Develop sales tenders, proposals and quotations
Overview
This standard is about developing sales tenders, proposals and quotation. The preparation of tenders and proposals involves identifying your customer's requirements and matching them with the capabilities of your organisation. Proposals need to include all relevant details in relation to products and services. Tenders require to be structured within clear specifications to enable comparison between different suppliers. A proposal or quotation is expected to conform to your organisation's house-style. The proposals need to be competitive and detail any necessary conditions and constraints built into them to protect the interests of your organisation. This standard is for sales professionals who develop sales tenders, proposals and quotations.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
1. assess the likelihood of winning the proposal based on how compliant your response is likely to be
2. confirm customer's requirements and address any issues before the proposals are finalised
3. clarify the conditions and constraints to be included within the proposals or tenders
4. establish and develop the content of the proposals in house-style, including descriptions of the products and services, information about contract price ,terms and conditions of sale
5. establish and develop the sales tenders using specified structure and templates
6. ensure that the proposals or tenders are in accordance with market factors and customers’ requirements
7. supply the proposals or tenders within the agreed timescales
8. consult marketing and finance colleagues to ensure that the price reflects the value within the proposals or tenders
9. gain internal approval of the quotation before it is submitted
10. submit the proposals and quotations to the customers within agreed timescales
11. follow the lead up with and appropriate offer, further clarification or information, if required
12. ensure that confidential information is stored safely and protected from misuse
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
1. the current legal and ethical issues relating to sales proposal and tender writing
2. the sources of market data to support the development of proposals and quotations
3. your organisation’s procedures for developing proposals and quotations
4. the relevant procurement systems
5. the types of templates to be used for tenders
6. how to identify the customers’ requirements about products and services
7. how to address and issues and elaborate the best solutions to these
8. how to produce a document in house-style about products and services
9. how to set out a clear business case to the customers in both qualitative and quantitative terms, including contract terms and conditions and delivery of products and services
10. how to keep the proposals customer-focused
11. how to communicate proposals to the key decision-makers and get their approval of quotations
12. how to gather customer testimonials and credibility statements to support the proposals