How to Choose a Winning Proposal Template

Content is always king. First and foremost, your proposals must offer prospective clients what they need – be it a product, solution or service – in clear, persuasive language.  However, your value proposition needs to be presented in a thoughtfully-designed, polished proposal template to boost your chances of closing the deal.

Choosing a well-designed and polished business proposal template, then, is an important first step in your process.

How to choose the best proposal template

It can seem daunting to create a project proposal template or to choose from the endless number available on the internet. Given that preparing a proposal is very time-consuming, however, choosing an existing one often makes the most sense. It gives you a head start so you can focus on generating the written content.

When trying to choose the perfect template for your bid proposal, business proposal or project proposal, think carefully about your brand, your intent and your audience.

Choosing a template based on your brand

Your brand can inform your decision in several ways. First, you can choose a template based on your brand’s colours. This will reinforce your company identity in the client’s mind and convey consistency.

Alternatively, you can choose a template that evokes your company culture, values and approach. For example, if your company is more traditional, opt for a design that is more formal, linear and uses fewer colours. In turn, if your company culture is energetic and young, you might opt for a more vibrant, unique template.

You want to avoid a disconnect. It should complement your company brand or culture, not detract or confuse.

Choosing a template based on intent

Though this is similar to choosing your template based on brand, it is more informed by the prospective client. Ask yourself first, what you know of the client and their expectations. Then, is the purpose of the proposal to raise your company’s profile and demonstrate your capabilities, unsolicited, or is it to respond to a formal tender (RFP, RFQ, RFI)?

If it is the former, conduct some informal research into the client’s culture and values as well as their design aesthetic – logo, website, social media presence. This will help guide your selection. Opt for a proposal template that mirrors your understanding of the client and sets the tone of the relationship you aspire to establish.

If the proposal is responding to an RFP, choose a request for proposal template that is flexible and can accommodate the prescribed format of the response. Oftentimes RFP’s are excruciatingly detailed in their response requirements specifying everything from section numbering requirements and page lengths to the use of acronyms and more. Read these through carefully before deciding on a template. You will want something very flexible and customizable in order to accommodate the structure outlined by the RFP document.

Choosing a template based on audience

Who is the ultimate reader and arbiter of your proposal? Keep this in mind when choosing a template as well. If your audience is a purchasing officer who is likely going to flip straight to the financials, there’s no need to choose an elaborate template. If, however, the final decision-makers include c-suite members, consider upping the ante and choosing a template that features more elevated design elements.

Consider template longevity

This is important. Are you hoping to use the same template for all proposals moving forward or will you choose a template based on the opportunity and the client?

For consistency’s sake, we recommend evaluating a few options but ultimately choosing a proposal template that will become the standard for your company.  Just like your brand, you want your proposal template to be consistently associated with your company and its messaging.

What are the most important elements of a proposal template?

A template sets the framework for your proposals and should help persuade potential clients of your credibility, your quality, and your professional value as a service, solution or product provider.  To simplify your efforts, look for a proposal template that contains the right elements for your type of response and, ideally one that is customizable.

Depending on whether you need a business, bid or project proposal, pick a template that can help guide you in your content development and simplify the proposal process.

The layout of the template should be hierarchical linking ideas in a logical manner.  Generally speaking, it should contain sections for objectives, approach/strategy and budget. A template should show the client, step-by-step what you can offer them, how, and at what cost to help them agree to your services immediately.

In addition, make sure of the following template elements:

• Fonts are standard and 10 to 12-point sizing
• Table of Contents that is reflective of content (desired number of heading levels) and easily re-generated
• Header or footers that can accommodate your logo to establish identity and brand awareness

The use of imagery is also very important. Consider the imagery provided in a template and whether it resonates with your brand or if it is customizable. Imagery is evocative and eye-catching so use it effectively.

Make sure the template allows you to incorporate visuals like charts, graphs, infographics, screenshots etc. to complement your storytelling. Showing versus telling can often be more powerful and is also a good way to break up the text. Therefore, make sure your template is not overly designed or too colourful (e.g. diagonal, cross-page lines or vibrant “swooshes”) so readers are not distracted from important content visuals.

Digital or Conventional Format

More and more, companies are preferring digital submissions to hard copy. It is ultimately the more convenient (and greener) option and statistics indicate that online proposals gain more traction with readers and thus, more likely to compel clients to take action.

A requirement for digital and/or conventional formats can help dictate your template choice. If a proposal will be submitted digitally, you have more leeway in terms of colour choices and media elements. Printing colour is expensive and can be fussy in terms of accurate shades and saturations. Digital designs and submissions, however, are precise and cost-effective. As well,  digital formats allow for the inclusion of video which can add an interesting dimension to your proposal submission.

Conversely, if a hard-copy submission is required and you have cost constraints, you will want to limit the number of colours in the chosen template.

Conclusion

Purchasing a proposal template is a simple, easy choice that can save you time and money while improving the quality of your proposals and client satisfaction. Ultimately, though, it is your understanding of the client’s challenges and your capabilities, experience and approach to solving the challenges that will win the deal.

A well-prepared and well-designed business proposal is a highly effective and efficient way of demonstrating your professionalism, wowing clients and maximizing conversions. Start by choosing the right template!