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Feb 1, 2022

How to write a proposal email

Want to learn how to write proposal emails? Our business proposal email samples and a proposal email template will help you to land that client, project, price change, or get your idea taken forward.

Lawrie Jones

Table of contents

Are you hesitant about how to write a business proposal email? Don't worry; you're not alone.

By the time you've read this article on how to write professional proposal emails, you know everything there's to know about sending sales, business partnerships, project, and price proposal emails to clients old and new.

We'll run you through a business proposal email format from subject lines to greetings and provide you with 10 business proposal email samples that will put the lesson into practice.

To top it off, we will introduce you to our proposal email template and show you how to write proposal emails with Flowrite , your new AI writing assistant, like this:

What is a proposal email?

In most cases, a proposal email is an official correspondence sent in the early-mid stages of the sales process. A formal proposal email is a significant step in the sales funnel, providing all the information a lead needs to choose whether to become a client or customer.

The basic sales funnel has four stages, including:

Proposal emails are typically actioned at stage 2 and provide the information a client needs to transition to stage 3.

An effective proposal email includes all the important information a client or customer needs. In addition, it summarises the main talking points of your offer, including supporting evidence, timeline, key terms, any conditions, and the all-important costs.

The bottom line is that a great proposal is essential for transforming a prospect into a customer.

Different types of proposal emails

Proposal emails sent to a potential client are known as solicited messages, which means they won't come as a surprise when they're delivered.

Proposal emails are critical to the sale process, but the same approach can also be used to communicate with people you don't have a relationship with. These are known as unsolicited proposals or cold emails and can include:

• Presenting new services or solutions to a potential new client
• Sharing ideas to your boss
• Responding to opportunities such as grants

Both solicited and unsolicited emails should contain the same information and follow the same structure described below.

“A proposal email is a summary of the discussions and dialogues that you've had with a potential customer and a written, explicit statement of the business arrangements you've discussed,” says author and business expert Geoffrey James .

He describes a business proposal email as an essential email that every salesperson must master, but how’s the best way to do it?

In his expert opinion, every successful proposal email shares the following 7-step structure:

• Statement of gratitude (one sentence)
• Problem definition and financial impact (one or two sentences)
• Desired outcome (one or two sentences)
• Proposed solution (two to five sentences)
• Proposed price (one sentence)
• Risk reduction (one or two sentences)
• Next step (one sentence)

Now, this may seem like a long-winded way to say what you want to, but it actually cuts out the irrelevant information and focuses effort and attention on what matters. Strip out the jargon, ditch the management speak and keep things simple is his advice, and we agree.

Sometimes you might want to create a more visual proposal or send a presentation. For doing so, you can find inspiration from this extensive gallery of business proposal templates.

In our examples below, we show how you can use this structure flexibly, combining sentences where appropriate to cut out pointless prose that could confuse the message. You can cut out elements such as price, or risk reduction if they’re not relevant. Effective emails are personalized and professional, so shape your communication to make it as clear as possible. 

Someone who agrees is email expert Matthew Brown , who helps to clarify exactly what you’re doing: “While your sales proposal email is technically a "sales document," it's not where you do the selling.”

It’s also not a contract either, so avoid legal jargon or attempting to write in an overly formal way. 

All sound clear? Let’s show you how this works in practice by outlining the correct proposal email format.

Business proposal email format

The email format for sending a business proposal is simple and includes just five essential parts:

• Subject line
• Opening line and body

It doesn't matter if you're emailing someone for the first time or the hundredth time; when sending a proposal email, stick to this format, and you won't go wrong. You can use the format outlined here to create all types of professional emails, so learn it once, and it's a skill that will stick with you for life. Once mastered, you'll be creating great emails in minutes.

professional emails, so learn it once, and it's a skill that will stick with you for life. Once mastered, you'll be creating great emails in minutes.

1. Business proposal email subject lines

Your email subject line for a business proposal is perhaps the most essential part of your proposal, with  69% of email recipients judging the contents of every message  by the subject line alone. Books have been written on writing effective subject lines, so we will only cover the basics of proposal email for informal and formal business proposals.

Subject line for a formal business proposal

Formal subject lines get straight to the point. They're all about explaining upfront what you're sending. So here are a few business proposal email subject line examples from the formal end of the spectrum.

• Business proposal from <insert company>
• 5 ways we can save you more money
• I have a proposal for you
• A new business proposal

Subject line for an informal business proposal

An informal subject line aims to grab attention in your message, creating just enough interest to get a click. Here are some examples of business proposal email subject lines that are informal:

• Boost profits by partnering with our business
• Are you happy with your current supplier?
• Can we offer you a better deal on your <service>?
• We can save you 50% on your costs…
• I have a proposal for you…

2. How to start a business proposal email

When you decide how to start the proposal email, you should stop and think about the recipient and whether you are beginning to draft a formal business proposal or an informal one.

Email greetings for a formal business proposal

When you're writing to someone that you know, use a formal email greeting:

• Dear <first name and surname>,

An excellent proposal is all about research, so hopefully, you'll have the name of the person you're messaging. 

If you don't, it's OK (but not ideal) to address them using their job title. Here's an example.

• Dear Purchasing Manager,

Try to avoid using overly fussy greetings such as 'Dear Sir/Madam' and 'To whom it may concern. We also suggest not bothering with Mr, Mrs, or Ms either as these are outdated, too.

Email greetings for an informal business proposal

When writing to someone you know, a current client, customer, or colleague, then you can use a less formal approach if you want to.

• Hi <First name>,

To learn more about the conventions and best practices regarding email greetings, read our article on how to start an email .

3. Email opening lines and body

Proposal emails are about informing, engaging, and inspiring someone with a great idea, concept, or product, so it's tempting to go into details but don't. 

Using James’ structure as a guide, we recommend your proposal emails follow this outline:

• Next step (one sentence) 

Getting the right tone of voice in your emails is critical. You'll want to appear confident about your proposal but avoid boasting or being too overconfident.

In some cases, such as when you know the person, a friendly approach can work. If you don't know the person, then a formal approach is more likely to get a response.

Ultimately, it's up to you how you want to present yourself in proposal emails. Before putting pen to paper (or finger to key), check out our email proposal examples below for some guidance and inspiration.

To help you find the best possible email opening phrases, we've compiled a list of 100 best email opening sentences .

4. How to end a proposal email

The approach you take to end a business proposal email depends on whether you are writing a formal or informal business proposal.

Email sign-offs for a formal business proposal

If you're writing a formal proposal email, it's advisable to use a formal email ending, such as:

• "Yours sincerely" if you know the person's name; and 
• "Yours faithfully" if you don't (or are writing to a group)

Email sign-offs informal business proposal

If you're happy to be less formal, then feel free to select a professional email ending from the list below. 

• Kind regards
• With best wishes
• I look forward to hearing from you

We've tackled the conventions and complexities of how to end an email in a previous article, so be sure to check it out if you need more information.

Professional email signature

A professional email signature for your proposal contains everything the recipient needs to know about you and how to contact you, including:

• Company (if relevant)
• Email address
• Phone number

You can add more detail, such as social media account links, a logo, and product details if it's relevant. For example, if you're in a profession with recognized qualifications (such as law or accountancy), then include your qualifications if you want to.

10 proposal email samples

We've provided the basics of how to write professional proposal emails; now, it's time to put it into practice. Here you can find 10 proposal email samples that tackle slightly different types of proposals. These examples demonstrate all the essential elements you need to include, but always remember to personalize your pr

1. Business proposal email sample

This standards business proposal email provides a short and snappy template to follow, using James' outline.

2. Sample email for proposal submission

Sometimes you'll want to email your boss with a proposal. While you can afford to be a little less formal, the principle is still the same, so stick to the script.

3. Proposal email to your boss

Sometimes you'll want to email your boss with a proposal or idea. While you can afford to be a little less formal, the principle is still the same, so stick to the script.  This is a sample of how how to propose an idea to your boss via email.

4. Proposal email sample to an existing client

When messaging an existing client, you already have a relationship to dispense with some formalities. In this example of a proposal email to a client, we still stick to the format but introduce some elements of personality and focus on shared outcomes.

5. Sales partnership proposal email

A sales partnership is a collaboration that should bring you both profit, so our example of how to draft a sales partnership focuses on that. Here's how to draft a business proposal email that brings mutual benefit.

6. Business partnership proposal email sample 

In this example of how to send a proposal email to a client, we describe how to write an email proposing an idea that can benefit you both. This business partnership proposal focuses on the productivity benefits and profit you'll both enjoy.

7. Proposal email to offer services 

Businesspeople are busy, so we've stripped back this proposal email to offer services to the essential information they need.

8. Price proposal email sample

In business, it's the price that matters, so we've focused on cost savings in this price proposal email sample.

9. Project proposal email

Collaborating on a project involves establishing a partnership. In this example of how to write a project proposal email, we aim to establish a connection and create interest, and then request a meeting to discuss details further.

10. Email to propose an idea

Sometimes you won't have developed a project plan, but you may have an idea you want to run past a potential partner, boss, client, or customer. In this sample of how to propose an idea through an email, we keep it brief and aim to kickstart a conversation.

Proposal email template by Flowrite

Flowrite is an AI writing tool that turns your instructions into ready-to-send emails and messages. Our browser extension and web app take care of the email format, capitalization, grammar, spelling, punctuation – you name it.

You can focus on the message, and Flowrite will handle the delivery. We dare to claim that it's the fastest way to improve your business communications.

Our AI template collection features dozens of email templates to help you with proposal emails. To grasp how easy and fast it's to write a business proposal email with Flowrite , check out the example below.

Still hesitant about how to send a proposal via email? Didn't think so. If you found this blog post about how to write proposal emails helpful, we suggest that you bookmark it to access our business proposal email samples the next time you write one.

In case you feel that our business proposal email format lessons could benefit your team, why won't you share this article with them?

Lastly, if you ever need help on how to write professional proposal emails, Flowrite and our business proposal email template are ready to help.

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Reply to: "

Hi Kyle, I'm Jane, an early-stage investor at Primity.vc. I just noticed Grava, and I wanted to say congratulations on the amazing progress you've made! It's really impressive how quickly your company has grown in such a short time. I would love to learn more about what you're doing and see if we can find a way for Primity.vc to be involved with your company's success going forward. Please let me know when would be a good time for us to talk. Best, Jane

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available for a zoom call on friday apr 9 at 1 pm pst?

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about to update our office supplies could you send 2022 catalog to me? currently speaking to a range of suppliers looking to make an order in the next two weeks

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How to Write a Business Proposal Email

Sending out a proposal over email is tricky business – whether you’re reaching out cold or following up on a recent meeting. Chances are, the person you’re trying to reach will have a busy inbox, so it’s up to you to make your message stand out.

It’s important to follow the correct email format when writing a business proposal email. The templates below should give you a rough idea on how to format it correctly.

Table of Contents:

Business Proposal Email Format

You can start creating business proposal emails quickly and easily if you follow a simple 5-step format:

1. Subject Line

Your business proposal email subject line needs to accomplish a few different things. First of all, it should be attention-grabbing. You’ve only got a few seconds so every word you use here matters.

Secondly, you need to make your subject line relevant and get right to the point. This shows professionalism and a respect for your recipient’s time.

Lastly, use the recipient’s name whenever possible. This makes your email have a more personalized feel.

Some example subject lines to use are:

• “[Name] – My proposal regarding the new launch”
• “Hey [Name] – Please look this over”
• “[Company Name] Proposal”

2. Greeting

Once you have gotten your recipient to open your email by making it catchy, personal, and relevant, you need to work out the greeting you’re going to write.

There are several schools of thought regarding what a greeting should look like. Some feel that you should go with a personal and informal greeting. Others would claim that you should keep it ultra formal.

The reality is that a great greeting depends on the market or person you are addressing, and your relationship to them. Obviously saying “Hey Buddy” wouldn’t be very appropriate if you’re cold emailing a C-level executive that you’ve never met.

That being said, here are a few greetings ranging from least formal to most formal that you can use to start off your email:

• “Hey [first name]!”
• “Good afternoon [first name]”
• “Dear [Mr. / Mrs. Last Name]

3. Opening Line and Body

Think of the opening line as an extension of your subject line. Go into more depth about the purpose of this email. In other words, tell your recipient what to expect in the words to follow.

For the purposes of a proposal, you also want to include some kind of “hook” — this is some kind of useful information or promise of value within your proposal.

As an example, you might have a very dense body paragraph with the information outlining your proposal. However, this might look intimidating to read at first glance.

So you can give them a brief overview first, like “We’ve found a way to save your company 30% on your office supplies over the next year.”

Then, you can simply fill them in on the details of the proposal throughout the body as you normally would.

You can think of the business proposal email ending as the inverse of the opening and greeting. It will be a lot less detailed and a lot more general than the body.

Use the ending as a chance to wrap up the email by providing a brief summary of what your proposal is. In addition, you’ll want to end with a call-to-action. This way, you tell your recipient what the next step is in the process and take leadership.

Here’s an example ending utilizing the concepts above:

“In summary John, by working with ABC Office Supplies, we can save your law firm 30% on your office expenses annually. Please let me know if you’d like to move forward on this agreement or if you have any other questions. Talk soon.”

5. Signature

The final part of your proposal is your signature. This may sound like simply signing off with your name, but it’s a little more involved than that depending on your goals.

Sure, you can simply sign off with a “Regards, [Your Name]” type of signature. This is short and sweet.

However, consider adding some more pizzazz to your signature with potential social media links, product or sales page links, and additional contact information. These can be helpful if you are trying to expand your footprint and the ways in which your recipient can reach back out.

8 Business Proposal Email Templates to Use in 2023

Want to send out business proposal emails in even less time? Utilize these customizable templates below and save hours of hard work:

1. Proposal email to offer services

Subject line : Need help with [service?]

Just noticed that you are [potential customer avatar] and I thought we might be able to help you. We help companies just like yours [solve their problem]. I would be happy to discuss the possibilities more in detail.

Just reply to this email and we can set up a good time to chat.

Regards, Austin

Why it works

Instead of beating around the bush, this email simply tells the potential client exactly why you’re contacting them — to potentially work together.

2.Proposal email sample to an existing client

Subject line : Congratulations

Through the last 2 years of being our client, we’ve helped you increase your sales by 45% and increase your productivity at the same time, saving countless hours of time and payroll.

We just wanted to say congratulations and focus on improving your business in every way possible, and investing in a service that allows you to enjoy these results!

That being said, our team has come up with a few ways that we think we can improve your sales process even further. If correctly implemented, it could boost your bottom line by another several percentage points this year.

When would you have a quick 15 minutes to connect on this and dive into some more detail?

Cheers, [Your name]

Why it works From the first moment in the subject line, by saying congratulations, you are setting a positive tone. You want to remind them of all the good things you’ve done together, and the benefits of continuing to work together.

3. Project proposal email

Subject line : Hope this finds you well…

Hey [supervisor’s name],

Just taking a few moments in between finishing up today’s reporting and preparing for the meeting with [client] tomorrow on their ongoing needs.

Through the past several months I’ve been proud about crushing my projections and I want to thank you for all of your support.

Frankly, I see a bright long term future here and am excited to work every day on our mission. With that being said, I have an idea for a new project that I would love to spearhead.

This project could potentially reduce client turnover and specifically help our largest client [client’s name] get even better results in a short amount of time.

As you know, I’m interested in continuing to work hard and earn promotions to eventually be in management, so I would appreciate your feedback on the potential of this new project.

Speak soon, [your name]

Why it works You are putting the project in terms of the benefit to your boss / recipient. Obviously, you benefit too but always remember who you’re talking to.

4. Business proposal email sample

Subject line : Your campaign was stunning

Hey [potential business partner],

Your marketing team must be on fire! Your recent round of campaigns were really engaging and I felt it really reflected the high impact you’re having on your market. Well done.

You know, here at [your company] we’ve always found that aligning with other people and organizations with similar values and reputations was a good way to synergize results and resources.

Our company has a long track record of helping our partners grow in new ways. I wanted to see if there was any mutual interest in working together to see if there are any cross promotion / integration opportunities between our two verticals.

You can reach me here at this email or at [number] any time to discuss further.

Best regards,

[your name]

Why it works It always helps to have a high amount of respect for potential business partners. Flattery goes a long way in opening doors.

5. Proposal email to your boss/ manager

Subject line : Can we talk?

Hi [boss’s name],

I was wondering if you had a few minutes this week to chat. I really love being here, and I see a great future on the horizon in my role as a [role].

However, recently, I’ve incurred some additional expenses and am hoping to find a way to increase my income.

Namely, I’m curious as to what additional tasks I can do or value I can add to potentially increase the income I earn here at [company] first and foremost. That would be my preference before looking externally.

Look forward to connecting soon. Thanks, [Name]

Why it works When you know your worth, it’s important to still be careful with how you approach your boss. They have things to deal with as well, such as budgeting or restrictions on what they can compensate you — so get clarity first and always use some grace.

6. Quirky proposal email

Subject line: Fill in the blank?

I have something on my plate here and I just need you to fill in the blank. We found a way to supercharge your business revenue by 3x this year alone.

I need you to fill in the blank with your signature. Please find the proposal attached.

[Your name]

This email stands out a little bit. It’s a little bit cheeky. Someone may think that you have a lot of confidence in your product or service to speak this way.

7. Proposal email to unresponsive client

Subject line: Maybe this is no longer a priority?

Just following up because over the last few months your communication has fallen off. If this is something you’re no longer interested in, that’s totally fine.

If not, could you please take a look at the attached proposal and let me know if it’ll work for you?

You have nothing to lose if a client has become unresponsive. In today’s day and age, they could have potentially not seen your email, but also very likely is that they are just too busy. By calling this out and acknowledging it, you bring this issue back to the top of their mind.

8. The social proof proposal email

Subject line: Three other successful clients couldn’t be wrong

Hey [name],

Three of our most successful clients couldn’t be wrong, could they? After all, we’ve helped them grow their business by an average of 30% month after month. If you’re interested in how we can do this for you as well, I have a proposal for you.

It’ll only take around 15 minutes to dive into it. What do you say we set up a call soon?

Social proof is one of the most powerful ways to get a message across. Many people take third-party cues, such as how many other clients have chosen your service, instead of simply looking at the facts or statistics.

Proposal Email Top Tips to Follow

There are a few tips and tricks that will help you get your proposal in front of the right person and convince your target that you have what they’re looking for.

1.   Research and Target Your Recipient

Before you even begin to write – let alone send – your proposal email, it’s important to know who you’re addressing it to. This will ensure you nail the style and tone of the proposal, but it will also allow you to personalize your email and reach the most appropriate person.

If you’re sending your proposal email out cold, then locating your target’s email address might be tricky, if not impossible. If you cannot find the exact address, then at least know the name of the recipient so that you can refer to them in the subject line and email body.

2.   Nail Your Subject Line

The value of your subject line cannot be underestimated when sending out an email proposal. It’s the first thing your recipient will see in their inbox and is your first (and sometimes only) chance at a good impression. According to Optimonster, 47% of email recipients will open an email entirely on the basis of the contents of the subject line.

The key to the subject line is to be clear about what’s in the email. This may seem like an obvious point, but people often make the mistake of disguising the real purpose of their email with an ambiguous subject line as if to “trick” the recipient into opening it.

Another top tip: if you can, personalize your subject line. If you do, you might expect a 26% better chance of your email being opened.

3.   To Attach or Not to Attach

When you’re sending your proposal via email, you have the choice to include the proposal as an attached document or to include it in the body of the email.

While adding as an attachment could affect its deliverability, it’s also important not to send out lengthy email messages to unsuspecting recipients. In fact, HubSpot argues that emails should be no longer than 200 words.

The main thing to ask yourself is whether your proposal is a quick 2-3 sentence affair (and can therefore fit into your email body), or whether it requires a lengthy in-depth document (to be sent as an attachment). The key is to be clear – in the subject line if possible – that your proposal is included as an attachment to your email.

4.   Stick to the Point

It’s important that both the proposal itself, as well as the email copy, remain relevant and helpful and not ramble on for paragraphs on end.

Make sure to provide all the information your recipient may need, whether that be all ways of contacting you, costs, timelines, and summary of your proposal. Your email proposal needs to do all the hard work so that your recipient can see exactly what they should expect from you if they were to go ahead and hire you.

5.   Sell Your Offering

Your proposal email really is your chance to showcase why you are the right person to hire, so seize the opportunity! Whether you’re a freelancer looking for work, or a company reaching out for a new contract, it’s down to your proposal to explain exactly what you’re offering and what makes you better than anyone else to deliver it.

If you’re sending out your proposal to more than one recipient, make sure you tailor this part so that your skills, expertise, and experience are relevant to each company’s specific needs.

6.  Get the Timing Right

There’s no doubt that moving quickly is the key to clinching a new gig. But exactly how quickly is up to some interpretation.

It’s generally held as best practice to send your proposal email within 24 hours of being in touch with your target recipient. It demonstrates that you are keen and organized, but you’re also fresh in their minds.

If you want your email to get opened right away, then try and hold off from sending it at 2am. Likewise, avoid the 9am-11am rush hour. Ideally, you want to be sending your email in the middle of the day, when your recipient is most likely to be sitting at their computer.

Right Inbox’s send Later feature can help you to set your own time delay so that, if you’re eager to compose your message and get it out the door, you can rest easy knowing that it’s been scheduled to arrive when it’s most likely to get it seen.

7.   Follow Up

One of the worst mistakes you can make once you’ve sent your super-charged proposal email is to neglect to follow up . You don’t need to harass your recipient, but a courtesy message a few days after your initial email will demonstrate that you are serious about your proposal and, hopefully, worth a punt.

Emailing a proposal to a new client, boss, or partner doesn’t need to be as difficult as it seems. If you’ve done some sound target research then your knowledge of their working challenges will shine through.

Keeping your proposal and email succinct, sending it at the right time, and following up are all things that will give your proposal an extra chance of getting in front of the right eyes, and getting you hired for the job.

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Emails for Proposal Submissions: 4 Methods With Samples

You’ve written all the essential sections for your proposal. The design looks great. Now…all you need to do is craft the perfect email to submit your proposal to your prospective client.

But, writer’s block is settling in. You’re not quite sure what to write in your proposal submission email.

Don’t fret. To help you cross this task off your to-do list, we’ve rounded up 4 unique methods for writing proposal submission emails . Plus, we’ve got email samples for each method.

All you have to do is copy and paste your favorite email sample and customize it to your needs. Let’s do this!

Why your proposal submission email matters

If you have experience writing proposals, you know that your executive summary is important. It sets the tone for the rest of your proposal and clarifies why the prospect should invest time reading it in detail.

But here’s the thing: the submission email comes first. 🤫Don’t tell your cover letter we told you so, but the email is the real first impression.

When prospective clients receive the submission email, it encourages them to view your proposal in its entirety.

To be effective, the email should be:

On brand - Every part of your client experience should be on brand, including this email. For different companies, that might mean using formal language, straight-to-the point messaging, or tons of emojis. Just make sure the email is true to your brand style.

Professional - Potential clients will judge the grammar, formatting, appearance, and language of your email to help them decide whether or not they trust you enough to do business with you, so now is not the time for sloppiness. Always proofread your emails.

Purposeful - Don’t stuff this email with unnecessary information or requests. Make sure that every line serves a purpose. If it doesn’t cut it. If your email is too long or complicated, it will be a big turn-off.

Keep these tips in mind when crafting your email, no matter which of the writing methods below you ultimately choose.

4 methods for writing proposal submission emails [with samples]

So how do you write an email to deliver your proposal?

Try one of these 4 unique email-writing methods:

Short and sweet

Full executive summary

Mini executive summary

Assume the sale

Use the one that best matches your company and industry. Then, add your unique brand style and prospect details, and hit that send button!

Method 1: Short and sweet

First up, let’s dive into the simplest of all our email-writing methods.

This email acknowledges the fact that your prospective client probably just wants to read your proposal , not a long, fluffy email. So, this email is kept short and sweet. It serves as a notification and a quick request for the reader’s attention. Nothing more, nothing less.

Sample email

Here’s an example email using this writing method:

Subject line: Partnership marketing proposal Hi Name, I enjoyed our conversation and I look forward to helping you grow your business through strategic, aligned partnerships with the right companies, associations, and influencers in your industry. I prepared a proposal based on your needs and our solution here: {link} Let’s schedule some time early next week to review any questions you might have and move this forward with next steps. Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions in the meantime, {Your Signature}

Method 2: Full executive summary

Our next method is a lot more robust. Geoffrey James, a contributing editor for Inc., says every salesperson should master the proposal submission email.

He recommends this 7-point template to guide your writing:

Statement of gratitude (1 sentence)

Problem definition and financial impact (1-2 sentences)

Desired outcome (1-2 sentences)

Proposed solution (2-5 sentences)

Proposed price (1 sentence)

Risk reduction (1-2 sentences)

Next step (1 sentence)

With this method, you’re essentially re-purposing your cover letter for your submission email.

Here’s an example email using Geoffrey’s method:

Subject line: Software development proposal Hi Name, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to submit a proposal for your new startup. The school sports club management niche has not yet been digitized and you have the opportunity to be the first SaaS player in this space. If you don’t get to market quickly, you could lose out on this first-mover advantage. You need to take your product to market in under 6 months, and we expect to meet that deadline. I propose a small product team of two senior-level engineers, one product manager, one DevOps engineer, and one QA tester. My business team will provide strategic direction to ensure that this product team performs at a high level and stays on track with the product roadmap. The cost will be $30,000 per month, with a total expected investment of $180,000 (6 months) to develop your MVP and go to market. After this initial development, the ongoing monthly cost will be lower depending on how aggressively you want to add advanced features. To ensure that the MVP meets user needs, we will start by developing a prototype and conducting user testing with 10 target users. After product validation, we will begin development. Please read the proposal in its entirety. You can find it here: {link} If you’d like us to kickoff prototyping next month, I’ll need the signed proposal and a deposit of $30,000 by March 15th. Let’s speak later this week to go over any questions you might have and move this forward with next steps. I’ll send you an invite. {Your Signature}

Method 3: Mini executive summary

This method is inspired by Geoffrey’s 7-point template above—except that it’s a condensed version.

Instead of writing one or more sentences for all of his 7 points, you cover just 3 or 4 of those points.

The benefit of this email method is that it offers context and clarity, without being unnecessarily long.

After all, you probably don’t need to submit a super-long email with your proposal. You just need to encourage the prospect to give it a read.

We recommend you share your gratitude for being able to submit a proposal, describe their pain points or the desired outcome, and detail your proposed solution. However, you can mix and match any of the 7 points from Method 2 to craft an email that is contextualized, yet brief.

This type of proposal works well for financial aid appeal letters as these emails are not so short, and not so lengthy. Precise, to-the-point, and drives results.

For this example email, we’re including the following points: gratitude, desired outcome, proposed solution, and next step.

Subject line: Proposal ready for review Hi Name, Our team at Acme Architects is honored that you’ve given us the opportunity to submit a proposal for your dream cabin. We know how important it is that this cabin provides memories for your family to enjoy for decades to come. To achieve your goals, we’re proposing our standard package, which includes surveying, architectural renderings, design revisions, and streamlined collaboration with your engineer and building team. Please take a moment to review the proposal here: {link} Once the proposal is signed, our team will get to work immediately on the land survey. In the meantime, let's get some time on the calendar to review the proposal together and I can answer any questions. {Your Signature}

Method 4: Assume the sale

With this method, pretend like you’re writing to a new client who’s being onboarded—instead of trying to sell your services.

Most sellers know the “assume the sale” trick . Here’s how it works: you talk (or write) as if the prospect has already said yes. Your easy confidence in winning the deal helps convince them that you’re the one for the job.

This technique is frequently used on sales calls. A sales representative might say something like, “ Let’s make sure to set up a training session on this feature. Our head of education, Samantha, is really great. Your team is going to love her. What month would you like to schedule that ?” The seller is putting the prospective client in the mindset of having already said yes to the deal.

You can use this little sales trick in your proposal submission emails as well. You might hone in specifically on the next steps and not mention much else. Or you might include some details on the first few phases of the project.

Keep in mind that this trick can be effective for small businesses, but if your prospective client is a large organization, you might come across as clueless if you assume that decision-makers are already on board. So, use this method with caution. Find ways to mention onboarding and service details without being overly presumptuous.

Here’s a sample email using this method:

Subject line: Let’s get started! Hi Name, I’m looking forward to working together. You can find the proposal based on our conversation here: {link} Next week, we’ll kick things off with a 90-minute strategy session. I can’t wait for you to meet our chief brand strategist. She’s a gem and very excited about this project! Then we’ll dive straight into customer and market research, and your new brand will be ready for you by May 1st. Can’t wait! {Your Signature}

Must-have email templates when submitting proposals

When writing a professional email, it’s wise not to start from scratch. The proposal submission is an essential part of the sales process, and you want to get it right.

Before sending your sales proposal, consider using these great email templates. They’re available inside of Proposify , our platform designed for sending, tracking, and closing proposals.

Email template for sending the proposal

We’re big believers that for many companies and industries, sales emails should be kept simple.

This proposal email doesn’t include pain points or value propositions. It simply asks the prospective client to take a look at the proposal and let the sender know if they have any questions.

Let this template be a reminder: you don’t have to dress up your proposal with a complicated email. You can choose to let your proposal shine instead (and take pomp and circumstance out of the picture).

Automated follow-up email template to close the deal

Before you submit your proposal, you should set up at least one automated follow-up email . Not only will this save you time, but follow-up email automation also boosts proposal closing rates by 50% on average .

Use our reminder email template as an example. It kicks things off with a simple opening paragraph: “Do you have any questions on the proposal? I’m happy to adjust the terms to meet your needs.”

Automated thank-you email template

The thank-you email serves as one of the initial elements in your client experience.

You should use automation to send the thank-you email, because you want the client to feel good about their decision to work with you. If they sign the proposal while you’re away from your desk, automation ensures that you’re responding to their decision without delay.

You can use this email to cover important onboarding steps, such as filling out a questionnaire or booking a kickoff meeting. Or, you can simply deliver a copy of the signed proposal and let your client know you will be in touch with them as soon as possible to begin the onboarding process.

Proposify offers automated thank-you emails within our platform. This template uses simple, positive language like, “Thank you for accepting our proposal. We’re excited to get started and we’ll be in touch ASAP with next steps.”

With Proposify, you can edit any of our email templates or create your own templates for a variety of use cases.

Get proposal templates and automated emails with Proposify

To send beautiful proposals and submission emails in a snap, you need proposal software .

Proposify includes both proposal templates and email templates to save you time and create consistency for your sales team. Our software also offers analytics features so you can check which prospective clients have viewed your proposal and how often. This data will help you craft custom follow-up emails based on each client’s level of interest (or lack thereof). You can also track average viewing and closing rates to set goals for improving your sales stats.

And for the cherry on top, emails sent with Proposify enjoy an average open rate of 90.5% , so you can be sure that your emails are getting through to your prospects.

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Proposal email template ideas and best practices

Email is still a handled communication channel for sales, especially for B2B sales and it is still a preferred medium to send your sales proposals. With that in mind, we put together a list of best practices and email template ideas for writing proposal emails.

Table Of Contents 1. Best practices for writing a proposal email 1.1 Cover all the bases 1.2 Highlight your experience and expertise 1.3 Evaluate the cost 1.4 Highlight important points 1.5 Don’t miss any important attachments! 2. Email template ideas for proposal 2.1 Proposal for Engineering / Technical services 2.2 Software solution 2.3 Proposal for partnership 2.4 Infra project proposal email 2.5 Dealership proposal 2.6 Freelance services 2.7 Marketing services 3. Why you should use cold email automation to send bulk proposal emails? 4. FAQs: Sample of business proposal email

Best practices for writing a proposal email

Follow these best practices to write effective proposal emails and increase your success rate.

Cover all the bases

Use your proposal emails to clearly outline the proposed work, terms, and conditions. In addition, cover all the points to not leave any room for future misunderstandings or disputes.

If you are sending a proposal for a complex project, for example – a software/app development project, it is important to cover all of the details in your proposal. The major points from your proposal should also appear in your proposal email.

Highlight your experience and expertise

If you are sending your unsolicited proposals, for example – a proposal for your freelance services, etc, you will be making your first impression with this proposal email.

In that case, you would want to make a strong, positive impression by highlighting your experience and expertise – for example – “8 Years of SEO experience, helped 15 websites to get DA score of 60+” .

Evaluate the cost

For the proposal to be effective, the client should be able to acknowledge and agree to the cost. However, evaluating a cost can be overwhelming. Obviously, you don’t want to underprice your product or services. On the other hand, you don’t want your prospect to feel that the cost mentioned in the proposal is over budget.

Use the information you’ve already gathered to offer a price that benefits both you and the customer. Moreover, you can try to bifurcate the cost with a required and optional fee table. This makes your cost appealing and easy to understand, as it makes the recipient feel that he can benefit by avoiding optional costs.

Highlight important points

The most important parts of your proposal should also appear in your email. Especially, try to focus on the points which can put you ahead of the competition. In addition to that, try to highlight such important points using bold text in your email.

For example – “40% cheaper than other alternatives” .

Often, many of your recipients will only glance over your emails. Make your USPs immediately clear and force them to take notice of your proposal email.

Don’t miss any important attachments!

Also remember to send any other documents with your proposal, which can make your case stronger. For example, you may like to send case studies, past project lists, customer testimonials, etc.

Proposal email template examples

There are different types of proposals. By using a standardized email template to send your proposals for different purposes, you can add a little more automation to your lead management process .

Proposal for Engineering / Technical Services

A proposal for engineering services or any other similar technical services is going to be fairly complex. You will be able to submit a proposal only after having at least a few interactions with a customer and having a detailed understanding of their requirement.

Therefore this proposal and the email you send should try to display, how you have thoroughly studied the customer’s requirements and why you are well qualified to provide the required solution.

Software solution

Normally you will send a software solution proposal to someone only after you have had a few discussions with them to understand their requirements. So this is not going to be a cold email . The recipient would probably know you to a fair degree when you get to the software proposal stage in your sales cycle.

So in this email, the focus should be on presenting a thorough solution, removing all room for doubt, and setting up complete clarity for future work to be done.

Since this is not your first email to the customer and since they have already requested a proposal from you, the important thing here is to be thorough in your proposal.

Emphasize all the requirements that your solution is going to answer so that the commercial proposal and solution can be justified.

Proposal for partnership

The right partnership proposal email template will help you craft a message that grabs the potential partner’s attention and makes the reader interested in what partnering with your event has to offer. With partnership emails, your first impression is your last. So make sure to make your proposal as creative and personalized as possible.

Make sure you specify what kind of partnership you’re expecting. Highlight the key points of the partnership. Also, talk about how this partnership will help your potential partner. You can also mention a few of your achievements or previous collaborations to build trust.

Infra project proposal email

For an infrastructure project proposal, you may need to include several other documents along with your proposal in the email. Typically you may send – a project schedule, contractual document, payment schedule, quality plan, etc. in your proposal email for an infra or construction project .

If you are looking for email templates for your solar installation business , you will find them here. You can copy and use them in this CRM platform to get new leads for your solar business .

You can also make use of this standard proposal email template to speed up the proposal process for infra projects.

Dealership proposal

When you are sending dealership proposals chances are you will be sending them to more than one prospect. Try to make all the proposal emails as personalized as possible. Talk about the benefits they will receive if they accept your proposal.

Freelance services

If you are a freelancer offering services such as – SEO, email marketing , lead generation , app development, web development, etc. you know that the market for such services is already crowded.

So you will need to reach out to many people in order to get a few leads. You can do that with cold email marketing workflows to reach out to a large audience base.

Use the following email template to send a proposal for your freelancing services to your prospective client. Automate your email campaign, so that you can reach out to many people without actually spending your own time.

We have kept this proposal email template fairly generic so that you can use it for a number of cases by tweaking it a little bit. The subject line is intentionally kept vague to get more email opens. But you alternatively use the following subject lines –

• Improve your {{your value proposition}} by {{x percent}} %
• Here’s what {{your well known customer}} had to say about {{area of your expertise}}

To get more creative with your subject lines, check out these best practices for cold email subjects .

Also, check out these cold emailing best practices and a few more email templates for B2B cold emails .

Marketing services

Email remains the number one channel for business communication. 

But emailing potential clients in an unsolicited manner to generate business for yourself is a big ask and difficult to do well. 

Hence, your marketing proposal should attract the attention of the specific person you’re reaching out to and create interest in collaborating with you. This could be you buying their service,  vice-versa, or just exchanging some professional advice.

Here is a sample of a business proposal email, you can use.

Insurance company

Insurance agents should focus on establishing meaningful connections with potential leads and clients rather than directly selling their services in sales emails. Building stronger relationships is the key to success in insurance email campaigns. Due to some agents’ sneaky practices, the insurance industry has suffered from a tarnished reputation.

As a reputable company, it is essential to proactively reach out to gain public trust. While an insurance sales email template can be helpful, its effectiveness lies in customizing it appropriately for each recipient.

Why you should use cold email automation to send bulk proposal emails?

Spam filters  have become smarter. They can detect patterns of automated bulk emails. When you send hundreds of proposal emails with bulk emailing software, there is a good chance those emails will land in the ‘SPAM’ or ‘Promotions’ folders. SafeMailer’s ‘Cold Email Automation’ app is a smart solution that mimics the email-sending pattern of a human.

Cold email automation  workflows send your proposal emails in a staggered manner instead of sending all of them at once. This ‘human-like’ email-sending behavior helps you avoid spam filters .

SafeMailer can boost the  email deliverability  and opening rate for your proposal emails by   300-600%  ! This free cold email marketing software is ideal when you spend tens to hundreds of proposal emails in a day. It will help you build up and maintain a healthy  sender reputation so that your emails are well-received by your customers.

FAQs: Sample of business proposal email

Q: How should I format my proposal email? A: Your proposal email should be formatted professionally, using clear and easy-to-read fonts, and including any relevant attachments such as a proposal document or presentation.

Q: How much detail should I include in the email? A: Your email should provide enough detail to give the recipient a clear idea of your proposal, but it should not be overly long or detailed. Include the key points and benefits of your proposal, and save the more detailed information for a proposal document or presentation.

Q: How should I address the recipient? A: Always address the recipient by name and use a professional tone in your email. If you are not sure how to address them, use their formal title and last name, such as “Dear Ms. Smith.”

Q: Should I follow up after sending the proposal email ? A: It is a good idea to follow up after sending a proposal email, either by email or phone, to ensure that the recipient received your proposal and to answer any questions they may have.

Q: How can I make my proposal stand out? A: To make your proposal stand out, focus on the benefits and unique value proposition of your proposal, and tailor your proposal to the specific needs and interests of the recipient. You can also include any relevant testimonials or case studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of your proposal.

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How To Write a Business Proposal Email or Letter

Freelancers and small businesses must learn how to attract clients to their services. Part of this process is to write business proposals. By learning how to write a business proposal, you can identify opportunities where you and a prospective client can work together to grow. However, creating an effective business proposal is not easy.

In this article, we will be discussing how you can write a winning business proposal. We will tell you how to use business proposal templates, edit them for specific clients, and how Indy can help you manage the process from the start of the bidding process to getting the client to digitally sign a contract.

What Is a Business Proposal?

A business proposal is a simple document that contains all the information about a proposed solution for a prospective client. It will include numerous details and information relevant to the job, the company, and what services you provide.

While a business proposal is normally associated with a query from a business to a supplier, you can create unsolicited business proposals that can be sent to businesses. This is when you create a business proposal for a company that hasn't requested the information, or whom you've not spoken to before.

A business proposal usually has a pricing table or a payment schedule included within it. You may also choose to include client testimonials and other proof of experience/expertise.

While a lot of businesses claim they have high success rates for their business proposals, the rates of success can vary depending on numerous features. The average five-page proposal has a 50% success rate of securing the customer.

However, when you create a business proposal that is 30 pages or more, then the close rate can drop down to as low as 35%.

Therefore, while some small business owners think a longer business proposal is better, it tends not to be.

What Is a Business Proposal Email?

During the early part of any sales funnel, you need to be sending any contact within the prospective client a proposal. A proposal email is a message to the client that includes a professional document which is the business proposal.

In the business proposal email, you will want to include an executive summary of what is included within the full-length business proposal, which should include what the business proposal is for (in as short a sentence as possible), what the goals for the proposed solution are, who is responsible, the costs, and the next steps in the process.

The business proposal email should always be addressed to the decision-maker at the client's office. This person might be the team leader, department head, or the CEO/CFO of the company—even if they are not directly in contact with you.

All business proposals sent via email should be tracked. Numerous business proposal software tools can help you track the performance of your campaigns. This can include who has opened, read, and engaged with your business proposal.

Different Types of Business Proposal Emails

There are different types of business proposal emails that can be sent. It can depend on the purpose of your email as to what type, style, and length of business proposal you will edit and send. Most online tools have business proposal templates that cover a wide range of options. Here are some of the options that you might need.

Unsolicited business proposals

Not every business proposal needs to be requested by the client. Sometimes you can send out a proposal when you know that a client is looking for a solution to a problem but hasn't contacted you directly.

The problem with unsolicited proposals is that there is a fine line between useful and spam. Just sending them to any email address can get your email account blacklisted.

To ensure you aren't going to come across as spammy, you should do lots of research into the company you're pitching to. For example, if you're an SEO company pitching to brands, create a website audit. It is no good just telling them you can do better—you need to prove it. You also need to show that you can work.

Initial business proposal

Sometimes business proposals need to be less in-depth, especially when you're trying to source information from potential clients. An initial business proposal is about collecting information and offering a few potential solutions that they could follow.

The idea is that the client would then respond with what they would like, a budget, and perhaps more details about what the current situation is. An initial business proposal is normally only a couple of pages long.

Short-term business proposal

Short-term business proposals are when you're bidding for a job that is one-off or lasts for a set time (less than six months normally). You can include details such as the start date, the end date, the payment schedule, and more.

Numerous niches use short-term business proposals all the time, like app development teams, construction businesses, photographers, and website building teams.

Long-term business proposal

Some businesses have services that can last for as long as the client wants them. These long-term business proposals normally have a monthly or weekly retainer for the services they render.

Creating a business proposal for these tasks can be more challenging as you have to set what time you can provide the client, what deliverables you have regularly, and the payment options.

RFP business proposal

Sometimes you can send what is known as an RFP business proposal. This is a formally solicited business proposal from a potential client looking to solve a specific problem. Normally, brands will contact three or four companies to collect formally solicited proposals.

While short-term or long-term proposals may also fall into this category, this proposal can also be slightly different because you might be working off a brief provided in an email. You may have no further contact with the client's team. Your solicited proposal will also be one of numerous competing proposals.

What Happens When a Client Agrees to Business Proposal Ideas

When prospective clients accept a well-written business proposal, then the business proposals will become a fundamental agreement between you and your new clients. The next step in the process is to send a legally binding contract. Though, you might want to include this within the winning business proposals.

By including the contract earlier in the process, it can save time. Though if there are further negotiations during the sales process, you may need to edit the sales proposals and the legally binding contracts that are sent with them.

Why Is Using a Business Proposal Template so Useful?

One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make when they are sending solicited and unsolicited proposals is that they create the proposals from scratch every time. While every prospective client having their own proposal might seem to offer that personal touch, it does mean it is harder to write a business proposal.

While you will want to edit any business proposal template, using a template can help you save time during the entire proposal lifecycle. Then you can spend more time creating more proposals or servicing the clients that you have.

Using a business proposal template also means you can standardize the output of your proposals.

There are numerous free business proposal templates you can use online. You can usually get these from a freelancer or small business productivity tool. You can often find free business proposal templates to use for different industries and niches.

Each free business proposal template should be editable for your specific need. So you might have a marketing proposal template that can be edited to become an SEO proposal template, web design proposal, or social media marketing proposal for potential clients.

Steps to Writing a Proposal Email

When you write a business proposal template, you need to think about several steps. The contents of your proposal template will differ depending on the project. Equally, it is important to form basic agreements with key elements to win more potential clients.

In most cases, you will have one or several discussions with a prospective client. Therefore, you will have spoken about the potential business solutions for the client. For example, you should have information about the potential client's problem, the value proposition of the project, the budget for the project, and how you will take payment.

However, you should not just write a simple email or cover letter to discuss the details spoken about with the prospective clients. This is too informal. You need to write a business project proposal that is very specific, provides more details, and includes a marketing brochure.

In your email, there are going to be several sections for you to include. These will include:

• A brief introduction and any background knowledge.
• Explain why you're submitting the proposal.
• Establish theirs and your objectives and goals.
• Emphasize your unique qualities.
• Briefly discuss the budget and how it will be used.
• Include a call to action and a follow-up request.
• Ensure your email signature includes your contact information, such as email, mobile number, a website URL (if you have one), and you can also add links to your social media channels.

When you write your business proposal email, you might want to add more relevant information. Or you might need to remove some details when they're not relevant.

Here are some more details on how to write a winning business proposal email.

Brief introduction and background knowledge

The first paragraph of the proposal email should capture the reader's attention. You need to make it obvious what the email topic is. This is a business proposal outline. You need to include information about yourself, the client, and more.

To help you write a business proposal email for your client, spend some time researching them online. You can get a lot of information about their branding, the language they like, and their core values through social media, their website, and media coverage of the brand.

If you've spoken with the company before, remind them about that. It might be something as simple as saying the email is a follow-up to an earlier sales call you had with a certain team member.

If you are sending an unsolicited business proposal, don't try to hide this. It is deceitful, and it can ruin any chance of a future relationship between you and the prospective client.

Explain why you're submitting the formal business proposal

The goal of the business proposal is to have a value proposition to help solve a problem. Therefore, you need to explain how the services/product you have is going to help the client. The best option is to have a problem statement that clearly describes the current pain point for the client.

Then you can detail the positive impact your business can have on the client. Remember to include as many important points as possible. Be sure you use the word 'proposal' in the cover letter/email.

Establish your objectives and goals

One of the essential elements of any business proposal format is the part where you list the objectives and goals. All the objectives and goals of the business proposal need to align with the client's goals for the project.

The project details will need to be as transactional or measurable as possible. This aspect might be hard if you've got social media marketing proposals for long-term jobs. Though you can get deliverables such as the number of posts, follower growth, or ad spend.

You might want to think about what reports you're going to provide the customer. The objectives you mention should be things that you list in reports.

Emphasize your unique qualities

Offering a potential client a set of records or actionable deliverables is one thing, but you've got to prove you have the skills and resources to complete the work. Therefore, in your proposal document, you need to include information that emphasizes the unique qualities you can bring to the project.

In addition, you might want to include quotes or reviews from past clients. Or you can include past successes.

By using persuasive arguments and demonstrating experience to your prospective clients, you can win over more clients.

However, remember that you need to use your unique selling points (USPs) to the client. Your USPs need to be something that differentiates you from competitors.

Discuss the budget and how the money will be spent briefly

Now you need to discuss with the decision-makers the cost of the project. Decision-makers will not always go for the cheapest option. They might create a list of the pros and cons of the proposals, who has the most experience, and who can offer the best cost/benefit for the problem.

To ensure you have a higher chance of securing the contract, try breaking down the cost for the project. Then the decision-maker can make a more informed decision on what the full costs for the project will be with you.

You might want to include responsive pricing tables within your business proposal.

End with a call to action and follow-up request

Now you need to add a call to action showing an actionable event that the decision-maker can make. It might encourage the new customers to act sooner, rather than waiting for a better time for them.

There are numerous calls to action that you can use. For instance, you can use one that encourages them to email you back, ask you for information, link to past client case studies, or perhaps complete a survey on the proposal.

You might also want to include a polite, friendly, and personable send-off such as you hope they have a good evening/weekend.

Finally, you want to include a follow-up request. Let the decision-maker know that you will be calling/emailing them in a few days to see if they are prepared for the project or if they have any thoughts about what you've provided them.

Ensure your email signature includes your contact details

Whether you are sending a social media marketing business proposal, or you create a business proposal for building a new tower block, you need to have a way for the client to contact you. Every business template should include all your contact details, including email, website, social media profiles, telephone number, mobile number, and others.

In addition, you will want to make sure your email signature has your name, job title, business name, and other details. If you have a license, LLC number, or another permit, then you should include these in the email signature.

A Brief Overview Is Important

When you create a business proposal you must provide valuable information. The problem is that many business owners think this means they shouldn't be writing short business proposals, but rather packing them full of information that overwhelms the reader.

Earlier in the article, we discussed how a five-page proposal template was much more successful than a 30-page proposal. And to help you here, you should ensure that when you write a business proposal, you keep the overview as brief as possible.

Luckily, when you use business proposal templates, you can often see they leave a limited space for the project overview. Ideally, the most you want to write in your business proposal is about 200–250 words. Though the shorter you can create it, the better.

The advantage of the shorter overview is that it allows the reader to ascertain very quickly whether or not you are a suitable business to help them.

When Is It Appropriate to Use Proposal Letters?

There are times when you may need to send proposal letters instead of a proposal email. Sometimes you might not have email contact details for the customer. Or you might have noticed that they don't respond to emails.

A proposal letter can be used as a teaser for a more comprehensive, more thorough business proposal. There are numerous different types of proposals that these are more suitable for as well.

What Is the Significance of Proposal Letters?

Proposal letters are often the first contact you have when you are pitching potential customers. Therefore, the letter is the best way to build a relationship with the customer. You need to tell them what you do, how you can help them, and why you are worth your fees.

A proposal letter needs to be eye-catching—something that is going to grab their attention and make them think. At the same time, it needs to include your small business branding. Therefore, you need to include small details such as the logo, brand colors, the right language, social media links, email and website addresses, and more.

In addition, you can include a sample of a proposal, the contract, and a pricing table for your services.

Proposal Template

A proposal template is a document that lays out the sections you need to complete to present to a potential customer a concise business proposal. It assists you in ensuring the proposal you're drafting contains all of the necessary information required by your prospect for them to make an informed decision.

Contact information, work specifics, and pricing are all included in the proposal templates, and to save time, you may find that certain aspects have been pre-filled. To finish the proposal, just add or change the information to find the right solution for you.

If you include a signature at the end of the business proposal, the templates can be considered legally binding contracts. However, you might want to seek legal support before relying on them. Do this before sending them out to prospective customers.

What Is the Purpose of a New Business Proposal Template?

Templates for business proposals help you save time and money by eliminating the need to redo your work each time you want to send a new proposal to a new prospect or lead.

Using templates ensures you can put less time into administrative tasks and focus more on the work you do, thereby earning more money.

You can often get access to free templates, which means you can save money. And most new business proposal templates have been written with best practices in mind. Therefore, they look more professional and are more likely to close a deal.

What Is the Best Way to Make a Great Business Proposal Template?

When you are using a CRM or project management tool, there is usually software to help you write a business proposal. Using these to create a business proposal can be very rewarding. Start with one of their templates, like a sales proposal template, and then add or edit the template to your specific needs.

Some elements you might want to add to the winning proposal template include the following:

• A branded title page
• Logo, company name (if you have one), and branding in the header
• Information about how to contact you
• Cover letter or introduction
• Problem statement
• Services description (i.e., proposed solutions)
• Costs, budgets, quotes, and payment terms
• Delivery timeline
• A legally binding contract

How Can Indy Help?

Indy is an all-in-one solution that helps freelancers to achieve their potential. We offer a range of free business proposal templates that anyone can use. Edit these templates for specific requirements, and send the finished document to prospective clients to get them to sign off on projects. We also have tools for digital signatures and storing documents. In our soute you’ll also find useful tools that will help you with::

• Creating invoices and sending them off to clients.
• Creating feedback forms or surveys for embedding on social media.
• Taking payments online.
• A CRM tool to help you track all the customers and clients you currently work with.

Indy has numerous tools available with two pricing options: free or low-cost monthly subscription. On the free plan, you can gain access to everything for three contracts per month.

Creating business proposals is a vital activity for any business. Yet so many businesses struggle with this option. Writing winning business proposals is about knowing what to write, when, and how. However, by using templates, you can do the job much more efficiently.

Indy offers small business owners the chance to write winning business proposals quickly and effortlessly. Drag-and-drop content blocks make it easy for any team member, and you can create customized proposals for winning new clients. Why not try Indy for free today?

Proposal Email: 5 Tips For Sending Winning Proposal Emails To Clients

If you’re a freelancer or a small business owner trying to get new clients via email, this guide is for you.

Although getting clients through cold email is a challenging task — much more than networking or getting referrals — it’s also one of the most predictable sources of income… If you do it right.

That’s why in this article, we’ll look at five crucial tips to have in mind when writing your business or freelance proposal emails so that you can easily convince your prospect that you’re the best person for the job.

But first, let’s define what a business proposal email is so we’re all on the same page.

What is a Business Proposal Email?

A business proposal email is an email you send to a prospect in the early stages of a sales pipeline.

Typically, it’s a summary of the discussions you’ve had with a client over an email on the vital business arrangements.

In other terms, it’s a basic agreement with the client about the services you’ll provide and how much you will charge.

You can send a business proposal email in two scenarios.

• When a prospect requests it after agreeing to go through the terms in your sales transaction, this is called a solicited business proposal.
• When it’s your first point of contact with the prospective client, you send it without them asking for one. In this case, it’s called an unsolicited business proposal email.

Either way, it’s important to note that a business proposal email is not an informational email but a marketing process.

Its effectiveness is determined by how clear your objectives are and how you present your solution to the prospect’s pain points.

How to Find Business Prospects

Before you embark on learning to write a proposal , you should first fill in your prospects list. This means that you have to get accurate prospect data to build a robust lead generation.

Though it’s time-consuming and tedious, it’s the only way to keep your sales pipeline healthy.

There are many ways to do this. For instance, you can check out business journals or hang out on LinkedIn or job boards.

But for email prospecting, there’s nothing better than Voila Norbert.

Norbert is an easy-to-use email finder that will find prospects’ emails and verify them on the fly. It’s currently the most accurate email finder on the web:

And it is the most easy-to-use email finder according to reviews on G2:

To use Norbert, you need the names of your target prospects and the domain address of their companies. 

Simply paste your prospect’s name on Voila Norbert together with the company website domain and click the green button. It will source for you the best possible working email address from its database.

For a huge prospect list, upload the CSV file using the bulk email finder option. In a few seconds, you’ll get back your complete list of prospects with their email addresses.

Now that you have a targeted list of prospects, let’s learn how to write a business proposal email to them.

How To Write a Business Proposal Email

Since a business proposal is the last step before closing a deal, you don’t want to make mistakes.

Whether you’ve already talked to the prospect or you’re sending it as a cold email, how you present it determines if you’ll completely seal the deal or not.

That said, below are the top 5 things to keep in mind to increase your chance of success.

1. Be clear

Your proposal emails must include all of the information that your potential client will need. This should include:

• Summary of the business or freelance proposal
• Detailed cost estimate
• Your contact information. 

Your client wants to understand what they would be getting into if they entered into a working relationship with you, and your proposal should make that clear.

2. Do your research

Skimping on research is one of the most common mistakes people make when writing a proposal email. In fact, 42% of sales representatives don’t research their prospects. Use this to your advantage.

You don’t want your prospect to think that you are sending the same proposal to dozens of companies. 

You’ll need to understand their businesses. Take the time to learn about the company. Get to know their mission, their success and failures, and their competitors. 

When you understand what they need and what they have done in the past, you’ll have a better chance of creating a better proposal that gets you hired. ADD_THIS_TEXT

3. Share your skills

You probably have a wide range of skills, but only a few of them would apply to this particular project. But you don’t let them go to waste.

Weave these skills into the proposal to share what experience you have and how it would be relevant for the job.

You can use project management tools to keep your clients organized so that you have clear notes to reference as you write your proposal. 

Potential clients want to know that you can solve their problems. So make sure your skillset is clear.

4. Move fast

Whether you’ve had an in-person meeting with a potential client or just saw a request for proposals online, moving fast can help you get the gig. You’re 25% likelier to be hired if you send the proposal within 24 hours. 

Moving fast will imply that you’re passionate about what you do. Besides, many clients are busy and would love to get this done over with quickly.

If you get an opportunity to talk about the project in person or over the phone, you’ll still be top-of-mind for the potential client if you send the business proposals quickly.

5. Keep it short

Your prospects have a thousand other things on their minds. They don’t have time to read huge chunks of words about your extracurriculars from college. 

Make your proposal easy to skim using headlines, lists, and images if applicable. You want the prospect to tell at a glance that you’re the right person for the job. 

The easiest way to do this is with a proposal template . But make sure to customize it to fit the unique needs of your client. 

If you have a lot of information to send over, you may consider keeping your proposal template straight to the point. In this case, try and keep the email short and link to (or attach) a presentation. 

For preparing the design of your presentation , you can download free PowerPoint templates or prepare one from scratch.

Once the proposal you sent to the client gets a positive reaction, you can start thinking about creating a solid contract and sending a freelance invoice . 

Contracts ensure both you and your clients know exactly what is expected. Even if many of your proposals receive few responses, when one does, no client wants to wait around for you to reply with the details. 

That’s why creating a professional business or freelance contract is as essential as creating a professional proposal. Therefore, remember to think ahead and be ready for when you do win that contract.

Follow up your winning business proposal

Now that you’ve got the contract, you want the rest of their experience working with the client to be great. It’s the only way to keep them hiring you over and over again. And if they love your work, they might recommend you to their network.

While there are many ways to impress new clients, one of the most important things you can do is have excellent follow-through. Remember that your proposals are just the first step in your business relationship. 

Your client will also expect clear contracts, easy business or freelance invoicing , and regular updates on how your work is going. 

You will set up expectations for all of this when sending proposal emails to clients, but your follow-through is what makes the difference on whether you get more work or not. Remember, it is also essential to send a follow-up email to the client after sending a proposal if you get no response.

Example of a Business Proposal Email

In need of some inspiration before you craft your first proposal email?  Here’s a sample of a solicited business proposal email.

I hope you had a good weekend.

I’m writing to appreciate the time you took to help me understand your business needs.

From what I understand, you’ve not given content marketing a priority, which is losing your company $100k of unseen profits every month.

You would like to start producing content backed up with a strong lead nurturing strategy to get traffic that can potentially turn into customers.

As discussed in our zoom meeting, my goal is to create value-driven blog posts and ebooks that attract high-quality leads and ultimately convert them into customers.

As you already know, the base price for my service is $1000/ month for four blog posts. As a part of this package, you will get:

• SEO Keyword research.
• Content brief and outline.
• Examples (eg screenshots, images, e.t.c)
• In-depth research.
• Posting on your WordPress.

I’ll start with an introductory call with the VP Marketing and Content Director to talk about your content strategy and research more on your target audience.

I will then perform keyword research and send it to you by 11/9/2021. You will receive the proposed topics and content briefs by 13/9/2021.

We can begin work as soon as I receive your go-ahead via email. Thanks for your time.

Bottom Line

To sum it up, it’s important to note that writing winning proposal emails come up to two things – practice and confidence. 

You perfect the craft by writing many proposal emails. You will be amazed how easy it can become to land the type of clients you used to only dream of. 

With confidence, you will be assured that the document you are sending is an excellent example of your skill and professionalism . Keep my tips close, and you’ll be winning great clients in no time.

***This is a guest post from Matthew Brown. Matt is the founder of Bonsai , an automated contracts, proposals, invoices and time-tracking product used by 100,000+ freelancers and agencies globally. He lives in San Francisco, where he enjoys surfing, science fiction, and leafy green vegetables.***

Hi, I'm Norbert! when I'm not searching for 10+ million email addresses per month, I'm writing articles that help sales, marketers, and recruiters help get their emails read and increase their response rate.