As a marketing manager, you have many responsibilities. One of the lesser known parts of your job is likely creating proposals for your sales team. You may have heard of these documents referred to by a number of different names—such as “business proposals” or “product proposals”—but really, they are all the same thing. Sales proposals are documents put together by a sales team, usually in conjunction with their marketing team, to pitch prospective clients on their products and services.

A good sales proposal will highlight the reasons that a prospective client would benefit from working with your company. It should succinctly show how your product or service responds to their pain points.

But how do you do this? This article will break down the aspects of a great sales proposal, hopefully making your life (and the lives of your sales team) easier!

Key Aspects of a Sales Proposal

Summary

You’ll want to begin your proposal with a summary so clients know exactly what to expect. Some clients won’t read through the entire proposal—some may skim it, some may read only the first page—so remember to pack as much information as possible into those first key lines. Introduce your product or service, its key benefits, and why the client should be interested. The summary should be straightforward and attention grabbing—but with the transition to digital formats, this is easier than ever. Using video content here can immediately capture attention and convey your message effectively. Even if you're using paper brochures, consider adding a QR code linking to landing page video content!

Next Steps

Once you’ve established your product or service, break down the next steps for your reader. Walk them through the purchasing process all the way to implementing the product/service. Helping them to visualize this process can make it easier to accept your proposal. 

Pricing

While still keeping it brief, include an accessible pricing section to give your client an idea of what to expect. How much or how little info to include will depend on when in your sales pipeline you’re using the proposal—however, since sales proposals usually appear later in this pipeline, pricing will already have been discussed, and nothing in the proposal should come as a shock.

Clear Design Elements

Make your argument as easy to follow as possible by using design elements like section headings to structure your document. Also, consider breaking up large chunks of text with photos or videos, or other engaging visuals such as infographics. High-quality video content can be particularly effective in keeping your clients engaged and conveying complex information succinctly.

The Power of a Strong Sales Proposal

As a marketer, a proposal created for your sales team may not seem like your saving grace. However, when done well, a good proposal will go a long way in making your life easier. Overseeing the proposal from start to finish means you won’t have to jump into it halfway through to assist with design elements, and it ensures sales content follows branding efforts. Incorporating compelling video content into your proposals can also ensure that your key messages are delivered powerfully and memorably.

A sales proposal is just a repackaging of information that you already know through and through as a marketing manager. Done well, it walks prospective clients through your pitch from the basic idea of your product or service, to its USPs, next steps, and pricing. 

For an example of a sales proposal that follows these guidelines, check out the VidOps testimonial brochure!