Your proposal cover letter serves as your most cordial handshake when delivering RFP (Request for Proposal) responses and sales proposals.
It may seem like a superficial addition to your well-crafted proposal, but if you deliver a proposal without a cover letter, then you are missing a valuable opportunity to connect with your client.
Specifically, the proposal cover letter enables you to:
- Succinctly restate your client’s goals to demonstrate that you understand their needs.
- Summarize the two-or-three compelling reasons why the client should select your offer. Deliver the repeatable elevator pitch for your proposal!
- Identify the timing of the next steps for follow up and review of the proposal.
- Demonstrate that you care enough about this opportunity to invest the time to write a cover letter!
Cover Letter Best Practices
Remember, your proposal cover letter may be the client’s first experience with your proposal—so make it a great one! From a structural perspective, your cover letter should follow these best practices:
- Deliver a one-page document. This helps ensure the succinctness of your communications. Proposal reviewers should be able to quickly capture the critical compelling information.
- Be client focused. Use your client’s name more frequently than your organization’s name.
- Include references to the client’s document number, project name and cited initiative. Make it easy for the proposal reviewers to associate your proposal with their specific initiative.
- Use bullets to help reviewers process important information like the two-or-three compelling reasons why they should select your offer.
- Provide information to reach the principal contact within your organization. Make it very easy for the client to connect with the right person.
- Use your organization’s branded letterhead. Strengthen the brand experience for the client. Don’t let sales reps reinvent your brand!
Shared by: Jeanne Schulze