If you’re building software programs, knowing how to draft a software development proposal can come in handy. It’s basically a document sent out to a prospective client to show the value of your services.
If you don’t have any experience creating one, this article will guide you through the entire process. You can learn how to write a proposal and other useful tips that can help you.
How to Create a Software Development Proposal Using a Template
Once you’ve received an answer to the above questions, you can start writing a more detailed proposal. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Get to know your prospective client
Before you can start writing the proposal, you must understand the pain points of your prospective client. Here are some questions you can ask as part of client discovery:
- What made you decide to book a trial of our software?
- How is your team struggling with the project or task?
- What tools are you currently using to manage the project or task?
- How do the members of your team collaborate on the project or task?
By asking these questions, you can come up with the proposal’s contents and what you can offer them.
2. Use a software development proposal template
Templates have pre-built sections that you can customize with the information you need. To help you save time in writing the document, you can reuse content for each proposal you send out.
The sections you can reuse include the following:
- Why Us
- Implementation
- Solution
- Case Studies
- Pricing
- Contract and signature
3. Customize the necessary parts
Remember the questions you asked in the client discovery process? Use the information you’ve gathered to customize the necessary parts of the proposal.
The software development proposal creation process will require you to recommend solutions the client needs. You can develop the best approach for their software needs using the information you’ve collected.
4. Revise the unique sections
While there are parts of the template you can reuse, some sections need to be revised. Specifically, you must pay attention to the Cover page and the Overview. These sections of the document need to be written specifically for the client you are proposing to.
Software Development Proposal
Use a Software Development Proposal Template
The process of writing a software development proposal doesn’t need to eat up all of your time. You can simply use a template you can customize with the information you provide.
Not only does this help save time in drafting the document, but it can also help with your design needs.
What a Standard Software Development Proposal Includes
Once you’re ready to start on the nitty-gritty stuff, you can focus on drafting the template. A standard proposal will usually include the following sections:
Cover page
This section will include the name of your company, the client’s name, and the date. Some proposals even have a picture to make it feel customized.
Overview of the problem and goals
In some proposals, this is also referred to as the executive summary. This part of the proposal gives the client an outlook of his situation, goals, and where you fit in.
Why us
This section in the proposal does more than share an introduction to your company. It gives your prospective clients reasons why they should choose you.
Solution
The different features of your software will be highlighted in this section. You can include how these features directly affect the client’s goals or pain points.
Case studies
You can showcase your previous work, along with testimonials from customers. This will help give the client an idea of how you plan to achieve success with them.
Pricing
The price of your software should be included in the proposal. You can itemize your pricing or present a table with various options.
Contract and signature
The proposal can be turned into a contract when you include your terms and conditions. A section for the signature of both parties can put the proposal in effect immediately.
How Fill Can Help Write a Software Development Proposal
The good news is that you can use tools to learn how to write a software development proposal. One of the tools you can use at your disposal is Fill’s template gallery.
After customizing the template you need to use, you can send it to a prospective client’s email immediately. When he’s ready to sign, Fill can help make things official with its online signature feature.
Sign up for a Fill account today to start customizing your proposals.