Sure, you may be able to come up with a great business proposal, but is that enough for the client to award your firm the project? It may be, but don't count on it.
Any client worth their salt is going to want more than that to go on, especially if they haven't worked with you before.
Of course a client will want to confirm your qualifications.
If the proposal project requires certain technical skills, like the ability to build a first-class website, you'll need to produce evidence of successful websites your people have constructed.
If the project involves the design of a new building, the client will want to see other buildings designed by you and your staff.
Whatever the skills you profess to have, the client needs confirmation.
In some ways, and as important, the client will want to study case histories of projects you've done, how you went about them, and the reactions from those you did the work for.
Was the work performed to a high standard? In particular, the client will want to know what went wrong, how you coped with it and the lessons you learned.
In some ways both qualifications and case histories are the easy things.
You wouldn't be bidding on a proposal unless you were confident that you were qualified to do the work.
Qualified is one thing; but can your firm do the work at this time? Do you have the staff to handle the job? What if you are exceptionally busy? Could you even take on one more job? No client wants their project in third place because you're too busy, or you can't get the people you need.
It serves neither the supplier nor the client; better to resign the contract or decline to bid if it places the client in jeopardy.
And what about your sub-contractors? What assurance can you give that they will perform as expected? And then there are the intangibles.
What if the project runs into trouble, either from the client's side or that of the vendor? Can we count on you to be flexible enough to get the job done? Will you hire additional staff or take whatever steps are necessary to hold up your end? Will your staff go that extra mile for us? This brings us to relationships.
It's critical to us to have a solid working relationship with the successful bidder.
That means full and open communication.
Can we expect that from you? And can we get access to your people when necessary, so there's never an issue of communication not working? To summarize this article, a client wants a vendor they can totally depend on; one that ensures open and transparent communication at all times; one whose attitude is that we will do whatever it takes, within reason, to ensure that the project is successfully completed; one committed to the client's business being their top priority.
With that assurance in hand, the client can give a business project the green light.