13.10.2019
Cover letter for business proposal example. Commercial offer: templates, samples and examples
Have you heard the common idea that people don't read long texts because they are lazy? You must have heard. So this is not true. I have a sea of evidence: from reading serious studies to my own observations using analytics tools on how people behave on sites. They delve into, select with the mouse, copy. In a word, read and very carefully.
According to my observations, much more people lazy to write. This is where they really save themselves! I'm not talking about purely entertaining writing, but about utilitarian commercial writing, the purpose of which is to attract customers and make money. He laid out - convincingly stated his commercial offer - got a client - sold - earned. And if we are talking about auxiliary texts such as covering letter, then laziness leads people completely.
I calculated that:
- 87% of the emails with commercial offers that I have received over the 9 years of my mailbox existence are empty. Not a single line is written in the body.
- In 2% of cases, the commercial offer is written immediately in the body of the letter - the best option.
- In the remaining 11%, the body of the letter contains a boring, clichéd text that reads something like this:
Why is it important to write a cover letter?
Let's imagine what a person needs to do in order to respond to a commercial offer that you sent him by email in the pdf file format attached to the letter. You are waiting for the client to study the benefits of your offer and call back at the phone number indicated in the document. So, a phone call is a client action that you are counting on - the so-called target action. But!
To get to your phone number, the client needs to take a few more steps:
- Read the subject and click to open the email
- Read the text in the body of the email and click to open or download the attached file
- Read the commercial offer, get interested in it and…
... just now call the contact number.
The conversion of the commercial offer will consist of three intermediate ones:
- Email open conversion
- Conversion to download (open) file
- Phone call conversion
For each of the listed actions, the recipient is prompted by a certain text. In the first step, this is the subject of the email. The second is a cover letter. In the third - directly commercial offer. If there is a weak link in this chain, the sale will fail. The client just won't get to last stage conversions.
And as we found out, almost 90% of letters do not have a good cover letter, which means that the sales chain breaks at this stage.
What should be in a cover letter for it to do its job well?
I offer you my vision of solving this problem, my view on the structure and logic of the cover letter:
Brevity
Here you do not need to spread your thoughts along the tree, stating all the details of the trade offer. To describe all the details and benefits, you have already developed a commercial offer and saved it in a separate file. A cover letter only serves a tactical purpose - works to make an intermediate conversion. The expected action of the addressee - downloading the file - is not so complicated that it does not require too much persuasion to push it.
To brevity, I would also add simplicity. No need for floridity, do not try to impress the recipient with your sophistication in the epistolary genre. It does not require, as one of my clients put it, and "special business language”, meaning by it that “robotic” correspondence that our b2b market sins with. And he so lacks simplicity, cordiality and human language!
Previous Contact Reminder
Before sending a commercial offer, did you call the addressee? Perhaps you talked to him at the exhibition or he contacted you through the site. Remind him when and for what reason you contacted him before. This will demonstrate the non-randomness of your letter and increase the chances of a conversion.
Targeting
Well, here I will not discover America. Letters with a personal address by name attract more attention. It's like shouting in the crowd: "Hey!" Who will pay attention, and what kind of attention will it be? In the best case, they will turn around at you, throw a glance and forget in a second. It’s another matter if you shout: “Hi, Andrey!” Agree, Andrey will react better?
Key benefit of the offer
It is 100% formulated in your commercial offer. It is worth repeating it in the cover letter. The only thing is that maybe not in the same words. Otherwise, it will not be a very good repetition. Where to formulate? Depends on the format of the letter.
The format of the letter depends on the way you work with the commercial offer, on who you are writing to. You can create a full-fledged header in terms of formatting and logic. You can formulate it in the introductory paragraph. I can definitely say that this should be done at the very beginning of the cover letter.
Additional Benefits
Their strength is difficult to overestimate. They are needed to increase the impact of the main benefit and, perhaps, to hook those who were left indifferent to it. Again, it is not necessary to paint everything and in all details. Make a concise but focused list.
USP
We will not talk here about what it is, why it is and how it is. Let's simplify everything to the limit. To solve our problem, it is enough to formulate the uniqueness of your proposal in the cover letter. Again, short. One or two short sentences is enough.
call to action
This element, and it is critical for a cover letter, was not in all the letters that I analyzed. They simply broke off at the last narrative phrase, and it is not clear why the author wrote letters, what did he want to achieve from the recipient? You can't leave the decision to the recipient. Saving the drowning is not the work of the drowning themselves.
You need a conversion, and you tell the person what he should do after reading the letter. Download file? Follow the link? Write a sentence that will call him to this action. Actually, for the sake of it, we are trying).
Another moment, inconspicuous, but important. In a call to action in it is important not to "recall". Don't bend the stick. The style of the call is very dependent on the characteristics of the target audience. Someone needs to write softer, with someone you can be aggressive. It is foolish to demand to "contact you right now" if you are writing to a minister, his deputy or just a significant person. Think about the people who will be reading the letter and choose your words carefully.
Signature and contacts
They are needed. And according to the rules good manners it’s supposed to be, and the right contacts have a good effect on trust, well, and those proposed in the cover letter alternative ways contacts will help to easily and simply contact you for those who decide to do it right away, without reading the commercial offer.
What is missing from this post?
It goes without saying that there is no example. And, really, no. I confess, I do not like to spread them once again to spread. Even the page with CP examples has long been outdated, many works of a different level have appeared, but I still won’t update it.
If you want to get an example, you can just write to me or ask a consultant in the chat. 99 and 9, that we will not refuse and we will select a suitable example.
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Main purpose of a cover letter:
- Briefly familiarize with the content of the CP and encourage the addressee to read the document in more detail.
- Do not clutter up the commercial offer with unnecessary introductory and welcome information.
The cover letter may be accompanied by:
- product catalogs;
- service rates;
- timing of official events of the company, etc.
The cover letter is very important if the company is engaged in the "cold" mailing of proposals.
As a rule, no one opens the attached files in such letters, but immediately deletes them. A well-written joint venture should encourage the recipient to pay some attention to your proposal. The recipient should be willing to spend a few minutes reviewing the submitted material.
It is also wrong to refuse to draw up a joint venture if a verbal agreement was reached with the recipient of the offer by phone or during a personal meeting. Remember that a few hours after successful negotiations, a potential customer may lose the essence of these negotiations, or he may forget about this conversation altogether. He will be occupied with other matters and worries, and he simply will not pay attention to the received letter without a cover letter.
Such a letter will be lost in dozens of other letters. Even a reminder in a personal meeting or by phone does not always give a result.
It is the cover letter that should prevent your proposal from getting lost, and encourage a potential partner to get acquainted with it as soon as possible.
How to write correctly?
How to compose this document? The cover letter can be written in any form, but there is General requirements content, such as:
- Appeal. It is better to start the letter with a greeting to specific person. This will not create the appearance of a mass mailing. After the greeting, introduce yourself.
- Presentation of the company. Briefly describe your company. List its qualities (15 years on the market, extensive experience, etc.).
- Services. Present the company's services or products.
- Advantages. Tell us why your services are better than those of your competitors. Advantages of cooperation and special conditions.
- Ending. The cover letter ends with the polite signature of the sender: “Respectfully, ... (position, company name and name of the sender).”
The description of the benefits and benefits is the cornerstone of the entire cover letter. Give this section your full attention. To interest a potential partner with favorable conditions is an important step for the possibility of further cooperation.
Sample text
Below is an example of such a letter, which is required before sending a special offer:
Good afternoon, dear ______________________!
You are welcomed by the company LLC _________________, Moscow - the exclusive representative of __________________________________________________________ in Russia. We offer you favorable terms of cooperation. 
We offer:
- products of the highest quality;
- the best prices;
- discounts and deferrals;
- prompt delivery.
In the attachments you will find a price list, product presentation and detailed conditions for working with our company.
For any questions, please call: _________________.
Sincerely, Regional Manager of LLC _________________
When and how is it sent?
Commercial offer with a cover letter can be sent on behalf of the entire company, and from specific divisions, departments or employees. You can send them both to a specific person and to a group of recipients.
If you are sending a cover letter to a commercial offer by regular mail, it is advisable to print it on the organization's letterhead.
It is also necessary to note a few points when writing a joint venture:
- Objectivity. Write information only on the case and specifically on your proposal. No need to write well-known truths (“London is the capital of Great Britain”) or “pour water” (“The coming sunny, warm May days inspire us to new labor exploits”).
- brevity. People are too lazy to read long texts. The shorter your cover letter, the more likely it is to be read. Try to express all important information(benefit from cooperation with you) in the most concise form.
- Do not use the phrase "commercial offer" anywhere in the letter. This phrase is psychologically scary. Try to use different words. And put more emphasis on the benefits of working with you.
- Simplicity and clarity. No need to get carried away with the epistolary genre and pile up your cover letter with professional terms and professional language. Be simple. The recipient will have the feeling that they are being addressed specifically to him.
- Motivation to action. Indicate what the recipient should do if he is interested in the offer: view the attached file, visit the site, call the specified number, etc. Potential clients do not always understand what needs to be done to start cooperation. The clarity of the procedure will increase the likelihood of a response from customers.
Conclusion
A cover letter is an important part of any forwarded proposal for cooperation. The number of responses to your proposal will depend on how competently it is drawn up.
Types of commercial letters can be different: offer, request, request and response to a request. This article explains how to write all of the above types of sales letters and provides examples of sales letters.
From the article you will learn:
In commercial activity, a message sent by a seller to a buyer with an offer of goods or services and the intention to conclude a deal, indicating its specific conditions, is called a commercial offer.
How to write a commercial offer letter
According to the generally accepted standard, a letter of a commercial offer for cooperation is drawn up on the letterhead of the company.
The composition of the details required for a commercial message includes:
- Company name;
- reference data about the company;
- company code;
- OGRN legal entity;
- TIN of the taxpayer;
- date of creation of the letter;
- registration number of the shipment;
- destination;
- heading of the commercial letter;
- signature;
- artist mark.
A commercial letter can be sent to one specific addressee or to several at once. Some companies use mass mailing of such letters to the widest possible range of addressees.
How to write a letter of request
Letters of request are compiled in order for the addressee to perform the actions necessary for the author of the message. In a simple situation, it is not required to present complex information, give arguments, or convince the addressee. Then letter of request it is better to start directly with the statement of the request itself.
For example:
We ask you to send the calendar plan for the seminars for the 1st half of 2018.
Request - a request letter that is compiled to receive official information(documents, materials, information).
Compare the texts of the two letters.
Letter of request:
An inquiry:
Email text structure
The text of the request letter consists of two parts: justification (statement of the reasons for the request) and conclusion (request).
Unlike a request, a request can have a different structure. Such a letter may include:
One part. For example:
We ask you to consider the possibility of supplying citrus fruits in the first quarter of 2018 and, if the decision is positive, send us an offer.
The request consists of one part, since the situation does not require justification.
Two parts. For example:
In connection with the repair of the road surface on the street. Molodtsova, in the area of houses 15–27, from May 15 to May 20, 2018, we ask you to stop traffic on the indicated section at night.
If the text of the request consists of two parts, the reasons for writing the message should be stated first, and then the request.
Three parts. For example:
In accordance with the contract dated February 12, 2017 No. 22/56, your company undertook the obligation to supply metal mobile racks for the archive storage equipment in equal batches in September, October and November 2017. However, you delayed the delivery of the last batch of equipment for two weeks without explanation reasons for the delay.
The delay in the delivery of the last batch of racks jeopardizes the commissioning of the archives within the time frame established by the state contract. We ask you to take measures for the shipment of the last batch of racks in the amount of 40 pcs. no later than March 10, 2018.
The justification in requests or requests may be a reference to a legislative or other regulatory legal act, a statement of facts or events.
Rules for writing letters
Letters of request and letters of inquiry are drawn up on forms.
When processing these types of messages, the details are used:
- destination;
- title to the text (if the text of the letter is more than 4-5 lines);
- signature;
- artist mark.
In the process of preparing the message, they are coordinated. Marks of approval (visas) are affixed to the copy of the letter. A copy remains in the organization - the author letters. There are marks on reverse side original if the message is sent by fax or e-mail. If there is a system electronic document management, marks are fixed in it.
For more information about the classification of commercial letters, see the article Information Letters.
How commercial inquiries are made
A special type of letters of inquiry is a letter of request for a quotation. This is a request from the buyer to the seller:
- provide information about the goods (works, services);
- send a proposal for the supply of goods (performance of work, provision of services).
Commercial requests are used before the conclusion of the contract.
In the text of a commercial request, as a rule, indicate:
- name of goods (services);
- the conditions under which the author of the letter would like to receive them;
- quantity and/or quality;
- terms of delivery of goods or services;
- price;
- other information.
The commercial request uses the following expressions:
Please let us know if you can supply...
Please make an offer for...
Please inform detailed information O…
Full request example:
Please inform about the possibility of supplying flatbed scanners of models SKAN-200 and SKAN-320 in the amount of 2 and 3 pcs. respectively during March 2018, as well as to communicate the terms of payment and terms of delivery.
But there is a problem: few people dare to open the attached file from stranger. Just for these purposes, the accompanying text is written, that is, the message in the body of the letter, motivating to open the attachment.
Learn how to write a compelling cover letter for your business.
Cover letter structure
1) Greetings. It should be short, personalized and universal (" Good night!" and "Happy St. Patrick's Day!" definitely not suitable).
Example: "Hello, Fedot Alisherovich!"
2) self-presentation. Remind briefly who you are, what you do, and under what circumstances you have been in contact with the client before. If you have not contacted, omit this part of the paragraph.
Example: “My name is Vsevolod Konebrod. I am a consultant on the selection of economy tours to Israel, we talked with you by phone on Wednesday at 12:00.
3) Services Presentation. In one or two lines, describe what the “raisin” of your proposal is.
Example: “Let me remind you that through me you can pick up an inexpensive tour to Israel from 34 leading tour operators in Russia and the world for free. All tours are without commissions and extra charges.
4) Redirect to action. Push the person to the desired action and provide your contacts.
Example: “I am attaching detailed information about the services in the attachment. For all questions, callXXX- XX- XX».
5) Parting. As in the greeting, we stick to the generally accepted official tone (no “Smack, kukusik!”).
Example: "Respectfully, Vsevolod Konebrod."
What happened (example of a cover letter)
Hello, Fedot Alisherovich!
My name is Vsevolod Konebrod. I am a consultant on the selection of economy tours to Israel. We spoke with you by phone on Wednesday at 12:00.
Let me remind you that through me you can pick up an inexpensive tour to Israel for free from 34 leading tour operators in Russia and the world. All tours are without commissions and extra charges.
I am attaching detailed information about the services in the attachment. For all questions, call XXX-XX-XX.
Sincerely, Vsevolod Konebrod
Cover Letter Writing Tips
Be specific. Do not lecture on history (“People have been wandering since ancient times…”) and do not pretend to be Wikipedia (“Israel is a state in Southwest Asia…”). Write only the essence of your proposal.
Brevity is the soul of wit. American marketers believe that the optimal length of an e-mail message is from one to six lines, no more. It's hard to disagree with them, even if English language and more concise than Russian.
Do not use the phrase "commercial offer". Nowhere in the letter. She scares and instantly gives you a salesman-merchant. By the way, the same applies to the name of the file attached to the letter.
Good luck everyone. All sales. All income!
Welcome to the business and finance magazine Rabota-Tam.
A cover letter is an addition to the commercial proposal, which briefly outlines the principles of potential cooperation. It is necessary in order to:
- do not burden the commercial offer with large amounts of information;
- familiarize yourself with the content of the main document.
Also, additional files may be attached to the cover letter: prices for goods and services, a calendar schedule of promotional events, official invitations to trade shows or conferences.
Cover letter writing guide
Although the cover letter for the commercial offer is drawn up at the discretion of the sender, it must nevertheless have a clear structure and comply with the established canons of modern business management.
Greet the addressee.
If the letter was sent after preliminary agreements with the responsible person of the organization, be sure to greet the recipient by name and patronymic. Otherwise, replace the name with a pronoun and go to the second paragraph.
For example:
- “Hello, dear Eleonora Valentinovna!”;
- "Good afternoon, you are greeted / disturbed by ...".
Introduce yourself.
Immediately after the greeting, introduce yourself on your behalf or on behalf of the company, indicating the position or activity of the organization you represent. In addition, recall the date and circumstances of your previous contact with the addressee. If there was no prior communication, skip this sentence.
For example:
- “My name is Eleonora Valentinovna. I am the director of sales at Superleggings, we spoke with you via video link on Saturday at 13:30”;
- "Greetings from Superleggins, the leading manufacturer of leggings on the Russian market."
Briefly provide information about the services provided or goods sold.
At the same time, do not miss the opportunity to repeat yourself about the benefits of your commercial offer.
For example:
"Company "Superleggins" offers you:
- the widest selection of premium leggings at affordable prices;
- free shipping anywhere locality RF;
- 15% discount on the entire range."
Inform the recipient about the documents that may be attached to the letter.
For example:
- “In addition to the letter, an official invitation is provided for you ...”;
- "In the attachment, read the conditions for obtaining additional discounts ...".
Motivate the recipient to action.
For example:
- “Any questions? Contact us at…”;
- “Would you like to cooperate with us? Call the number ... ".
Thank you for your attention on behalf of responsible person or organizations.
