem and your ability to solve it. You can showcase any skills you have that are relevant to the project or mention previous similar projects you have completed successfully.

4. Step 4: Discuss Funding

Funding is the central theme of a proposal letter. If you are writing to a bank, you need to convince them to give you a loan. Similarly, you need to convince investors to fund your business, managers to back your project, clients to pay for your product, and so on. Therefore, the next section of your letter should set an estimated budget for the proposal. Break down how you plan to use the money and how your approach will produce profits for both parties.

5. Step 5: Request a Follow-Up

In the last paragraph, express your anticipation and urge the recipient to contact you if they wish to move forward with the proposal. You can also set a time and date for when you will contact them for a follow-up.

6. Step 6: Close the Letter

Finally, thank the recipient for their time and close with your name and signature.

[Your Name]

[Company Name, Where Applicable]

[Your Address]

[Contact Information]

[Recipient’s Name]

[Company Name]

[Recipient’s Address]

Re: Proposal for [Purpose of Proposal]

Dear [Mr./Mrs./Ms. Recipient’s Last Name] ,

I am writing on behalf of [company name] regarding [mention purpose of the proposal] . Following a meeting on [date] , we have come up with a proposal for your review.

According to your inquiry, [establish the recipient’s pain point] . Our proposal will [provide a solution] . Our approach will include the following steps:

• [Plan of Action #1]
• [Plan of Action #2]
• [Plan of Action #3]

With our strategy, we project a [profit/sales increase/growth rate/etc.] of [provide numbers] within [period] . The estimated budget for this project is between [amount] and [amount] . We can adjust this figure as we proceed, should the need arise.

Please get in touch with us at [email address] if you wish to move forward with this proposal. You can also contact us at [contact information] if you have any questions regarding this matter.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

[Your Signature]

Proposal Letter Example

Grace Butler

ABC Marketing

100 Gold Street

Phoenix, AZ 39029

January 8, 2030

Jane Rudolph

ITX Company

232 Yale Road

Phoenix, AZ 09300

Re: Proposal for Marketing Program for New Product

Dear Ms. Rudolph,

I am writing on behalf of ABC Marketing regarding our previous discussion on developing a marketing approach for your new product. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you on yet another project. Following a meeting on January 7, 2030, we have come up with a proposal for your review.

You mentioned that your new product, the Solar Lantern, is a solar-powered lamp. Your current marketing approach has been unable to deliver the product to a younger demographic, which makes up a key market. By packaging it as a fun accessory for the savvy camper, we plan to make the Solar Lantern more attractive to young buyers. Our approach includes the following steps:

• Relaunch the Solar Lantern as the Green Lantern to draw in the sci-fi crowd.
• Brand and advertise the product as a camping necessity.
• Create an ad campaign with a modern, nature-enthusiast theme.
• Hire a prominent adventure YouTuber as the brand ambassador.
• Model the Green Lantern mascot and create a social media following for them.
• Send targeted emails to users who search for “camping gear” online.
• Create an online store for the product

With this marketing strategy, we project an increase in sales of about 60% within the first year. The estimated budget for this project is between $30,000 and $45,000. This figure can be adjusted following further discussions about your budget and needs.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you wish to move forward with this proposal. You can also email or call us if you have any concerns or questions regarding this matter.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to helping you grow your brand awareness and reach new and greater markets.

Best wishes.

Sarah Johnson

Proposal letters come in handy in business, government, and personal ventures when you need a third party’s financial help to achieve your goals. A well-written proposal letter can increase your chances of getting the right backing to accomplish your objectives or complete a project.

A good proposal letter identifies your goals, the type of assistance you need from the reader, and a plan of action for your project. It should tell the reader what you want and how you plan to use it.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how to write a good proposal letter will open many professional doors for your career. As you prepare your proposal letter template, try to avoid extreme tones like desperate or aloof. Don’t make it sound like the reader is obligated to accept your proposal but don’t downplay the importance of your project either. Aim to be direct, professional, and convincing.

How did our templates helped you today?

Opps what went wrong, related posts.

17+ Construction Proposal Templates & Bid Forms

Sponsorship Proposal Templates

Proposal Rejection Letter: Format & Sample Letters

Action Research Proposal Templates

Catering Proposal Template – 6+ Docs (For Word, PDF)

Thank you for your feedback.

All Formats

Table of Contents

Proposal template bundle, 5 steps to write a proposal letter, 9+ proposal letter templates, 1. short letter enclosing proposal, 2. letter enclosing proposal template, 3. free event proposal letter, 4. free job proposal letter template, 5. proposal letter example, 6. sample proposal letter template, 7. internship proposal letter, 8. mock proposal letter, 9. sample proposal letter, 10. sample proposal letter, how to write a proposal letter [10+ templates to download].

The ability to communicate effectively especially in the business context can make a big difference in nailing first impressions. Whether your goal is to submit an official proposal in the form of a letter or simply a business letter, structuring your letter and presenting your ideas clearly will be the key to ensure that your reader understands what you’re trying to offer thereby increasing the chances of your proposal to be taken and considered seriously among a dozen or so others.

• Google Docs

Step 1: Observe Correct Formatting

Step 2: address the recipient properly, step 3: include background information, step 4: state your purpose, step 5: close your letter.

More in Letters

Scholarship Proposal Letter Template

Invitation proposal letter, membership proposal letter, catering services quotation letter, catering request letter, catering follow up letter, catering acceptance letter, food catering proposal letter, catering services proposal letter, catering contract proposal letter.

• FREE 26+ Covid-19 Letter Templates in PDF | MS Word | Google Docs
• Thank You Letter for Appreciation – 19+ Free Word, Excel, PDF Format Download!
• 69+ Resignation Letter Templates – Word, PDF, IPages
• 12+ Letter of Introduction Templates – PDF, DOC
• 14+ Nurse Resignation Letter Templates – Word, PDF
• 16+ Sample Adoption Reference Letter Templates
• 10+ Sample Work Reference Letters
• 28+ Invitation Letter Templates
• 19+ Rental Termination Letter Templates – Free Sample, Example Format Download!
• 23+ Retirement Letter Templates – Word, PDF
• 12+ Thank You Letters for Your Service – PDF, DOC
• 12+ Job Appointment Letter Templates – Google DOC, PDF, Apple Pages
• 21+ Professional Resignation Letter Templates – PDF, DOC
• 14+ Training Acknowledgement Letter Templates
• 49+ Job Application Form Templates

File Formats

Word templates, google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates.

Letters.org

The Number 1 Letter Writing Website in the world

Writing a Proposal Letter

Last Updated On February 13, 2020 By Letter Writing Leave a Comment

Proposal letters may be of a different kind. It is written by different kinds of people and businesses. Someone writes a proposal letter to sale the services. Some write to share their ideas with others, some write to give business tactic ideas to other business holders. So, there can be different kinds of approaches to proposal writing.

A person who writes a simple but catchy proposal letter earns more attention of the observer. So, it is important that you give proper attention to write a good proposal letter.

If you are not sure about how to write an impressive proposal letter, we will give some tips. Please follow the below-given tips to write a proposal cover letter or use our proposal letter writing samples in doc or pdf format.

Tips for writing a Proposal Letter

• Understand who you are writing.
• Focus on your goal like what you want to say.
• Write as much as short but elaborate the things properly.
• Clearly mention about your skills and thoughts.
• Try to be as modest as you can.
• Do not forget to proofread and revise (if needed) your proposal letter

Proposal Letter Writing Template

Although the proposal writing is a deep subject and practice will make you perfect. But below proposal writing letters samples will help you to a great extent.

To, _____________ _____________ Date: (date on which letter is written) From, ________________ ________________ Sub:_________________________________________ Dear _________________, We are ___________ We want to sell our services to your company_____________ We provide our services in this _____________niches . For more info visit our website ________________

We believe you will not miss a chance to avail of our services. Our services are high class and please let us have a chance to render our top services to your organization. We hope we will get your further message.

Thanking you

Warm Regards, (__________________)

Proposal Letter Writing Sample

Below is the perfect sample for writing a proposal letter. This proposal letter writing sample is all about how you can draft a significant proposal letter.

Vijay Salunkhe, Managing Director, Vijaya Solution, Ghat Road, Nagpur (Maharashtra), 440018

To, Anand Diwan, CFO, Great Capita Finance Ltd, Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra 411038

Date: 17/12/2019

Sub; For requesting to have a look at our service proposal

I am Vijay Salunkhe, I am writing this proposal letter as the capacity of the Managing Director in Vijaya Solution. Sir, as you had circulated the ad for asking the business ideas in forming your new iron plant, we would like to share our ideas with you. We are one of the best business planning developer companies. And as of now, we have developed perfect plans for many companies like yours in their initial start-up phase.

Many of the organizations are running successfully after implementing our plans. We have a team of experts who research and analyze the facts and draft a business plan. Our expert will get in touch and share the blueprint for your business once you extend your offer to us. Once you initiate the communication, we will disclose our rates, which are quite affordable.

Our experts have a very detail eye on every angle of the business. They will draft the map for you from the beginning and present the tactics to success.

Our business idea developer will take you to your expectations. We are sure you will hire our services. Eagerly waiting for your reply.

With Warm Regards Vijay Salunkhe (Managing Director, Vijaya Solution)

Proposal Letter Writing in Email format

Some proposals are sent directly through email and email is the best option compared to other methods. You can follow the below-given format to draft a proposal writing email as it is an identical example.

I hope you are doing good. We are contacting you as a response to your need for a business planner. As a prominent and famous business idea planner services, we would like to share our services with you. Many businesses of different categories have grown by adapting to our business plans. So, we want to take a chance to share our priceless business ideas with you.

Our business ideas will carve a new business level for your company. Our mentors will sketch the real business method for you that will reach to the top by following those methods. The beneficial thing about our services is, our charges are very minimum. Our value persists in this motto and we are devoted to our mission.

Our business planning counselors are well qualified and talented. They are experts in the field. They have the market analytic static report. So, they do suggest rational guides for businesses. We believe you will enhance your business with our planner’s idea. You will like the idea, punctual services and rational guidance of our experts. If you want to have prior experience, we can arrange a demo for you. Please let us know your views.

Thanks in advance. With Warm Regards Vijay Salunkhe (Managing Director, Vijaya Solution)

This way, you can follow these formats, samples, and emails to write the proposal letter. When you write the proposal letter beautifully, you ensure the client’s look at your proposal. Many people successfully sell their services because their proposals simply impress buyers. So, your intention should be to write a winning proposal letter. You can follow the above tips and samples to write a good proposal letter but steady practice will ease the work for you.

Related Letters:

• Business Proposal Acceptance Letter
• Proposal Approval Letter
• Proposal Cover Letter Template
• Marketing Proposal Letter
• Proposal Letter to a Friend
• Proposal Letter to Offer Services
• Proposal Letter from Students
• Proposal Letter Format
• Proposal Letter to a Company
• Business Partnership Proposal Letter
• Example of Proposal Letter
• Proposal Letter to Bank
• Sales Proposal Letter
• Counter Proposal Letter
• Request for Proposal Letter
• Proposal Cover Letter
• Grant Proposal Acceptance Letter
• Project Proposal Acceptance Letter
• Proposal Rejection Letter
• Contract Proposal Acceptance Letter
• Interior Design Proposal Letter
• Vendor Proposal Acceptance Letter
• Professional Services Proposal Letter
• Job Proposal Acceptance Letter
• Sample Proposal Cover Letter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

How to Write an Investment Proposal [Template + Examples]

Published: June 28, 2024

As a writer, I’m extremely familiar with the concept of proposals. We write these sorts of proposals to convert clients, persuade buyers, and grow our business in the short term. However, investment proposals are a bit different — these proposals are written with a unique purpose for a specific audience and with some high stakes attached.

An investment proposal is the key to long-term business growth for many businesses, so it’s important to get it right.

In this article, I’ll define investment proposals, compare them to the business proposal, and then break down the components. I’ll provide a template, look at investment proposal examples, and even hear some tips for writing from a professional.

Table of Contents

What is an Investment Proposal?

Investment proposal vs. business proposal, 10 components of an investment proposal, how to write an investment proposal [+template], investment proposal examples [+tips].

An investment proposal is a document outlining the plan for a business. You use it to attract or convert investors to fund your organization. It covers the strategy of your business, the market, and financial projections, making it an essential document for conversion — empowering them to invest.

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

How to Write a Partnership Proposal [Examples + Template]

16 Examples of Positioning Statements & How to Craft Your Own

Startup Due Diligence: What it Is & Why it Matters

What is a Go-to-Market Strategy? GTM Plan Template + Examples

300+ Business Name Ideas to Inspire You [+7 Brand Name Generators]

The Importance of Having a Startup Exit Strategy

10 Top Tech Startups To Watch

The Biggest Pros and Cons of Working for a Startup

15 Startup Newsletters for Entrepreneurs

12 Top Startup Consulting Firms To Improve Your Business

2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business

Powerful and easy-to-use sales software that drives productivity, enables customer connection, and supports growing sales orgs

• Skip to main content
• Skip to secondary menu
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

A Plus Topper

Improve your Grades

Proposal Letter | Formats, Template, How To Write a Proposal Letter?

February 19, 2021 by Prasanna

Proposal Letter: What is a Proposal Letter? In a business setting, a Proposal Letter is an important document that serves to introduce a plan or an idea to an individual who has the authority to make important decisions. In other words, a Proposal Letter can help the recipient understand the idea you are pitching and its potential benefits for that individual or organisation.

Get Other Types of  Letter Writing  like Formal, Informal and Different Types of Letter Writing Samples.

Why Should You Write a Proposal Letter?

As stated above, a Proposal Letter pitches your idea in the form of a formal document. In a professional setting, this could help you move up the corporate ladder or even help you land some lucrative incentives. Alternatively, Proposal Letters are used in other fields as well, such as in research, where it is required if you need to access government grants for your research project. Moreover, a Proposal Letter will create the first impression for the recipient and the likelihood of favoring your proposal increases significantly, provided if the Proposal Letter is drafted effectively.

In this article, we shall explore the basic guidelines to draft a Proposal Letter, important tips, formats and samples.

Proposal Letter Contents

Following are the contents that should be included when writing a letter of proposal

• Your Proposal Letter needs to include information about yourself – such as your name and background information
• You should also state the purpose of sending the Proposal Letter
• The proposal must clearly outline objectives, goals, or other benchmarks
• You need to explain why your proposal is unique and different from others
• The proposal also needs to explain how funds will be utilized
• Include a call-to-action line.
• Conclude the letter with your contact details.

Letter of Proposal – Template / Format

Following is a commonly used template for a Proposal Letter

Proposal Letter Sample

Following is a sample of a Proposal Letter. You can adopt the same format and modify content according to your preferences.

Sample of a Proposal Letter

FAQ’s on Proposal Letter

Question 1. What is a Proposal Letter?

Answer: A Proposal Letter is a formal document that serves to introduce a plan or an idea to an individual who has the authority to make important decisions. It can also be used for other scenarios, such as requesting a grant for a research project.

Question 2. Why Should You Write a Proposal Letter?

Answer: A Proposal Letter pitches an idea in the form of a detailed formal document. These documents are very crucial in business as well as other professional environments. Alternatively, Proposal Letters are used in other fields such as in research, where it is required to access government funds or grants for a research project.

Question 3. What does a Proposal Letter Contain?

Answer: A Proposal Letter contains the following elements: Information about yourself; background information; purpose of sending the Proposal Letter; objectives, goals or other benchmarks of the proposal; Estimation of grant/ funds requited; call-to-action line; contact details.

Visit AplusTopper to explore more examples of Proposal Letters. Alternatively, you can also find helpful learning resources and study materials for your upcoming exams.

• Picture Dictionary
• English Speech
• English Slogans
• English Letter Writing
• English Essay Writing
• English Textbook Answers
• Types of Certificates
• ICSE Solutions
• Selina ICSE Solutions
• ML Aggarwal Solutions
• HSSLive Plus One
• HSSLive Plus Two
• Kerala SSLC
• Distance Education

Article Proposal

Ai generator.

Writing a proposal could be one of the most essential tool in business because it helps cultivate relationships between the organization and the project to be implemented. It talks about the plan itself that gives thorough information about the exact intention of the proposal. You should be able to know about ways on how to manage and the results that will be delivered from it. A proposal is indeed a very important document that has a framework which establishes ideas to provide a better understanding with regards to the project. This article will help you know and learn about article proposals and its components.

What is an Article Proposal?

An article proposal is a document submitted to a publication to pitch a potential article. It includes a relevant topic, a strong title, a compelling introduction, the article’s purpose and scope, its relevance to the audience, an outline, research sources, a writing sample, and the author’s credentials. The proposal aims to convince editors of the article’s value.

Article Proposal Format

An article proposal helps you effectively pitch your article idea to editors and publishers. Here is a structured format to guide you:

• Create a clear and engaging title that encapsulates the essence of your article.
• Introduction
• Hook the reader with an intriguing opening.
• Provide a brief overview of the article’s topic.

Purpose and Scope

• State the main purpose of the article.
• Outline the key points you will discuss.
• Explain the importance and relevance of your topic to the publication’s audience.
• Use facts, statistics, or quotes to support your claims.

Article Structure

• Main Points/Sections

Research and Sources

• Mention any research or sources you will use.
• Highlight any original research, interviews, or unique perspectives .

Writing Sample

• Include a sample paragraph or section from the article to showcase your writing style.

Author Credentials

• Introduce yourself briefly.
• Highlight your relevant experience or expertise .
• Mention any previous publications or related work .

Conclusion and Call to Action

• Conclude with a call to action , inviting the editor to contact you.
• Thank the editor for considering your proposal.

Article Proposal Sample

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Teen Mental Health Introduction: Social media has become an integral part of teenagers’ lives. This article explores the positive and negative impacts of social media on teen mental health. Purpose and Scope: The article will discuss how social media influences teen behavior, self-esteem, and mental health. It will provide strategies for parents and educators to mitigate negative effects. Relevance: With the rising use of social media among teens, understanding its impact is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers. Structure: Introduction to Social Media Usage Among Teens Positive Effects of Social Media Negative Effects of Social Media Case Studies and Research Findings Strategies for Mitigation Conclusion Research and Sources: The article will reference studies from the American Psychological Association, interviews with psychologists, and surveys conducted among teens. Writing Sample: [Include a sample paragraph here] Author Credentials: I am a freelance writer with a Master’s degree in Psychology. I have written for publications like Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. Conclusion and Call to Action: I look forward to your feedback and am excited about the possibility of contributing to your publication. Thank you for considering my proposal.

Examples of Article Proposal

Example of article proposal for students.

Title: The Impact of Online Learning on Student Performance Introduction: Online learning has become increasingly prevalent, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article explores the impact of online learning on student performance, focusing on academic outcomes, engagement, and mental health. Purpose and Scope: The article will examine how online learning affects students’ academic performance, engagement levels, and mental health. It will also discuss the benefits and challenges of online learning and provide strategies for improving online education. Relevance: With the shift towards online education, understanding its impact on students is crucial for educators, parents, and policymakers. This article will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of online learning and ways to enhance it. Structure: Introduction to Online Learning Academic Outcomes Student Engagement Mental Health Effects Benefits of Online Learning Challenges of Online Learning Strategies for Improvement Conclusion Research and Sources: The article will reference studies from educational journals, surveys conducted among students and teachers, and interviews with education experts. It will also include data from institutions that have successfully implemented online learning programs. Writing Sample: Online learning offers flexibility and accessibility, but it also presents challenges in maintaining student engagement and ensuring effective communication. Research indicates that students in well-structured online programs can perform as well as their peers in traditional classrooms, provided they have the necessary support and resources. Author Credentials: I am an education major with a focus on technology in education. I have conducted research on online learning platforms and have experience in both online and in-person teaching environments. Conclusion and Call to Action: I look forward to your feedback and am excited about the possibility of contributing to your publication. Thank you for considering my proposal.

Example of Article Proposal for Research

Title: The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Modern Healthcare Introduction: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing various industries, with healthcare being one of the most impacted. This article explores the role of AI in modern healthcare, focusing on diagnostic accuracy, treatment personalization, and administrative efficiency. Purpose and Scope: The article will examine how AI technologies are enhancing diagnostic processes, personalizing treatment plans, and improving administrative operations in healthcare settings. It will also address ethical considerations and potential challenges. Relevance: With the increasing integration of AI in healthcare, understanding its benefits and limitations is crucial for medical professionals, policymakers, and technology developers. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of AI applications in healthcare. Structure: Introduction to AI in Healthcare Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy Personalizing Treatment Plans Improving Administrative Efficiency Ethical Considerations and Challenges Case Studies of Successful AI Implementations Future Prospects and Innovations Conclusion Research and Sources: The article will reference studies from medical journals, interviews with healthcare professionals and AI experts, and reports from institutions that have successfully integrated AI technologies. Additionally, it will include data from recent advancements and clinical trials involving AI. Writing Sample: AI technologies, such as machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, are significantly improving diagnostic accuracy by analyzing vast amounts of medical data quickly and accurately. For instance, AI-driven tools can detect early signs of diseases like cancer, enabling timely intervention and improving patient outcomes. Author Credentials: I am a researcher with a background in computer science and a focus on healthcare technologies. I have published articles on AI applications in peer-reviewed journals and have collaborated with healthcare professionals on AI integration projects. Conclusion and Call to Action: I look forward to your feedback and am excited about the possibility of contributing to your publication. Thank you for considering my proposal.

Example of Article Proposal for Business

Title: The Future of Remote Work: Trends and Predictions for 2025 Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote work, leading to significant changes in business operations worldwide. This article explores the future of remote work, focusing on emerging trends, technological advancements, and predictions for 2025. Purpose and Scope: The article will examine the key trends shaping the future of remote work, the technological tools facilitating this shift, and the potential challenges businesses may face. It will also provide actionable insights for business leaders to adapt to these changes. Relevance: With remote work becoming a permanent fixture in many industries, understanding its future implications is crucial for business leaders, HR professionals, and employees. This article aims to equip readers with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving remote work landscape. Structure: Introduction to the Rise of Remote Work Key Trends Shaping Remote Work Technological Advancements Enabling Remote Work Benefits and Challenges of Remote Work Case Studies of Successful Remote Work Implementations Predictions for Remote Work in 2025 Actionable Insights for Business Leaders Conclusion Research and Sources: The article will reference studies from business journals, surveys conducted among remote workers and employers, and interviews with industry experts. It will also include data from companies that have successfully transitioned to remote work models. Writing Sample: Remote work is no longer just a temporary solution but a long-term strategy for many companies. Advancements in collaboration tools, such as video conferencing platforms and project management software, are enabling teams to work efficiently from any location. However, businesses must also address challenges such as maintaining company culture and ensuring cybersecurity. Author Credentials: I am a business analyst with expertise in workplace trends and organizational behavior. I have published articles in business magazines and have consulted with companies on implementing remote work strategies. Conclusion and Call to Action: I look forward to your feedback and am excited about the possibility of contributing to your publication. Thank you for considering my proposal.

Example of Journal Article Proposal

Title: Exploring the Effects of Climate Change on Coastal Ecosystems Introduction: Climate change is profoundly impacting coastal ecosystems, leading to significant ecological and socio-economic consequences. This article examines the effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems, focusing on biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and community resilience. Purpose and Scope: The article will analyze how rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, and ocean acidification are affecting coastal ecosystems. It will also discuss mitigation and adaptation strategies to enhance the resilience of these ecosystems. Relevance: Understanding the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems is critical for developing effective conservation and management strategies. This article aims to provide comprehensive insights for environmental scientists, policymakers, and conservationists. Structure: Introduction to Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems Impact on Biodiversity Habitat Degradation Community Resilience Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies Case Studies of Affected Regions Future Research Directions Conclusion Research and Sources: The article will reference peer-reviewed studies from environmental science journals, reports from international organizations such as the IPCC, and interviews with marine biologists and ecologists. Additionally, it will include data from field studies and climate models. Writing Sample: Rising sea levels are causing significant habitat loss for many coastal species, leading to declines in biodiversity. For example, mangrove forests, which provide critical nursery habitats for fish, are being submerged, resulting in a decrease in fish populations and affecting local fisheries. Author Credentials: I am an environmental scientist with a Ph.D. in Marine Biology. I have published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals and have conducted extensive research on the effects of climate change on marine and coastal ecosystems. Conclusion and Call to Action: I look forward to your feedback and am excited about the possibility of contributing to your journal. Thank you for considering my proposal.

More Article Proposal Samples & Examples

1. article proposal cover letter.

2. Formal Article Proposal

3. Article Proposal Template

4. Article Proposal Form

5. Professional Article Proposal

6. General Article Proposal

7. Draft Article Proposal

8. Journal Article Proposal

9. Family Article Proposal

10. Basic Article Proposal

Components of a Article Proposal

Every writer should be knowledgeable about the components of a proposal. It helps in getting the interest of the readers more.

Abstract – this is considered to be the most important part of a proposal. Develop the best title and use bold subheadings. You should also include the highlights in your topic sentence and discuss what should be done, what is the problem and what will be the benefit?

Statement of the need – you have to start preparing for answers to these questions: “what is the issue?”, “why does the issue matter?”, “who can benefit?”, “who else is working in this field?”, and “what have they done?”

Methodology – state why you choose to address this matter and what approach you used that you think is applicable and appropriate for the situation. Also state the activities that are involved in the process and the outcomes that needs to be achieved.

Evaluation – you should provide an evaluation of your report and if feasible, do it in qualitative or quantitative manner.

Dissemination – this should be linked into your project goals. Don’t forget to describe your communication strategy and be creative. When you are to send an article, you may consider engaging yourself in community outreach activities, conference presentations, interviews, launch a blog post, create papers and press releases and the like.

Budget or Funds – present your budget in a graphic organizer . A table is best to use. Explain each one of them. Take note that you should only include the source of your budget if it is being mandated. Also indicate how a particular project is being funded after the funds have run out.

These components are necessary to the writing process of your article proposal. Your proposal wouldn’t be called a proposal and will be considered lacking if one of these components are missing.

How to write an Article Proposal

Writing an article proposal is a crucial step in getting your work published. It helps you organize your ideas, demonstrate the relevance of your topic, and convince editors or publishers of your article’s value. Follow these steps to craft a compelling article proposal.

1. Understand the Guidelines

Before you start, review the submission guidelines of the publication to which you are pitching. Different publications have varying requirements regarding word count, style, and format.

2. Choose a Relevant Topic

Select a topic that is timely, relevant, and interesting to the publication’s audience. Ensure it aligns with the publication’s focus and style.

3. Craft a Strong Title

Create a clear and engaging title that captures the essence of your article. The title should grab attention and provide a snapshot of your topic.

4. Write a Compelling Introduction

Begin with a hook that draws the reader in. Introduce the main topic and provide a brief overview of what the article will cover. Highlight the importance and relevance of the topic.

5. State the Purpose and Scope

Clearly state the purpose of your article . What is the main argument or point you want to convey? Outline the scope by mentioning the key points you will discuss.

6. Explain the Relevance

Explain why your article is important and relevant to the publication’s audience. Use facts, statistics, or quotes to support your claims.

7. Outline the Structure

Provide a brief outline of the article . Mention the main sections or points you will cover. This helps the editor understand the flow and organization of your article.

8. Showcase Your Research

Mention any research or sources you will use to back up your points. Highlight any original research, interviews, or unique perspectives you will bring to the article.

9. Provide a Writing Sample

If possible, include a sample paragraph or section from the article. This gives the editor a taste of your writing style and the quality of your work.

10. Highlight Your Credentials

Briefly introduce yourself and highlight your relevant experience or expertise. Mention any previous publications or related work.

11. Conclude with a Call to Action

End with a call to action , inviting the editor to contact you if they are interested in your proposal. Thank them for considering your pitch.

How do I choose a topic for my article proposal?

Select a topic that is relevant, timely, and aligns with the publication’s focus and audience interests.

What should be included in the introduction of an article proposal?

The introduction should hook the reader, provide a brief overview, and highlight the topic’s importance and relevance.

How detailed should the article structure be?

Provide a clear outline with main sections and key points to help the editor understand the article’s flow and organization.

What type of research should I include in my proposal?

Include references to studies, interviews, and data relevant to your topic to showcase thorough research and credibility.

What tone should I use in my article proposal?

Maintain a professional and respectful tone throughout, ensuring clarity and conciseness in your writing.

How long should an article proposal be?

Keep the proposal concise, ideally one to two pages, focusing on clarity and relevance.

Why is the author’s credentials section important?

It establishes your expertise and credibility, showing why you are qualified to write on the proposed topic.

What is the purpose of the writing sample in the proposal?

It showcases your writing style and quality, giving editors a glimpse of what to expect in the final article.

How do I address potential challenges in my article proposal?

Acknowledge possible challenges related to the topic and briefly suggest how you will address or overcome them.

How important is the title in an article proposal?

A strong, engaging title is crucial as it captures attention and provides a snapshot of the article’s content.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

10 Examples of Public speaking

20 Examples of Gas lighting

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms

By Vivek H. Murthy

Dr. Murthy is the surgeon general.

One of the most important lessons I learned in medical school was that in an emergency, you don’t have the luxury to wait for perfect information. You assess the available facts, you use your best judgment, and you act quickly.

The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer of 2023, was 4.8 hours . Additionally, nearly half of adolescents say social media makes them feel worse about their bodies.

It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe. Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior. When asked if a warning from the surgeon general would prompt them to limit or monitor their children’s social media use, 76 percent of people in one recent survey of Latino parents said yes.

To be clear, a warning label would not, on its own, make social media safe for young people. The advisory I issued a year ago about social media and young people’s mental health included specific recommendations for policymakers, platforms and the public to make social media safer for kids. Such measures, which already have strong bipartisan support, remain the priority.

Legislation from Congress should shield young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content that too often appears in algorithm-driven feeds. The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use.

Additionally, companies must be required to share all of their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public — currently they do not — and allow independent safety audits. While the platforms claim they are making their products safer, Americans need more than words. We need proof.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .