Proposal Cover Letters: What Are They & How To Write One

Writing a proposal cover letter is an excellent way to stand out from the competition. If your proposal is well-written and professionally presented, it can help you get the attention of evaluators and decision-makers at your target company. With Expedience Software’s proposal writing software, writing a proposal cover letter is a simple and straightforward process. Read along to learn more about strategies for writing compelling and engaging proposal cover letters.

What is a Proposal Cover Letter?

But what exactly is a proposal cover letter? A proposal cover letter is an introductory letter to your company that accompanies your RFP response or business proposal.

A proposal cover letter is a single-page document for a prospective customer that provides high-level information from a prospective vendor. The cover letter is read by the same individuals who decide if you will be awarded the business and is considered a sales tool to differentiate your company from the competitors. The proposal cover letter provides the first impression to decision-makers and is a vehicle to reinforce your brand and expertise.

Why is a Proposal Cover Letter Important?

A proposal cover letter is an opportunity for you to introduce yourself and your company to a prospect. The letter should also show that you’re genuinely interested in their business.

The proposal cover letter is your first impression on your potential client. And it’s not just any impression—it’s the one that determines whether or not they’ll keep reading your proposal.

A proposal cover letter should be very concise, on a single page, and focus on:

• A message of greeting and introduction to your organization
• Summary of the prospect’s needs outlined in the issuer’s RFP
• The unique qualifiers and differentiators your company brings to the project
• A closing salutation and thank you message

A proposal cover letter is an opportunity to highlight your expertise, offer an understanding of the prospect’s needs, and state why your company has the qualifications to win the opportunity.

4 Steps To Writing A Proposal Cover Letter

As you begin writing a proposal cover letter, it’s important to remember that your goal is to get the person reading it interested in what you have to say. You want to show them that you can do the job and convince them they should hire your organization.

Writing a proposal cover letter can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. If you want to write a winning proposal cover letter, here are some tips on what to include and how to format it:

1. Address the Cover Letter to Key Stakeholders in the Decision Making

The first step to writing a proposal cover letter is understanding who you are writing it for. If you do not know the individuals involved in the decision-making, make it your business to find out. Contact the issuer of the RFP and find out the names of the key contacts making the decision. This will ensure the cover letter will be read along with the proposal to follow and helps establish relationships early on.

2. Keep the Introductory Statement focused on the prospect

Take the positive step to differentiate your company by offering a complimentary statement about the prospect company. As the decision-makers continue their process, this can make you stand out in the crowd and may give your company an advantage for further consideration as the RFP or Proposal response review phase comes into play.

3. A Perfectly Formatted Cover Letter is Essential

Be sure to use proper formatting to engage the reader. You want the letter to be easily read in a clean and appealing format. Open with a meaningful statement about the prospect company and direct the opening to the decision-makers. Include key differentiators about your company in the body of the letter. Finally, close with precise details about how the prospect company can engage with you further. Tell them who to contact and what the next steps will be. Always conclude the cover letter with a handwritten signature.

4. Provide Trust Signals to Add Credibility

Give a brief description of a similar success story with a client. Showcase how your company has partnered with the organization to solve problems for mutual benefit. This is also an opportunity to show that your company is interested in understanding its needs and pains as a potential partner going forward.

Why Sign the Proposal Cover Letter?

As mentioned, you should always conclude the proposal cover letter with an actual signature. This last step of personalization will convey your company’s desire to win the business. It also provides specific contact details for the review team as a point of contact for future reference.

Expedience Software Proposal Writing Software

Are you looking to write better proposals? If so, Expedience Software may be the solution for you. With Expedience Software’s Proposal Writing Software, you can create dynamic and persuasive proposals that win the business.

Expedience Software is an automated software application that helps you write better proposals. At Expedience, we understand the importance of producing polished, professional proposals. Our content library, which houses your proposal content, can contain anything that can be inserted into a Word document, including images, tables, charts, and videos. The content can be saved in the library with the formatting completely intact, saving countless hours of formatting and reformatting for the final proposal document.

Expedience has many resources to get you started writing better proposals and proposal cover letters. Our Proposal Writing Software offers everything you need to write the perfect proposal and proposal cover letter. Expedience Software is easy to use and fully integrated across the Microsoft Office suite.

With Expedience, writing proposals will be faster, easier, and more consistent across your proposal and sales teams. You’ll eliminate many time-consuming administrative proposal efforts and gain time where it matters – to customize the proposal at hand. With Expedience Software, you can create winning proposals in no time at all. Contact us to request a free demo!