Why Are Proposals the Lifeline of B2B Sales?
If you work in marketing or sales, or as a business representative in a B2B company, writing proposals is an unavoidable core task. Especially in bid projects, the quality of the proposal determines the success of securing the contract.
Many B2B sales professionals often wrestle with the following when drafting proposals:
“I don't know what to write on a blank page.” “I end up writing the same proposal over and over.”
“Can I write the same for large corporations and small businesses?” “It takes a week to write just one proposal.” “I don’t know how to effectively highlight the advantages of our solution.”
If you are missing out on business opportunities due to these repetitive issues, utilizing AI can lead to innovative improvements. This article introduces specific methods to resolve the fundamental problems of proposal writing and increase efficiency.
Common Problems of Failing Proposals
Overwhelmed by Blank Pages, Repetitive Introductions
Firstly, “I don't know what to write.”
Starting a proposal from scratch is always the biggest hurdle. It’s daunting to determine what structure, content, and order to follow. This is particularly true in new business areas or with client companies you’ve never dealt with before. Successful proposals often follow certain patterns and structures, which are not easy to identify initially.
Secondly, “I just write similar content every time.”
Pressed for time, we often end up copying existing proposals and changing little more than the company name. However, since each client has different circumstances and needs, a one-size-fits-all proposal makes it challenging to differentiate.
Thirdly, “I end up boasting only about our company.”
Proposals that begin with “Our company has extensive experience...” lack the client’s perspective. Most B2B proposals are filled with company-centered expressions. Statements like “We possess the best technology” or “We boast industry-leading quality” are typical examples. Clients are only concerned with solving their own issues, and boasting about the company can ultimately lead to not securing the deal.
Fourthly, “There's no concrete data.”
Abstract expressions like “significant impact” or “vast improvement” fail to persuade decision-makers. Specific ROI and figures are required. However, this is more difficult than it seems. Internal data is often not readily available. Furthermore, when looking for industry data or similar cases, it can feel unproductive and inefficient.
Fifthly, “It takes too long.”
From market research to document writing, the process usually takes over a week. As a result, other sales opportunities are missed, and ultimately, the chance to secure a deal decreases. The bigger issue is that even if considerable time and effort are invested, there is no guarantee of success. When efforts don’t yield results, the morale of the whole team can drop.
If Writing a Proposal Takes Over a Week
Many B2B sales teams still draft proposals in inefficient ways.
Days 1-2: Client Research and Market Analysis
This stage involves scouring Google and various reports to gather information. To find the necessary data, you navigate through dozens of websites. This process can take from a few days to weeks.
Day 3: Competitor Benchmarking
This involves analyzing competitors' solution features, pricing policies, and marketing messages. Accurate assessment is often difficult due to limited publicly available corporate information.
Days 4-5: Solution Design
This is the stage of designing a solution tailored to the client’s needs and detailing the implementation plan.
Collaboration across multiple departments is often necessary, consuming a significant amount of time.
Day 6: Cost Estimation and ROI Calculation
This involves considering complex variables to accurately estimate costs and calculate expected impacts.
Days 7-8: Document Drafting and Review
This phase aggregates all the information so far into a completed proposal.
Planning and drafting proposals in such a traditional manner risks missing crucial timing.
This content reveals how to resolve such inefficiencies in one go.
Three Ways to Write an Effective Proposal, Taught by a 20+ Year Sales Expert
Writing Effective Proposals ① Develop Tailored Proposal Templates for Each Company Size
Create Different Proposals for Different Company Types and Sizes
“Do I need to create different proposals for each company I send them to?”
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by sales teams. The answer is “Absolutely.”
If your organization's resources are limited,
it is necessary to at least create proposal templates based on the company size.
Decision-Making Patterns in Large Corporations
Large corporations prioritize minimizing risk. They prefer stable, proven solutions over new challenges. Therefore, the following elements are essential in a proposal:
Success stories from similar large-scale businesses
Phased implementation plans and risk management strategies
Proof of compliance and security standards
Long-term partnership and ongoing support plans
Decision-Making Patterns in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
SMEs want to achieve maximum effect with limited budgets. They desire quick results over complex procedures:
Clear ROI and payback period
Solutions that can operate with minimal personnel
Practical solutions that can be applied immediately
Clear evidence of cost-effectiveness
Writing Effective Proposals ② Understand the Decision-Makers Who Will Be the Audience
Ultimately, proposals are evaluated by people. And these people each have different backgrounds and interests.
CEO/Executives: Focus on numbers and strategic value
Their core considerations are “How will it contribute to our revenue?” and “How does it help secure a competitive advantage?”
Operational Staff: Emphasizes concrete execution plans and operational convenience
They are curious about “How will it be implemented?” and “What changes will occur in existing workflows?”
Procurement Officers: Focus on cost structure and contractual terms
They meticulously scrutinize the total ownership cost, maintenance costs, and price competitiveness compared to other solutions.
Writing Effective Proposals ③ Deeply Understand Even the 'Number of Spoons' at Potential Client Companies
To create a successful proposal, a thorough understanding of the client company is required.
Just as understanding the heart and situation of the other party is essential for a successful confession,
success in B2B proposals requires uncovering the inner workings of the prospective company.
Senior-level B2B sales experts are often well-versed in the internal politics and personnel movement forecasts of major client companies.
They emphasize to juniors that you should know “even the number of spoons or the location of the restrooms at client headquarters.”
While this may be challenging when just starting to write a proposal,
at the very least, ensure that you gather the following information through websites, news, and public disclosures:
Business Model and Revenue Structure: How the company makes money
Current Challenges: Priorities revealed in recent presentation materials or CEO messages
Organizational Culture and Decision-Making Style: Whether they’re conservative or innovative
Historical Purchasing Patterns: Criteria they used in previous solution selections
The Most Efficient Method to Dramatically Reduce Proposal Writing Time
Resolve Automated Template Creation, B2B Customization, and Client Information Collection
with a Single AI
Making templates out of previously successful proposal structures and content, and customizing them to suit new projects is a good approach.
By using tools such as inline AI, you can upload existing proposal templates, and simply input client information to receive a customized proposal automatically.
By entering just minor details like “Company A, ERP Introduction, Budget $500,000,” you can receive a fully structured proposal.
Automated Information Collection
Utilizing tools that can automatically collect and analyze client information can drastically shorten research time.
Rather than having to search through websites, news, and disclosures manually, you can extract only the essential information provided.
By using inline AI, by just entering the client's name, you can automatically collect and analyze public information available online to receive key insights.
Find summaries like, “This company is currently focusing on digital transformation, with improving operational efficiency as the top priority.”
📍For more on how to write business and investment proposals quickly, refer to the summaries available.
Building a Content Library
Organizing frequently used explanations, cases, and data in advance and utilizing them as needed is also necessary.
📈 For more efficiency methods: If you're curious about various work efficiencies aside from proposals,
refer to the guide on AI Research Report Writing!
Five Secrets to Increase Proposal Success Rates
First, Discover Our ‘True Value’
This is a concern experienced by many sales teams.
Even though our products are good, it’s difficult to clearly explain the benefits.
Converting Technical Superiority into Business Value
The development team claims, “The processing speed is improved by 20%,” but this needs to be translated into language the customer can understand.
For example, “Reducing monthly work hours by an average of 2 hours, leading to annual savings in labor costs.”
Identifying Real Differences from Competitors
It’s important to discover our unique strengths among seemingly similar solutions.
You need to objectively compare and analyze in all areas such as price, features, and services.
Selecting Appealing Points for Each Customer
Even for the same product, the points to emphasize vary depending on the customer.
For a customer focused on cost reduction, emphasize economic efficiency, and for those pursuing innovation, highlight cutting-edge technology.
Second, Thoroughly Analyze Competitors
To achieve successful differentiation, a precise understanding of the competition is essential.
Analysis of Solution Features
Compare core functionalities and performance
Pricing policies and contract terms
Customer service and support systems
Market positioning
Monitoring Customer Feedback
Online reviews and evaluations
Industry expert opinions
Existing customer satisfaction
Changes in market share
Understanding Strategic Patterns
Understanding what messages competitors are using to appeal to which customer segments allows for crafting unique strategies for differentiation.
Third, Present Convincing Numbers
Vague expressions like “there will be considerable effects” do not convince decision-makers.
Clear evidence for every investment is particularly necessary in B2B.
Direct vs. Indirect Effects
Direct effects: Measurable outcomes like cost reduction and revenue increase
Indirect effects: Brand value, customer satisfaction, improvement in organizational culture
The Importance of Scenario-Based Analysis
It is essential to prepare realistic predictions by considering worst-case, neutral, and best-case scenarios. Overly optimistic projections can decrease credibility.
Fourth, Establish Trust in Advance
What if the customer already has a positive impression of us before receiving the proposal? This gives us a favorable starting point in proposal evaluations.
Utilizing Content Marketing
Providing industry insights or problem-solving methods that interest customers in formats such as blogs or whitepapers is beneficial. When customers find our content during searches, they recognize our expertise.
Networking and Relationship Building
Building relationships with potential clients through industry events or seminars is crucial. Proposals from familiar companies are definitely received differently than those from unknown companies.
Fifth, Actively Utilize Success Stories
Concrete and verifiable success stories are the most sure way to gain client trust.
Focus on Quantitative Results
Rather than saying, “We achieved satisfactory results,” it is more effective to use specific figures like, “Achieved 15% reduction in operating costs, 30% increase in work efficiency.”
Selecting Cases Similar to the Current Situation
Presenting cases from similar industries, scales, or situations to the current client enhances persuasion.
Conclusion
We have explored the key points of B2B proposal writing.
From the daunting feeling of “I don't know what to write on a blank page” to examining issues like “the work takes a week,” we have provided realistic solutions for challenges faced by B2B sales professionals.
Most importantly, it’s about customer-centric thinking. Instead of detailing our company or products, it’s crucial to start from the client’s problems and needs, demonstrating what value we can offer.
Also, efficiency improvement should not be overlooked. To achieve the best results within the constraints of limited time and resources, it is necessary to improve inefficient processes. Using templates, automating information collection, and reusing content are helpful methods.
There are also tools available to systematically support all these processes.
Among these, inline AI stands out as a particularly noteworthy solution.
Template-Based Auto-Completion: By uploading successful proposals as templates and entering only client information, a completed proposal is automatically generated. Tasks that previously took 5-8 days can be reduced to 2-3 hours.
Real-Time Client Analysis: By just entering the client's name, it analyzes all publicly available online information to understand business status, current challenges, and decision-making patterns.
Proposal of Differentiation Strategies: It identifies unique selling points through competitive analysis and generates tailored messages for each client.
Accurate ROI Calculation: Provides reliable profitability analysis automatically based on industry-average data and similar cases.
In a B2B sales environment that is becoming increasingly competitive, using smarter methods to draft proposals has become a necessity rather than an option.
A proposal that inspires admiration instead of sighs of “We lost again.”
You can start this transformation with AI. Don’t miss out on securing deals due to proposals anymore.
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Recommended Reads
👉 Quick Guide to Writing Business Plans and Investment Proposals
👉 AI Research Report Guide - From Market Research to Competitor Analysis
