PARTS OF PROPOSAL IN BUISNESS COMMUNICATION

A business proposal is a written offer from a seller to a prospective buyer. A proposal puts the
buyer's requirements in a context that favors the seller's products and services, and educates the
buyer about the capabilities of the seller in satisfying their needs.

TYPES OF BUISNESS PROPOSAL

There are three types of business proposals

Formally solicited proposals

Informally solicited proposals
Unsolicited proposals

Formally Solicited Proposals

Solicitedproposals are written in response to published requirements, containedin a

request for proposal (RFP), request for quotation (RFQ), invitation (IFB), or arequest for
information (RFI). RFPs provide detailed specifications of what the customer wants to
buy and sometimes include directions for preparing theproposal, as well as evaluation
criteria the customer will use to evaluate offers.Customers issue RFQs when they want to
buy large amounts of a product andprice is not the only issuefor example, when
availability or delivering or serviceare considerations. Sometimes before a customer
issues an RFP or RFQ or IFB,the customer will issue a Request for Information (RFI).
The purpose of the RFIis to gain "marketing intelligence" about what products, services,
and sellers areavailable.

Informally Solicited Proposals

Informally solicitedproposals are typically the result of conversationsheld between a

seller and a prospective customer. The customer is interestedenough in a product or
service to ask for a proposal. Typically, the customerdoes not ask for competing proposals
from other sellers. This type of proposal isknown as a sole-source proposal. There are no
formal requirements to respond.

Unsolicited proposals
 Unsolicitedproposals are marketing brochures. They are always generic, withno direct
connection between customer needs or specified requirements. Sellersuse them to
introduce a product or service to a prospective customer. They areoften used as "leave-
behinds" at the end of initial meetings with customers tradeshows or other public
meetings. They are not designed to close a sale, justintroduce the possibility of a sale.

Since Solicited proposals are written in response to published requirements,

contained in a request for proposal (RFP), request for
quotation (RFQ), invitation for bid (IFB), or a request for information (RFI).

Request for proposal (RFP)

RFPs provide detailed specifications of what the customer wants to buy and sometimes include
directions for preparing the proposal, as well as evaluation criteria the customer will use to
evaluate offers. Customers issue RFPs when their needs cannot be met with generally available
products or services. RFIs are issued to qualify the vendors who are interested in providing
service/products for specific requirements. Based on the response to RFI, detailed RFP is issued
to qualified vendors who the organization believes can provide desired services. Proposals in
response to RFPs are seldom less than 10 pages and sometimes reach 1,000's of pages, without
cost data.

Request for quotation (RFQ)

Customers issue RFQs when they want to buy large amounts of a commodity and price is not the
only issuefor example, when availability or delivering or service are considerations. RFQs can
be very detailed, so proposals written to RFQs can be lengthy but are generally much shorter
than an RFP-proposal. RFQ proposals consist primarily of cost data, with brief narratives
addressing customer issues, such as quality control.

Invitation for bid (IFB)

Customers issue IFBs when they are buying some service, such as construction. The
requirements are detailed, but the primary consideration is price. For example, a customer
provides architectural blueprints for contractors to bid on. These proposals can be lengthy but
most of the length comes from cost-estimating data and detailed schedules.

Request for information (RFI)

Sometimes before a customer issues an RFP or RFQ or IFB, the customer will issue a Request
for Information (RFI). The purpose of the RFI is to gain "marketing intelligence" about what
products, services, and vendors are available. RFIs are used to shape final RFPs, RFQs, and
IFBs, so potential vendors take great care in responding to these requests, hoping to shape the
eventual formal solicitation toward their products or services.

Writing a successful proposal can be made easier through the development

of a proposal checklist that contains the necessary standardized information
that is typically contained in 80% of all of your sales proposals. This makes
it much easier for the proposal writer to build a shell and then research the
roughly missing 20%. For example, the Company Name, Mission Statement,
History, Qualifications should remain the same for most proposals leaving
the Pricing section and specific Product and Service options specific to the
customer to be customized for the current target customer. At times, the
process can be tedious, but the steps are pretty basic.
 Here are some important features of an effective business communication
proposal.

Title Page

This should include the title of the report (which should give a precise indication of the subject
matter), the authors name, module, course and the date. A good title is usually a compromise
between conciseness and explicitness. One good way to cut the length of titles is to avoid words
that add nothing to a reader's understanding, such as "Studies on...," "Investigations...," or
"Research on Some Problems in...." The title needs to: match interests of reviewers; use
appropriate key words; be specific to the work to be accomplished; and be long enough to
distinguish it from other studies in the field, but not too long to bore the reader. Examples of
good titles are: Applications of the motivic Becker-Gottlieb transfer, Advancing engineering
education through virtual communities of practice, Structural controls of functional receptor
and antibody binding to viral capsids, Active tectonics of the Africa-Eurasia zone of plate
interaction in the Western Mediterranean.

Abstract

Every proposal should have an abstract. The abstract forms the readers initial impression of the
work, and therefore plays a big role on whether the application is funded. The abstract speaks for
the proposal when it is separated from it, provides the reader with his or her first impression of
the request, and, by acting as a summary, frequently provides the reader their last impression.
Some reviewers read only the abstract, e.g., a foundation board of directors member who votes
on final funding decisions. Thus it is the most important single element in the proposal.

This should be a short paragraph summarizing the main contents of the report.
It should include a short statement of the main task, the methods used, conclusions
reached and recommendations.
The abstract or summary should be concise, informative and independent of the report.
 Table Of Content

Whether to include a ToC depends on (a) the direction in the guidelines, and (b) the complexity
and length of the proposal.

Very brief proposals with few sections ordinarily do not need a table of contents; the guiding
consideration in this is the reader's convenience.

Long and detailed proposals may require, in addition to a table of contents, a list of illustrations
(or figures) and a list of tables.

Introduction

An introduction is the first paragraph of a written research paper, or the first thing you say in an
oral presentation, or the first thing people see, hear, or experience about your project. In the
introduction, you are attempting to inform the reader about the rationale behind the
work, justifying why your work is an essential component of research in the field.

The introduction does not have a strict word limit, unlike the abstract, but it should be as concise
as possible. It can be a tricky part of the paper to write, so many scientists and researchers prefer
to write it last, ensuring that they miss no major points.

It has two parts:

1. A general introduction to the topic you will be discussing

2. Your Thesis Statement

 Body Discussion

Your findings will be in the body of the report. The way you organize the sequence of ideas will
depend on the subject and your purpose. There are a number of ways in which results can be
presented: tables, graphs, pie charts, bar charts, and diagrams.

Conclusions

Introductions and conclusions can be difficult to write, but theyre worth investing time in. They
can have a significant influence on a readers experience of your paper.

Just as your introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into
the place of your analysis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the
transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis
and information should matter to them after they put the paper down.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you
to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to synthesize your thoughts, to
demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject.
It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.

Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond
the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections,
and elaborate on the significance of your findings.

Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your
reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic
in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your
reader, but also enrich your readers life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.
 Conclude by linking the last paragraph to the first, perhaps by reiterating a word or
phrase you used at the beginning.

Conclude with a sentence composed mainly of one-syllable words. Simple language can
help create an effect of understated drama.

Conclude with a sentence that's compound or parallel in structure; such sentences can
establish a sense of balance or order that may feel just right at the end of a complex
discussion.

Synopsis

It is generally a brief or condensed statement giving a general view of some subject.

Narrative Arc. A synopsis conveys the narrative arc, an explanation of the problem or
plot, the characters, and how the book or novel ends. It ensures character actions and
motivations are realistic and make sense. It summarizes what happens and who changes
from beginning to end of the story. It gives agents a good and reliable preview of your
writing skills.

Active Voice. Agents look for good writing skills. Let yours shine in your synopsis by
using active voice and third person.

Unique Point of View. An agent is usually looking for an idea of fresh or unique
elements. Is your plot cliche or predictable? Have elements that set your story apart from
other things they have seen.

Story Advancement. A synopsis should include the characters feelings and emotions.
Use these elements to advance your plot and story.

Write Clearly. Focus on clarity in your writing and avoid wordiness. Remember, less is
more.

Refrences
It is important that you give precise details of all the work by other authors that has been
referenced in the report.

If a list of references is to be included, it is placed at the end of the text. This section typically is
not counted in the page limitation of the Research Description.

In the text, references to the list can be made in various ways; a simple way is to use a raised
number at the appropriate place, like this.1 Such numbers should be placed outside any
contiguous marks of punctuation. If you have space, you might consider the American
Psychological Association style because the reader does not have to refer to the reference list to
see authors and data of publication, e.g., (Wiseguy, 2014).
 Refrences

Baugh, L. S., & Hamper, R. J. (1995). Handbook for writing proposals (p. 3). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.

Riley, P. G. (2002). The one-page proposal: How to get your business pitch onto one persuasive
page (p. 2). New York, NY: HarperCollins.