How to write a business proposal that gets signed deals

Writing a business proposal is a big part of winning support for your initiatives, whether you’re trying to land a new client, close a deal, or secure funding. Decision-makers want proof that you understand their needs, a clear plan for how you’ll solve their problem, and confidence that you can deliver results — and a proposal document brings all of that together.

Here’s why a business proposal matters and what to include if you want yours to stand out. You can also use our templates to save time and start with a solid framework.

What is a business proposal?

A business proposal is a formal presentation that you pitch to a potential client, partner, or investor to offer a product, service, or solution to a specific problem or need. The goal is to persuade someone to invest in your idea, trust your plan, and partner with you. For example, a marketing agency can propose a campaign strategy for a client, or a tech startup can pitch its software to a potential investor.

Unlike a business plan, which is an internal roadmap for how you’ll run and grow your own business, a business proposal is outward-facing, aimed at convincing someone else to work with you. It helps build trust by showing professionalism, planning, and understanding of the client’s needs — providing all the details a decision-maker needs to say “yes”. In short, it’s how you go from a conversation to a signed deal.

Laying the groundwork for writing a proposal: Research and planning

Before you start writing a business proposal, you should do the following:

Identify your target audience

Knowing who will read your business proposal and what matters most for them helps to tailor your pitch to the decision-maker’s priorities. For example, an CEO might care about ROI (return on investment), a procurement office might be price-sensitive, while an IT manager might focus on ease of integration and technical specifications.

Gather relevant information

Collecting all the data you’ll need to back up your business proposal gives you insights into the client’s problem and how your solution compares to those of competitors. It also shows that your proposal is based on facts, not assumptions.

For instance, if you’re a marketing agency pitching to a startup, you should research their current web traffic to see if it’s flat or declining, and look into their competitors to check for stronger campaigns.

Decide the structure and format

How long and formal your business proposal should be depends on who you’re sending it to, the nature of your relationship or communication, and whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited.

Let’s say you are responding to a request for proposal (RFP) from a large company you’ve never worked with before. As it’s likely reviewing multiple vendors, the company expects a formal, detailed document that follows their submission requirements closely, so the proposal would need to be formal, comprehensive, and usually around 10 to 15 pages.

On the other hand, if you’re writing an unsolicited business proposal for a startup founder you met at an event, you can work on a short, punchy one-page proposal or email pitch.

How to write a business proposal: A step-by-step guide

After researching and planning, here’s what you should include in your business proposal:

1. Front matter

The opening section prepares the reader for what’s inside. Include the following:

• A title page with the proposal title, your company’s name and logo, the date of submission, and the name of the person or organization receiving the proposal.
• Table of contents, if you’re writing a long business proposal.
• An introduction that welcomes the reader, briefly introduces your company, and explains why you’re submitting the proposal or what prompted it — such as responding to an RFP or following a discovery call.

2. Executive summary

This short, high-level overview gives decision-makers a quick snapshot of why they should keep reading your proposal. It should include:

• The problem or opportunity the client is facing.
• Your proposed solution to address that problem.
• The key benefits, such as cost savings, efficiency, or innovation.
• A hint at expected positive outcomes.

3. Problem statement

Before selling your services, show you understand the client’s situation by using their perspective, language, and priorities to clearly explain what’s not working, what’s missing, or what’s underperforming.

For example, you can give a quick, factual backstory on how you spotted an issue and point out the risks of ignoring it or waiting too long to resolve it. To back up your points, use observations or data such as market research, performance metrics, or competitor benchmarks.

4. Proposed solution, deliverables, and implementation

This is the part of the business proposal where you move from identifying the problem to showing how you’ll fix it by laying out a clear plan to deliver results. It should cover:

• Your approach or methodology, ideally broken into steps or milestones.
• How this solution will work, ideally by directly tying your plan to the pain points you identified earlier.
• Customization, showing it’s not a generic proposal by factoring particularities such as the industry quirks, business size, or market conditions.
• Credibility boosters, such as qualifications, partnership, tools and technology, or resources that make you uniquely capable.

5. Benefits and value proposition

The client must know what they’ll accomplish by choosing your solution, and why you’re better than your competitors. This business proposal section should cover measurable, concrete results such as cost savings, increased revenue, or faster turnaround times. You can also highlight intangible benefits, like a stronger brand image, improved customer satisfaction, or reduced business risk.

6. Budget and pricing

Outline the cost of your proposed solution and what’s included, so the client knows exactly what they’re paying for and can compare it against their budget. You can include total costs, a breakdown of costs, payment terms, and what’s included or excluded.

7. Proof of success

To show the client you’ve successfully delivered similar results — and build trust in your ability to do the same for them — include case studies of past projects that match their industry, problem, or goals. For instance, you can highlight before-and-after results, add short client testimonials, and use visuals like charts or screenshots to make the impact clear.

8. Call to action and next steps

End your business proposal on a clear, confident note that tells the client how to accept your offer and begin the project. You should include:

• A specific action, like signing and returning the agreement, scheduling a kickoff meeting, or confirming by email.
• Contact information.
• Timeline for response.
• A closing statement that reinforces your readiness to deliver.

Explore our business proposal templates

To save time and get started faster, check out our business proposal templates in Proton Docs, our end-to-end encrypted document editor. They’re ready to customize and share with your team using secure cloud storage, so anyone can contribute in real time and leave feedback. Every document version is saved for up to 10 years, making it easy to track changes and review history.

Frequently asked questions