The Black Friday rush is the world’s biggest sale and sweeps many savvy shoppers off their feet year after year. Average Americans spend around $300 online during this time, and not just on e-commerce! Brand growth potential and new clients are ripe for the picking, no matter what industry you are in: all you need is a powerful proposal.
Preparing a Black Friday business proposal to send to your existing customers and potential prospects could be the difference between your company thriving or surviving for the next year. It is not enough to just send out a discount token- you need to think about the following things:
- What can you offer that adds value and genuinely matches your clients’ needs?
- Know your prospects and tailor your proposal to them.
- Shake things up. Pedaling the same ideas and methods is neither enticing nor innovative.
A well-crafted business proposal has the power to speak directly to your audience and show them exactly what you can do for them. Including one in your sale season marketing plan is a proactive and positive decision. Here are some targeted advice on creating Black Friday proposals for various industries.
SaaS
Software as a Service is a driving force in modern business. From accounting to customer relations, there is pretty much nothing that cannot benefit from an on-demand software platform. If you run a web-based application service, no matter the niche, writing a proposal for Black Friday is a good move. Not sure how it should look? Get inspired by this Prospero SaaS proposal template.
Cyber Monday is a particularly lucrative time for software providers offering discount deals. People and other businesses are actively looking for service subscriptions during this time. The publicity is taken care of- all you need to do is stand out from the crowd!
How do you do that, exactly? Here are our three top tips for SaaS Cyber Monday/ Black Friday Proposals.
- Don’t wait until the week before- start your marketing early. Consider sending out teasers as early as August and move to your targeted client proposals a few weeks before the big day.
- Identify a need and show how you can oblige. Random discounts are not unique or exciting – you have to be different. Research what exact requirements a prospect has and tailor your proposal to answer.
- Offer a discount. It may seem obvious, but not every on-demand software provider does. The BFCM madness can be used as an advertising platform to promote yourself without actually dropping any prices, and people don’t even notice. However, SaaS companies who slash subscription prices or think up some other cost-cutting solutions have significantly more Black Friday success than those who don’t.
NGOs
Non-profit organizations can also use Black Friday to their advantage. Sponsorship proposals are a vital method of survival for organizations that rely on alternative income sources. As Black Friday lines up right at the start of the Christmas runway, it poses a unique opportunity for NGOs to rally support in time for the holidays.
There are two types of business proposals an NGO could consider using around Black Friday: a donation agreement or a sponsorship plan. Donation proposals are straightforward, appealing mainly to companies’ generous spirits. Sponsorship, on the other hand, is a business agreement.
As you can see on this NGO sponsorship proposal template, a sponsorship agreement should be as detailed as possible. Companies should know exactly what financial input is required of them and what they can expect in return. Sponsorship is different from charity- it is an exchange of services.
Top Tip: Black Friday proposals should be sent well in advance so your NGO can advertise your sponsor in the run-up to help build interest and boost sales. It is also a good idea to target a sponsor that is relevant to your organization.
Events
Event planning and services are always going to have an audience, no matter what time of year it is. One of the benefits companies has that work in this industry is that most people like to plan ahead, especially for important milestones.
Writing a proposal offering Black Friday deals on event planning is a seriously intelligent move for anyone interested in filling up their schedule for the year ahead. A perfect example is this wedding photography template showing how to promote a service directly to a client.
Prices, products, and expectations should be described in detail so that the happy couple feels entirely confident that they can trust the provider to make their big day even more special. The same applies to this Prospero catering proposal template, to give another example.
People plan their weddings and other major events long before the day arrives, and savvy brides-to-be everywhere are hot on the heels of Black Friday deals that can help them achieve the wedding of their dreams. They are looking for you! You just need to make yourself visible.
Having a strong proposal that is easy to customize to a variety of clients is a great way to set your business up for success.
Web Design and Development
There is no denying how vitally important websites are to modern businesses. People are willing to pay good money to ensure their website is perfect, but that doesn’t mean they are not interested in a good deal. Freelance web designers and developers are the ones who have the most to gain.
Here are two reasons why and tips on how to convert the potential to reality.
- You may be relatively unknown, but your work can speak for itself. If you reach some valuable prospects showcasing your talents and offering them a Black Friday discount that is hard to turn down, you have a good chance at getting your foot in the door and your reputation on the rise.
- As a freelancer, you can speak to a client on a one-to-one basis rather than representing a company. That sense of personalization installs a lot of trusts and builds strong business connections. If you back that up with a tailored business proposal focused on how you can improve their website, you have a golden opportunity on your hands.
Black Friday is arguably the biggest day of the year for many online retailers, so they need their websites to look good. Why not get ahead of the traffic and propose early deals to give websites a BFCM-themed makeover ahead of the main event?
Writing a proposal similar to these two examples on Prospero (template one, template two) helps you to put your name and your work in front of the correct sets of eyes.
Freelance Business
Freelancers should make the most of Black Friday by offering discount deals and getting their name heard. Proposals are the most effective way of directly targeting clients and ensuring your offer is seen.
When you work freelance, your reputation is everything. A professional proposal can impress the right people and propel your business forward. No matter what industry you work in, the value of this marketing strategy cannot be overlooked.
If you work in the design industry, for example, graphics or logo design, you can use Black Friday Proposals to showcase your talent then sweeten the deal with a special promotion. Show clients exactly what you are capable of and tailor your offering to meet each client’s requirements. The same applies to any creative freelance work. Check out this great example of a freelance copywriting proposal.
Freelance financial workers should create extremely detailed proposals suitable to the industry. This Prospero example of a freelance accounting proposal is a fantastic base to work from. You can see how in-depth the information provided is to help qualify the sender as a viable choice for a serious company.
Above all else, do not be afraid to promote yourself! If you can’t say how great you are at what you do, then who can? You have the skills, now match it with the right price to encourage people to choose you above anyone else.
Media and Advertising
The best opportunities surrounding the Black Friday madness come a little earlier for media and advertising companies. Sure, they can offer discounts of their own come the time, but they can also make money helping others prepare.
The BFCM weekend is a major event for e-commerce and retail, not to mention a host of other industries- a lot of which have very little idea on how to effectively advertise. Sending out proposals to businesses you feel your media and advertising company can genuinely impact before Black Friday approaches could be potentially lucrative.
Think about it- companies are preparing their products and discounts to handle the rush, but without a strong advertising campaign, they could get lost in the masses. If a proposal from a proactive and professional media and advertising company arrives detailing how they can take over and manage the entire ad campaign, ensuring maximum exposure, that could look like a very attractive deal.
Here are three of our favorite template examples on Prospero for SEO, PPC, and Content Marketing. In all three, you can see the following ideas:
- Be upfront about exactly what you can deliver and provide a specific timeline.
- Explain how much input is required from the other party and the time commitment they can expect from you.
Extra tip: Drive home the importance of Black Friday advertising, and consider knocking the price down a little in the spirit of things.
Travel
Black Friday travel deals are seriously hot tickets. Finding an incredible deal on winter getaways, holiday packages for the following year or flight and hotel deals over the holiday season are all dream items on a lot of shoppers’ lists.
If you run a travel company, you have a golden opportunity to rake in sales left, right, and center during the BFCM long weekend. It doesn’t take much convincing to get people to want a holiday, but you need to make the deal too good to turn away from.
Proposals are an excellent tool for travel companies as they directly speak to potential customers. Generalized sales across flight prices, hotels, and other travel-related items are very popular, but a targeted proposal takes things one step further.
Here are a few possible things to consider adding to a travel proposal for Black Friday:
- Put together special packages, such as a Christmas getaway, the ultimate romantic weekend, group travel arrangements, or a family reunion package (see an example here.)
- Customize proposals for previous customers offering a loyalty discount for a repeat booking. If you have information about the type of travel they have booked in the past, you have a better idea of what is likely to appeal to them now.
- Include feedback from other clients as part of your proposal to add to the appeal. As the seller, your opinion is always going to be biased, but the words of others who have experienced the product are believable for prospective clients.
- Use the season to your advantage. Winter is cold, wet, and often a little miserable- what better time to get away? Browsing Black Friday deals on a wet afternoon and up comes an incredible deal on a break in the sun tailored to your interest? It takes a strong person to turn that down!
School Organization
Some schools host a Black Friday event for students and faculty. It is a good opportunity to take a break from routine and give everyone a chance to let their hair down. Black Friday proposals for school organizations target companies with something to offer to make the day special.
As you can see in this school event proposal template, the proposed event should be detailed with every aspect covered in case of changes. Most schools don’t have ample budget to spare, so frugality is essential.
Finding a company sympathetic to educational endeavors and encouraging young people to excel is the key to a successful proposal.
Possible ideas include:
- Sporting event organizers
- Arts associations
- Entertainment and Amusement companies
Don’t forget to push the reputational value aiding a school event has to a company.
Summary
The bottom line is that Black Friday business proposals can help you get ahead of the rush and stand out from the swathes of discount deals and big red sale stickers. People want a bargain, sure, but they also want high-quality service. Writing a proposal for existing and prospective clients allows you to offer both.
Remember the following points when crafting your business proposal:
- Bring something new to the table
- Know your audience
- Keep it streamlined and straight to the point
- Offer valuable solutions
By using Prospero templates, you can guarantee professionalism and star power in every proposal. Try it out if you want to use Black Friday as rocket fuel for the forward movement of your company.
