Preparing b2b sales quotes? That is great news! That means you have already found a lead, qualified it, met, presented, reviewed and understood their needs, maybe met again for a site visit, received a scope of work from them and are now formally bidding.  Awesome!!!

If you are at this stage, in most cases from my experience there are 1 and up to 3 additional bidders.  So you are on the short-list.  

I have put some tips and thoughts below that may help you when writing your quote to help you come out a winner.

1. Make is personable and customize it a bit if you can.  Bring up something from the meeting that can be used in the quote directly.  This shows you were listening and care about what their needs are.  In one recent quote we helped with, the customer requested a specialist technician to take care of a piece of their equipment.  Our client has this person on their team and provided a bio of that particular technician.  
2. Where possible, have the client send you the scope of work or services they need.  This will make it easier for you to bid in a clear and concise manner. An apples to apples comparison is always the best situation.  If there are additional services or solutions you can offer, detail these our separately.
3. Create a 2 page Executive Summary of your quote.   The reason for this is that in many cases, the decision maker who holds the budget (for example, the CFO or VP) is not the technical lead and may not understand the technical detail.  Providing them with a high level overview helps your champion present the solution you are proposing in the best light to non-technical decision makers.  The detail is included in the proposal so it is there if needed post the Executive Summary. 

Your 2 page Summary should include the general things like To and From.  It should also include:

1. Your understanding of the business pain and need
2. How you can solve their business pain (at a high level)
3. About your company
4. Benefits of your company and how those tie to the business pain(s)
5. Pricing

4. The detailed proposal should follow the Executive Summary and should include any necessary information covering equipment being serviced or services being delivered and when.  The more detailed the scope of work the better.  Be specific and thorough.  This will show your understanding of the opportunity and also not leave room for ambiguity or confusion.  One of the worst things that can happen is that you win a new customer, then your scope is off and you either start losing money or have to go back to the client to discuss these “out of scope” items and then the client is unhappy.
5. In the quote proposal, if you see additional opportunities to assist the customer list them.  This shows proactivity and that you care.  This may be a differentiating point for you if you are in a tight competition for the work.  
6. Present your Quote to the customer.  In person if you are geographically close or via video call if not.  People still by from people and your tone of voice, body language all convey your sincerity in helping them solve their business pain.
7. Be clear on timing and next steps post Quote presentation.

Happy Hunting!
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