Introduction The 7 Parts of a Proposal Letter Start with a description of your company. Then...Focus...

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Introduction The 7 Parts of a Proposal Letter Start with a description of your company. Then...Focus on what you think the reader will need to hear in order to be impressed. Mention your impressive successes and accomplishments with other clients, how you helped them in an effective way. Discuss why this company hire you instead of doing this activity on their own. Try to make your opening have some kind of engaging or attractive hook, something you know the reader would like to hear or know or get. Be sure to create the impression that your company is ready to be the best possible solution. Discuss what you offer that your competitors don't. Background, Problem, Purpose Identify the specific problem you will solve for the reader, and discuss the goals you will accomplish for the reader. Speak in general terms about how your company can fill their kind of need. After all, you've done it before. If you haven't done it already, tell them what you offer that your competitors don't. Plan You may have to convince the customer that their problem or need exists. If you haven't done it already, tell them why hiring you is better than having in-house employees do the same thing. Make clear the customer benefits your proposal will deliver. How exactly will you carry out the project from beginning to end? List the steps you will take one by one all the way from how you will start (the first step) to how you will finish (the last step where you deliver the final result). Schedule Now you need to attach a timeline to each of the steps in your plan above. What are your deliverables and when will they occur? What is the finish date and what will be in place at that time? A chart may help you show this. Staffing Budget Of course, in reality you would attach resumes of the staff that will be involved; but for now, on this proposal, just summarize the qualifications of each of your key staff members. Outline all costs for all aspects of the proposed project. Does each step of the project have a specific cost attached? If so, list the costs. Or, is there going to be a one-time monthly fee, or one-time yearly fee, or a fee every time the service is delivered, or simply a flat fee when the project is completed? What costs are the client responsible for, and what costs are you responsible for? (Your knowledge of making tables or graphs will help deliver this information in the letter.) Authorization Request Indicate a deadline date for the reader to respond and the amount of retainer you require to start the project. End positively. Your Company Proposal You have always loved traveling, and have had the opportunity to visit many countries outside the United States. There is, however, one country that you adore above all (your choice). This has led you to form a very successful company designed to take groups of young people on tours to this country. Your tours consist of: Securing travel arrangements for getting the group there and back; Booking lodging in selected cities that will be visited; Booking meals Plans to visit significant landmarks in selected cities; Evening entertainment activities, as well as relevant activities for daytime fun. The name of your company is " and on your letterhead, you are writing a proposal to the student body presidents of a long list of colleges. You want these presidents give you the opportunity to present your company to the student body. In other words: Students 18 or older are your target clients. You have already made introductory phone calls to this list of student body presidents, and they have agreed to receive and consider your proposal. If they like it, they will allow you to present your company to the student body. Your proposal letter will have all the 7 parts described in the instructional video. Before you start writing think about these things to include within the proposalYou will have more than one page, so be sure to format your second page(s) correctly. 1. How long are the tours? 2. How much will they cost, and what terms do you require or offer for financing? (Do a little research here to see what your competitors charge.) 3. What advantages will students experience by going as a group rather than making an individual trip? 4. What kind of persuasion will you need to convince students to want to take this tour? 5. What potential problems are avoided by traveling with a group rather than by yourself? 6. What kind of staff do you have on the tours and what do they do? 7. What kind of security will you have? 8. Are there opportunities for shopping and/or individual exploration? 9. What is the process for signing up for the tour...and how and where will the group assemble? 10. What kind of assessment do you need to make to accept someone into the tour. You don't want to take along a psychopath even though you are open and welcoming and friendly. So you probably need to do something - or have some kind of friendly application -- to at least feel comfortable with everyone who signs up. How will you do this nicely and gracefully? Whatever name you give to your company, create a little logo to put on your letterhead. Feel free to put a picture(s) in your proposal. Microsoft Word will allow you to have a mailing list automatically inserted into the inside address and the greeting; so you will easily have the same proposal going to different people and places. So to start, you are writing to Franklin Bissette, ASB President, North Shore College, 2222 Bay Street, Big City, California 90000. Introduction The 7 Parts of a Proposal Letter Start with a description of your company. Then...Focus on what you think the reader will need to hear in order to be impressed. Mention your impressive successes and accomplishments with other clients, how you helped them in an effective way. Discuss why this company hire you instead of doing this activity on their own. Try to make your opening have some kind of engaging or attractive hook, something you know the reader would like to hear or know or get. Be sure to create the impression that your company is ready to be the best possible solution. Discuss what you offer that your competitors don't. Background, Problem, Purpose Identify the specific problem you will solve for the reader, and discuss the goals you will accomplish for the reader. Speak in general terms about how your company can fill their kind of need. After all, you've done it before. If you haven't done it already, tell them what you offer that your competitors don't. Plan You may have to convince the customer that their problem or need exists. If you haven't done it already, tell them why hiring you is better than having in-house employees do the same thing. Make clear the customer benefits your proposal will deliver. How exactly will you carry out the project from beginning to end? List the steps you will take one by one all the way from how you will start (the first step) to how you will finish (the last step where you deliver the final result). Schedule Now you need to attach a timeline to each of the steps in your plan above. What are your deliverables and when will they occur? What is the finish date and what will be in place at that time? A chart may help you show this. Staffing Budget Of course, in reality you would attach resumes of the staff that will be involved; but for now, on this proposal, just summarize the qualifications of each of your key staff members. Outline all costs for all aspects of the proposed project. Does each step of the project have a specific cost attached? If so, list the costs. Or, is there going to be a one-time monthly fee, or one-time yearly fee, or a fee every time the service is delivered, or simply a flat fee when the project is completed? What costs are the client responsible for, and what costs are you responsible for? (Your knowledge of making tables or graphs will help deliver this information in the letter.) Authorization Request Indicate a deadline date for the reader to respond and the amount of retainer you require to start the project. End positively. Your Company Proposal You have always loved traveling, and have had the opportunity to visit many countries outside the United States. There is, however, one country that you adore above all (your choice). This has led you to form a very successful company designed to take groups of young people on tours to this country. Your tours consist of: Securing travel arrangements for getting the group there and back; Booking lodging in selected cities that will be visited; Booking meals Plans to visit significant landmarks in selected cities; Evening entertainment activities, as well as relevant activities for daytime fun. The name of your company is " and on your letterhead, you are writing a proposal to the student body presidents of a long list of colleges. You want these presidents give you the opportunity to present your company to the student body. In other words: Students 18 or older are your target clients. You have already made introductory phone calls to this list of student body presidents, and they have agreed to receive and consider your proposal. If they like it, they will allow you to present your company to the student body. Your proposal letter will have all the 7 parts described in the instructional video. Before you start writing think about these things to include within the proposalYou will have more than one page, so be sure to format your second page(s) correctly. 1. How long are the tours? 2. How much will they cost, and what terms do you require or offer for financing? (Do a little research here to see what your competitors charge.) 3. What advantages will students experience by going as a group rather than making an individual trip? 4. What kind of persuasion will you need to convince students to want to take this tour? 5. What potential problems are avoided by traveling with a group rather than by yourself? 6. What kind of staff do you have on the tours and what do they do? 7. What kind of security will you have? 8. Are there opportunities for shopping and/or individual exploration? 9. What is the process for signing up for the tour...and how and where will the group assemble? 10. What kind of assessment do you need to make to accept someone into the tour. You don't want to take along a psychopath even though you are open and welcoming and friendly. So you probably need to do something - or have some kind of friendly application -- to at least feel comfortable with everyone who signs up. How will you do this nicely and gracefully? Whatever name you give to your company, create a little logo to put on your letterhead. Feel free to put a picture(s) in your proposal. Microsoft Word will allow you to have a mailing list automatically inserted into the inside address and the greeting; so you will easily have the same proposal going to different people and places. So to start, you are writing to Franklin Bissette, ASB President, North Shore College, 2222 Bay Street, Big City, California 90000.