How to Write a Proposal Letter for Outsourcing | Bizfluent (2023)

Outsourcing refers to contracting, sub-contracting, or "externalizing" non-core activities of a firm. For example, a consumer goods company can outsource its call center to another country where labor costs are lower. This allows the company to focus on its core activities--designing, producing and marketing its products. To win an outsourcing contract, your firm needs to have some competitive advantage--a business process that you can do better or cheaper than other companies in the marketplace. However, doing things better or cheaper than others is not enough; you also need to be able to write a convincing and articulate proposal.

Step 1.

Go straight to the point of what you need to convey. Corporate executives are extremely busy people, so you should not waste their time with unnecessary introductions. Ideally, sum up your outsourcing proposal in a few sentences. Write what your firm can offer and how your services can impact the bottom line of you clients. Be specific. For example, "We would like to offer you to outsource your call center operations to our firm. We have achieved savings of up to 46 percent for other market players in your industry. Given this record, we believe you could consider our proposal in greater detail."

Step 2.

Tell the reader what your proposal is about in a more detailed form. Go into some major technical details. In the case of call center outsourcing, those may include information on the software and hardware you are currently using for processing phone calls. Also, indicate the prices you are able to charge as a result of lower labor costs. Highlight the quality of your service by providing information on the exams each call center operator needs to pass to qualify, for example.

Step 3.

Highlight the benefits and savings your services may bring to the company. Measure them in terms of concrete variables. For example, you can say "If you work with our firm, you may get a 20 to 46 percent cheaper per-phone-call cost and 70 percent less waiting time for your clients. In addition, our phone call center can operate up to 10,000 phone calls at a time--much more than any other phone call center."

Step 4.

Edit your proposal letter for typos and errors. If some passages and sentences are not clear enough or are not backed up by evidence, rewrite them. Also, remove any unnecessary words, such as "good" when it doesn't signify anything. Avoid repetition. Ask another person to proofread the letter once again.