 and welcome to Business Proposals. Here's where we're going. What are the basic elements of a business proposal? What are the main goals of a business proposal? What are effective strategies to use in a business proposal? Effective business proposals are documents designed to make a persuasive appeal to the audience to achieve a defined outcome, often proposing a solution to a problem. Common proposal elements include a great idea or solution, the Aristilian proofs, which include ethos, pathos, and logos, and this is a picture of Aristotle to represent those three proofs. Ethos refers to character, pathos to emotion, and logos to logic. They should be professional, they can be either solicited or unsolicited, and they usually include 10 different traditional categories. Cover page. This includes a title page with the name, title, date, and a reference to the request for proposal if appropriate. Executive summary. It's like an abstract in a report. It's a one or two paragraph summary of the product or service and how it exceeds expectations. Background. Here you can discuss the history of your product, service, and or company. Consider focusing on the relationship between you and the buyer and or similar companies. Proposal. This is the idea. The who, what, where, when, why, and how. Make it clear and concise. Don't exaggerate. Use well-supported reasoning to demonstrate your product or service. Market analysis. What currently exists the marketplace, including competing products or services? How does your solution compare? Benefits. How would the potential buyer benefit from the product or service? Again, be clear, concise, specific, and provide a comprehensive list of immediate short and long-term benefits to the company. Consider the return on investment. Timeline. A clear presentation of the process. Start to finish with specific dated benchmarks noted. Be sure to include visual aids. Marketing plan. Delivery is often the greatest challenge. How will people learn about you? If an audience is required for success, you will need a marketing plan. Finance. What are the initial costs? When can revenue be anticipated? When will there be a return on investment? If the product or service is to be delivered more than once, an extended financial plan is required. Conclusion. Restate your main points clearly. Tie everything together with a common theme. Make your proposal memorable. So to review, business proposals need to target a specific audience.