Being a recipient of a number of quotations for supply recently, it appalled me that there are so many poor structures to quotations, and I would like to suggest this particular structure that has worked exceptionally well for me, for any quotation.

A for Attention - Full details of what the customer asks for in the first paragraph.
I for Interest - Full details of what you are going to offer.
D for Desire - Benefits and why you exceed the specifications.
A for Action - The investment that has to be made, the delivery time, the action steps, the critical path and when you will contact the customer to get their decision.

This particular structure will work whatever size quotation that you actually need to put together and whether it's a verbal quote, written quote, or a reply to an RFP or a tender, the basic format means essentially being aware of the fact that other people will read the quotation who have not had the advantage of any face to face meetings or discussions with you, and you need to be able to get them to understand essentially what was asked for, what is being offered and why it is better.

In addition you might like to add into a major proposal for a major tender or an RFP the following additional items:

• A personal letter from the most senior person in your organisation; managing director, sales manager or general manager; addressed to the most important person in their organisation, to wish them well in their decision making and also to welcome them on board as a customer, as well as to ensure that your major proposal gets read.
• An outlining situation that shows how well you have worked in with the people in the organisation to establish the problems, the situation, the effects of doing nothing, and the objectives for your proposal.

After providing full details of your proposal you might like to include a key executive summary sheet. 

That key executive summary sheet would have on it:
- The current situation
- The current problems
- The effect of doing nothing
- The selected solution
- The investment required
- And then most of all, a statement of the decision that needs to be made, that you are expecting the customer to record into their minutes
 

Another useful device is a critical path that helps determine that if a decision is made from this date, when the actual solution will be implemented.
 

In addition you can provide testimonials, alternative solutions, product specs, personal profiles of the team who will be working on the project, and broken down unit of use investment costs.

If you put all of this together you are going to ensure the success of your quotations, your tenders and your RFPs; and most of all make sure that you actually follow up and get a win/lose decision and why. 

Let's all hope the right result comes out for the coming Lions Tour, the coach doesn't get fired, and most of all that we all manage to enjoy the business prosperity from such an event.

I've just organised a reprint of my book Marketing and the Law and copies are available on the website.
 

Coming up for launch in November will be my sales book Selling Opportunities.  We'll give you some more details on that book launch when we get the opportunity.