12:36 PM
Lanee' Blunt
By
Lanee’ Blunt
A
vendor proposal is used when you are being considered along with other
potential vendors, or when bidding. Writing may not be your strong suit, you may
feel a little intimidated, and a lot of small business owners feel the same
way. There are some pre-designed templates you can buy online that can speed up
the process of proposal writing. Outline the proposal and gather all of the
information you need before you start writing. The outline will be a step by
step deconstructing the Request for Proposal (RFP).
Executive Summary
The
proposal’s most important section is the first page because it provides the
reader with a snapshot of what is to come. In this section you will write a
brief statement of the need of your company and what your company has to offer,
and this is also called a statement of need. Tell your evaluators why they should
use your vending company. It summarizes the key information and is designed to
convince the reader to use your company. Write an excellent reason why they
should choose your company over your competitors.
Product or Service Description
If
you have piqued your evaluator’s interest they have read past the executive
summary this is the section you must build upon their interest. You will
provide the description of commodities and or services. How does the product’s
key requirement meet the answers to the client’s key questions? Describe the
product in terms of customer need. Describe facts or statistics that best
support the product or service. This proposal must be tailored to an individual
client’s need and can’t be used for every client.
About Us and Vendor Qualifications
Write
the name of the President of the company. How your business is registered as a
partnership, sole proprietorship or incorporated. How long have you been in
business? If you are bidding with the government or the school board you will
need to include a Federal ID number. It’s not necessary to include a lot of
information about your small business.
Write
about your experience with similar contracts. Write about the responsibilities
of key personnel, and subcontractors. Make sure that you include client
references.
Cost Estimate
List
the price you are proposing. Include each service that your company is going to
perform with a detailed fee schedule. If you are bidding, contracts are usually
awarded to the lowest bidder.
Answer
all of the topics in the request for proposal (RFP). Analyze the RFP sentence
by sentence making sure that you address every statement. Answer topics in the same
sequence that they appear in the RFP.
Provide
how you are going to deliver, to install, and your ability to meet the client’s
specifications.
Reference:
Fed
Market: How Are Winning Proposals Written
NYC Dept of Education: Vendor Guide
Posted in: Proposal writing
