Step 1, pass the "browse test"
Most proposals end up in the bin because they fail the “quick browse test”, the first few seconds where a reader scans for relevance, trust & credibility. Download the Business Proposal Blueprint and learn how to build credibility, earn trust and influence people on pen and paper.
Review from a PhD in Business
Dr. Vulumuzi Bhebhe
(Author, Entrepreneur, Facilitator and Lecturer)
Business Proposal Blueprint – Review:
As a seasoned entrepreneur, facilitator author and lecturer, I find this book (Business Proposal Blueprint) very relevant in all spheres of one’s business journey. It is written in simple language, yet the book remains effective and captivating. Some theories that may require many people in business to do mental gymnastics, when trying to understand them, are explained simply and concisely by Vusi Sindane’s prolific writing style.
In his book, Vusi Sindane delves into the concept of finding the smoking gun. This is a very effective concept and unfortunately, many start-ups and even some established business owners have failed, due to not getting this part (the smoking gun) right.
In the twilight part of this book, Sir Sindane deliberates on the techniques of ensuring your proposal – as an entrepreneur, and/ or businessperson, gets to the top of the pile of other proposals, through his “when” and “how” techniques.
Furthermore, his writing style which is premised on his own business experience(s), makes this book garden fresh and hypnotizing. One could almost see the world of business from Vusi’s Sindane’s business journey… A very interesting and augmenting journey it is.
I highly recommend this book to anyone, as it is suitable for all business-minded people from across the spectrum of business development and growth. It is a must-read and a must-have for those who are interested in great content that is well-presented and written!
Vulumuzi Bhebhe (PhD – Technology & Innovation)
Ui Brands Pty (Ltd)
www.uibrands.co.za
What to expect
Chapter 1: What is a proposal?
What is a proposal to begin with? Whether it’s on email, on whatsapp or a form document. They are all the same thing, warranting the same approach.
Chapter 2: The Rat in the Room
Learn how to identify burning issues in your audience’s mind, and how to aim your writing precisely at that problem.
Chapter 3: The Smoking Gun
Four questions to answer that will reveal your reader’s readiness to comply with your request or buy your product
Chapter 4: The big hollywood secret
All great artists have a format or structure they follow religiously. This capture reveals the structure of writing powerful and compelling proposals consistently.
Chapter 5: Overcoming the pains of writing
In this chapter, discover a simple system for organising your thoughts and putting them on paper, fast!
Chapter 6: Maps, Signs & Landmarks
Get your proposal to pass the browse-test (this is where most proposals are thrown in the bin)
Chapter 7: The Psychology of Pricing
Research shows that human beings react to numbers and pricing in a specific way. Learn about this and more in Chapter 7.
Chapter 8: Bullet Proofing your proposal
Discover what psychologists call weapons of influence to strengthen your proposal without sounding tacky and desperate.
Chapter 9: Frequently asked Questions
These are the questions that frequently come up from workshops.
Chapter 10: My secret Weapon
Ignoring this one tip is like standing at the edge of a cliff, playing he loves me-he loves me not with real money.
Chapter 11: The blueprint
Let’s bring it all together in a systematic template you can use over and over again
Bonus: Templates
Download templates and examples of my winning proposals. This includes detailed analyses of each proposal on how to apply it.
Satisfied Readers
I have started reading and from the little that I have covered (only on page 20), and I am already hooked. You are gifted writer and I trust I will have a lot of wisdom to take note of when I am done.
Boineelo Joka
/ Business Development Manager
The first three chapters cover content, organisation, and reference sources through a story telling and research. The strategies mentioned are amazing and opened up new possibilities for ideas I thought were dead. I recommend this blueprint to open-minded entrepreneurs and friends.
Msizi Miya
/ Founder of Status Watches
I struggled a lot with pricing my proposals. To be honest, I only bought the book for Chapter 7! Damn, I was amazing and inspired to read the whole book. I can confidently say, I now know how to write good proposals - still learning though.
Brian Poopedi
/ Innovation Strategist, Revoquest Consulting
Is it such a bad idea?
At first the idea of writing anything is daunting; it just sounds like a bad idea. Rather pick up the phone or talk to the client directly, right? Well, what if they ask the proposal anyway? Would it be such a bad idea to learn how to write one, properly?
The back story
In 2009, the company I worked for hired a toxic COO. She lied in meetings, made up stories. It was horrible.
So, I quit, thinking my other clients would carry my costs. But that did not happen. So, I had to move back home, a small town in Mpumalanga.
Suddenly I needed to reach customers that were nowhere near our small town. I learned quickly that I had to write to them, but I sucked at writing and lost a lot of opportunities.
So, I turned to copywriting gurus like Gary Halbert, Gary Bencivenga, Michel Fortin, David Ogilvy – and many others. They advocated emotive, punchy writing, which was great for consumer-facing campaigns, but was too hyped up for Business-to-business communications.
Eventually, I developed my own style, system and format. This led to moving from our small town, back to the big city – Johannesburg, landing several consulting projects and becoming the Group COO of 16 companies in 2020, managing hundreds of millions.
I soon discovered that most of my staff did not know how to write proposals. So, I polished all my notes, coached them, ran several workshops, and wrote this e-book, hoping to transfer what I learned.
Today this e-book has been read by PhDs, MBAs and hundreds of others, who have given raving reviews.
I still apply its principles, mostly writing proposals for the biggest entrepreneurs in South Africa, facilitating millions in transactions and proposals as an advisor, co-writer, editor and consultant.
I hope this little body of work helps you break into the real deals, as it has helped me and many others. Download it now; let’s get you started.
P.S. You can learn more about me and get my CV here. Or simply visit Google and type ‘Vusi Sindane’
Get your money back if you don't like the book - you have 12 months to review it.
If you buy the book and find it is not useful or not what you expected, I will give you a hassle-free refund in the first 12 months after buying it. Simply write to me (you will get my personal email address after buying).