Competently written commercial offers are a subscription to transactions for an entrepreneur. They are used even in the world of big business. Sparing time representatives of venerable companies are often in no hurry to spend time on an audience with novice entrepreneurs. In this case, they use the sacramental phrase: "Send your offer, we will consider it." This is followed by the formalities of a polite farewell. And if for a visitor writing a commercial proposal is a Chinese letter, then the door closes for him.
Sample commercial offer
However, for another category of entrepreneurs, such a request still means a chance. As you know, they are motivated businessmen who have something to offer and who know what a commercial offer is attractive to customers.
A sample of such a letter, addressed to the managers of cosmetic stores and entrepreneurs working in the same market, we present below.
Example 1
Proposal of collaboration
Good afternoon!
In addition to our correspondence, we send you information about the brand and company by e-mail.
The German popular brand LLL is a hit in the Russian market of women's cosmetics.
LLL today presents about 1000 types of high-quality professional cosmetics at very affordable prices. All products are made from natural raw materials and ingredients using advanced technology. Recognizable unique packaging design turns LLL products into excellent souvenirs.
Elsa + LLC, the exclusive distributor of LLL products, is a reliable partner for:
- specialized multi-brand stores;
- boutiques.
We also help open LLL brand boutiques to novice entrepreneurs.
LLL is:
- Natural professional cosmetics sold at affordable prices.
- Prompt delivery from a warehouse in Moscow.
- Convenient terms of purchase: the minimum order amount from $ 500.
- Flexible pricing: an order of $ 1,000 or more corresponds to a 5% discount; from $ 5000 - 10%; over 10,000 - 15%.
- Additional service features: warehouse services, free probes.
All products from LLL are certified and equipped with Russified stickers.
Our website: www.elza_plus.net
Product catalog in pdf format, available for download, at www.elza_plus.net \ prilogenia \
Have a nice day!
Grigory Ivnin, Head of Sales.
Our phones: 0 (489) 777 22 99, 0 (925) 321 32 21.
Address: 119331 Moscow, Ivan Kalitin Avenue, 37-210.
A similar quotation for a product is universal. In this case, it is addressed to the management of a multi-brand commercial store. However, it can be useful when communicating with the owner of the boutique, and for sending to a novice entrepreneur. It is designed to be sent to recipients after a preliminary telephone conversation. Most distribution cosmetic companies are characterized by a similar commercial offer. The delivery of goods (sample - the above business letter) implies discounts when it comes to wholesale lots.
A careful examination of the example convinces of the structured form of the proposal itself and the conformity of its preparation to certain laws.
Of course, in any commercial offer there is an obligatory part containing details identifying the businessman and his business. By analogy with figure skating, we compare this with the mandatory program. However, there is another side to it, which is defined as an explosive mixture of business specificity with the intrigue of business interest involved in it. This resembles an already arbitrary figure skating program. After all, just as the skaters prove their individuality and win the hearts of fans, so a businessman with a brilliant commercial offer makes counterparties look at themselves with different eyes. Such commercial offers are keys that can open many doors ...
In this article we will consider some of their nuances.
Our teaching material is oriented in its presentation mainly to beginners. Therefore, figuratively speaking, we will touch upon the “compulsory program”. Note that the competent writing of the necessary details, commercial offer - this is not so little. At least, a commercial proposal created with all the necessary elements is a tangible characteristic of a businessman as an economically and socially competent person. A clear business style and the logic of arguing for commercial interest already inspire respect among entrepreneurs.
We also note that the absence of an appropriate skill does not mean a stalemate. After all, a resourceful businessman can delegate the writing of a commercial proposal to a professional. The price of such a service is usually from three to fifteen thousand rubles.
Overview of the features of some types of commercial offers
The preparation of the business document in question is the usual work for the sales departments of most companies. We will not give their examples in this review in full, we will write only about the “highlight” contained in the main part.
In particular, the bank’s commercial offer to both individuals and legal entities is an important tool in its promotion on the market. Moreover, in the sequence of proposals made by the bank, there is a certain pattern. Initially, a card is offered to the client in order to more conveniently manage his own funds. Then - a loan that increases the profitability of the bank. Some bank customers, following the recommendations of rational storage of funds, open bank deposits. From time to time, new customers are attracted by stocks, and the most significant investors are attracted by favorable rates and a more advanced service.
A commercial proposal by a construction company offers buyers the purchase of buildings under construction and demonstrates them the full range of construction works:
- construction of residential, business, industrial buildings;
- reconstruction of buildings and structures, as well as their conversion;
- landscape design;
- construction of communications.
If you have to create such business letters, pay attention to their writing style by other specialists. In this way you can draw fresh thoughts for your work.
About analytical work prior to writing
It is no secret that a businessman should start writing a commercial proposal after a clear understanding of the target audience, to the satisfaction of which his goods or services are intended. Unfortunately, often entrepreneurs find it difficult to characterize the target audience of their product, answering vaguely and monosyllables: "That's it!" Beginning businessmen holding a similar position risk joining 90% of startups ending in bankruptcy in the first year after starting a business.
You should never rush to make a commercial offer for a product (service)! First you need to evaluate the effective demand for it.
Let us take for an illustrative example the evaluation of a separate commercial operation - the production of a printed batch of booklets on the design of premises. We analyze. The circulation should be implemented in a city with the appropriate number of architectural bureaus, because the demand for the booklet will ultimately be determined by architects and designers. The number of demand carriers should be determined using expert judgment.
The market assessment using reference books is inaccurate, because it sins by the presence of a significant number of “dead souls”. Then, having learned the actual information on the number of representatives of the above professions, it should be limited to 15-20%. Experts will tell you such a share of those interested in buying. It is for such a number of customers that the booklet circulation should be calculated.
The second preliminary direction of the businessman’s analytical work, without which one shouldn’t even take up commercial offers, is a deep awareness of the competitive advantages of his product and a strategy for their rational disclosure from the perspective of the brought benefits to the user.
Now measure the cost of manufacturing with the expected income. Is it profitable? Then get down to business!
Some nuances of business writing
When creating a proposal, do not hesitate to contact your target audience directly and recognizably. It’s easy, just insert a few words into the phrase. For example, if potential customers are employees, then instead of the general phrase "working eight hours a week," it is preferable to use another, specifically addressed: "employees working eight hours a week."
It is important to catch a favorable market situation that increases the demand for your product or service. For example, seasonality. If an optimistic level of demand is maintained in a niche for the sale of goods, then the entrepreneur should immediately write a letter.
A commercial offer is a special kind of epistolary genre. Such business documents can be divided into two categories: personalized and informational and advertising.
Information and advertising commercial offers
We encounter the second group of commercial offers quite often. This includes spam massively sent to electronic mailboxes, as well as targeted advertising mailings. The purpose of such KP is the primary attraction of attention, the awakening of interest.
Everything in them is subject to a single goal: to attract the attention of the average reader. For all their diversity, the same type of structure characterizes each such commercial offer. The sample is characterized by recognizable generic traits:
- catchy headline: it should stop the attention of the reader;
- the first sentence, intriguing the further reading of the letter: it, according to the rules of the genre, should be short enough and composed of no more than 10-11 words; the first sentence is made out in a separate paragraph.
What do you think is the main idea in the second sentence? His main task is only one: to get an intrigued reader to read the third sentence. The mission of the third sentence is similar.
Each paragraph of the message to clients should contain no more than 7 lines. The text, if it is more than 1000 characters, is divided into subsections with subheadings.
Rules for writing promotional business letters
Attractiveness is the main thing that characterizes the advertising and informational commercial offer. A sample of such a letter is written by people in love with their product or service. They treat readers with respect, as their potential customers, addressing them to the "you". By the way, it’s important to maintain a certain "proportion of pronouns": professionals recommend using the words "your" and "you" four times more often than "ours" and "we".
In the text of such a letter, denial as well as exaggeration are contraindicated. Metaphors, on the contrary, are welcome. The customer should want to buy a vivid image of the product. Psychologists say that the first phrase of the letter, enclosed in quotation marks, further increases the audience of its readers by 30%. In addition, the first letter of the text depicted by the capital letter attracts the attention of another 13% of readers. The style of narration should be confidential and conversational, therefore, professional vocabulary should not be abused in it. Special terms may be used in exceptional cases of principle.
Immediately we warn the authors about possible errors that negate your efforts. A commercial offer of an advertising-informational nature (a commercial offer for sale) does not fulfill its mission if it is designed discreetly, unstructured, without indicating the benefits of the buyer. Its effectiveness is also reduced if the author falls into particular and does not know how to highlight the main thing.
Personalized Commercial Offers
Sometimes the client himself initiates the writing of such a business letter by sending a request for a commercial offer. In this case, the sales department is taken for work. A preliminary collection of information about the company or about the person directly to whom the letter is addressed is carried out. Their pressing, urgent needs are revealed. For this, a preliminary meeting is planned, a conversation with experts. Then the identified needs are commensurate with the competitive advantages of the product (service).
If a letter is to be addressed to a future counterparty for the first time, then it is addressed to the first person. If the cooperation with the partner has already been worked out, it is allowed to address it to the deputy directly in charge of work with suppliers.
However, companies that have a solid business reputation in the region can afford a commercial offer for the provision of services or for the supply of goods drawn up in anonymous form. However, this is rather the exception. The following sample business letter is appropriate for this situation.
Example 2
The modern style of business buildings is not only functional stylish architecture. The main indicator determining their successful operation is safety.
A professional approach to design provides for the neutralization of possible calls in advance and allows you to prevent possible incidents.
LLC “Protection. Fire-prevention systems ”works according to the principles of professionalism and quality!
We do not accept deviations from international fire safety standards. The largest enterprises and organizations, as well as private individuals of the Tver region are our long-term clients. We are principally committed to fulfilling our contractual obligations and constantly feel responsible for the health and life entrusted to us by our clients. Business cooperation with us guarantees a hassle-free state acceptance of the facilities you are building and their successful subsequent operation. Numerous positive reviews indicate the right choice of our customers.
LLC “Protection. Fire-prevention systems "guarantees:
- introduction and use of modern fire safety technologies for business and residential buildings and structures under construction;
- ensuring proper certification of the supplied devices and structures, their qualified installation by certified specialists;
- ensuring the design level of fire protection, sound insulation and insulation, including the use of ALT systems, providing a fire resistance limit from half an hour to an hour and a half;
- fire protection of metal and concrete structural elements;
- individual design and development of automatic fire extinguishing systems and fire safety with a service life of 25 years;
- manufacture of refractory doors of various sizes upon request of customers.
We offer, depending on the required characteristics of fire protection, flexible tariffs for the installation of ALT systems from 0.5 to 1 thousand rubles. per square meter.
To discuss the project you require, please contact us by phone in Tver: (4822) 52-52-52, (4822) 52-52-53.
This offer - a model for services - is based on customer loyalty to ensure the safety of business and residential facilities. It does not have a specific addressee. But this is permissible, because, as stated in this business letter: “The largest enterprises and organizations, as well as private individuals of the Tver region are our long-term clients.”
It is permissible for a company with a similar reputation to make a quotation without an addressee. The writing of this letter was obviously preceded by a request for a commercial offer from potential buyers. Therefore, the proposal is, despite this form, personalized. Such a request is a type of business letter created in any form. Its content implies an interest in acquiring certain goods or in obtaining specialized services. Often customers refer to the catalog of the company and ask for an expanded interpretation of the acquisition procedure and cooperation procedures.
About creating a quotation template
The offer template (if the addressee is a legal entity) is developed taking into account the alleged interests of three people at once: the general director, the deputy for finance, the deputy for production. That is, it is obviously necessary to arouse interest in those products from those people whom you may not even see in negotiations. Regarding the understanding of the direction of the financial content of the proposal, one should understand the main priority of the buyer: minimizing costs or making more profit. In the first case, emphasis is placed on the success of the purchase of goods from the point of view of the criterion of "price / quality". In the second case - on the effectiveness and quality characteristics of the operation of the goods.
However, such a template of a commercial offer has one more component. In it you need to masterfully beat the existing shortcomings of your product (service). In your letter, you are free to shift the buyer's attention to your commercial steps that compensate for the obvious flaws. For example, if your equipment delivery speed exceeds that which can be offered by co-workers, it makes sense to additionally indicate that the delivery time does not affect the date the equipment was put into operation.
The classic example of a commercial offer for a product is really written according to a template that assumes a traditional structure (meaning the introduction, the main part and the conclusion). In the introduction you need to put a link to the motives and circumstances of writing the letter. At the same time, a concise and concise description of the market in which the addressing company operates provides a concise emphasis on the needs of your client. Let’s give an example of a commercial offer - an example of promoting business software. However, in this case, the specific field of activity is not so important. A commercial offer - a sample for the services of a company distributor of proprietary software - does not fundamentally differ from its offer for goods. After all, both sale and customization are made at the same time. In addition, further product support is foreseen.
Example 3
JJSOFT commercial offer for sale
Your company is a prominent regional distributor of domestic software products for the automation of accounting and management accounting. You can additionally receive 60% of income from sales of CRM - system number 1 inCRM. The fundamental point in a possible collaboration is that the inCRM functionality is fundamentally different from the functionality that you are currently distributing. Thus, you can implement non-competing products.
The benefits of selling CRM - inCRM systems are in your company receiving 60% of the income from its implementation. The inCRM system is one of the sales leaders in the sections "Customer Base Management" and "Sales Management". The amoCRM brand is also known to company executives and IT directors as the leading specialized software in the Russian market.
inCRM - leader of CRM rating in small business
Our software product is considered the most successful for the small business with a long sales cycle (businesses such as B2B and B2C). It is successfully implemented by our offices located in Moscow and San Francisco. It is successfully implemented by Softplus and All & soft online stores, ranking about 25-30th in the rating of 1,500 leading programs.
inCRM is recommended by entrepreneurs
User reviews of the program indicate its practical benefits for the small business. It is not only effective for creating a customer base, but also convenient in operation. Thanks to her help, entrepreneurs do not “sin” with forgotten customers, unanswered calls, and do not lose sight of really important issues.
Each user in it is configured access rights corresponding to its functionality. Efficiency of work with clients is ensured by a convenient interface, which makes it easy to add fields to the databases and quickly generate analytical reports.
inCRM promotes customer service
When working effectively with a client base, employees of the company using inCRM easily receive relevant information for any client: what he bought, what wishes he expressed. Based on a simple analysis of this data, you can understand which for a particular client draw up a commercial offer for delivery. A sample of such a business letter can also be entered into inCRM.
Collaboration and contacts
To discuss cooperation, we recommend calling the contact numbers + (495) 123-45-67, + (495) 123-45-68.
We provide our partners with documents essential for work: user manuals, booklets, presentations, advertising materials.
How do companies producing and selling software draw up such a business letter? Many companies practice a quotation form, modeled on the company letterhead with the director’s facsimile signature on the bottom of the form.
On the semantic content of a commercial proposal
The main part provides information on the competitive advantages of the goods sold. At the same time, emphasis is placed on the feedback from your customers about the operation of your product previously purchased. Your key buyers are listed. In the final paragraphs of the main part, the customer is provided with your contact information, delivery conditions.
In the last paragraph, describe the optimal algorithm for the customer to purchase your product. It should not be larger than three lines.
What mistakes negate the efforts of the authors of personalized commercial offers? Many novice entrepreneurs, creating a commercial offer-sample, are limited to coverage of only price factors. At the same time, the introductory part addressed to a specific buyer with coverage of his needs for your product (service) is often ignored. Not paying due attention to customer benefits.
The entrepreneur, having sent such a letter, unobtrusively for the addressee monitors its consideration. Periodically maintained communication with him. First, you should find out if the letter came to his addressee. If no response is received within three days, call back, emphasizing in the conversation that the client may miss the obvious benefits. In business, you can’t just send personalized business offers and then forget about them. Make sure your letters are considered earlier than those written by competitors.
How complete is the commercial offer?
Does a commercial offer always include comprehensive information about a product (service)? In fact, this question does not imply a single answer for all cases. For example, if preliminary negotiations were held the day before, then, indeed, a commercial offer should be made as fully as possible.
If the preliminary contact with a potential client was formal (you phoned him or exchanged messages by e-mail), then you should not provide full information immediately. It is wise to preserve the trump cards for a personal conversation with him. However, even with prior contact, you must definitely inform him of the estimated price and the pricing principle.
It is supposed to provide complete information to the buyer (even without a preliminary meeting) in the event that the profitability of the transaction is minimal. At the same time, the entrepreneur acts based on the logic of minimizing unproductive time costs.
Conclusion
We summarize the content of the article. Only after conducting an analytical assessment of the feasibility, the entrepreneur should write a commercial proposal to the client. A sample of this business document implies consistency and regularity. Depending on the features of the formation of the client base, informational-advertising or personal commercial offers are written.
A certain arbitrariness in the formulations of a business letter still implies a clear writing algorithm. Experts warn about the need to avoid mistakes, because commercial offers are a rather delicate business tool.