Life is like a big yard sale. Each day, you must sell your ideas to other people. Similarly, people will offer theirs to you. If done right, they will convince you. If done poorly, then you reject them. Simple.
A proposal is an idea or a plan. An offer involves cost and exchange. The proposal comes first. The offer comes after. Both terms have different uses but are often used together.
Think about your day-to-day experiences, about those exchanges you share with other human beings. You may give them a call, meet them in person, or write to them. If the request is not part of their jobs, then you must sell it to them. If they agree, the deal is done.
Remember the time you were not convinced about going to that place that looked dull? Your partner proposed the idea of going there and provided a potential advantage. The proposal was to go to the dull place, and the “offer” was the leverage: “if you hate it, then you wouldn’t have to wash the dishes for a week.”. Remember? Perhaps you did not share that same experience, but it serves its point. In this article, I will explain each term in detail.
Origin Of Each Word And Other Details
Proposal
“Propose” originates from the old French root words “pro” = “forth” and “poser” = “put, place.” Utilizing “propose” to indicate an offer of marriage was first registered in the 18th century. The French word replaced the Latin “proponare.”
A proposal carries the speaker’s approval of the presented idea; it’s like saying you think this should occur. It suggests an action or plan, often written or verbalized, for people to think and decide. In formal settings, it is used more than the word offer. For example, the phrases “marriage proposal” or “business proposal.”
Offer
An offer leads to a promise related to an act in exchange for the initial promise. It shows your compliance to agree and an invitation to the other party to finish the agreement by showing approval.
It goes back to the 15th century as “to present (something) for approval or rejection.”
The Latin word “offerre” was used widely in Germanic languages. In Christianity: Old Norse “offra,” Old Frisian “offria,” Middle Dutch “offeren.” The non-religious senses were from Old French “offrir” = “to offer.”
Termination of an Offer, Rejection, and Acceptance
Suppose the person receiving an offer decides to accept and make a percentage of payment. In that situation, the offerer may be tied to the conditions of the offer. An agreement is struck if the offerer takes the payment. They will then be legally bound to perform his/her part of the contract. The offeree can take legal action if the offerer fails to accomplish his/her contractual duties. The offer is terminated if it is rejected.
A new offer is in place when changes are made to the terms of the initial one. That is called a counteroffer. If the offer has an ending timeframe, it cannot be accepted after that time.
After a fair amount of time, an offer can be terminated.
Valid Offer “Musts.”
An offer for multiple people is not the same as one for a single person. In fact, they have different names:
General Offer: It refers to the one made to a group of people.
Specific Offer: This one is made for one person.
If someone wants the offer to be considered valid, it must meet some requirements:
- Must be informed.
- The purpose must be to obtain the consent of the other person or party.
- It must be a two-way process, meaning that it must be capable of being within a legal relationship.
- Language must be clear with no room for uncertainty or assuming.
An offer can be implied or expressed. If it is expressed, it is made in a conversation. If it is implied, it is informed in the absence of a conversation.
There is a saying that “Silence implies consent,” but that doesn’t apply when it comes to accepting an offer. The acceptance must be informed.
More Definitions Of “Proposal.”
- Verb. Show for consideration, criticism, examination, etc.
- Verb. Put forward; nominate an office or
- Verb. Nominate for an honor or position
- Verb. Propose or intend
- Verb. Submit a plan for something
- Verb. Ask to marry you.
More Definitions Of The Of “Offer” And How People Use Them
- Verb. To ask anyone if they would like to have something or use something.
- Verb. You are willing to do something. You offered to do it.
- Countable noun. Something that a person says they will do for you or give you.
- Verb. If you offer someone advice, information, or praise, you give it to them, generally because you feel that they deserve it or need it.
- Verb. If you offer friendship or love, you show that you feel that way towards people.
Examples Of Proposals And Offers
- I put the townhouse up for auction, but I haven’t received any offers.
- The offer is this one if you’re anxious to return to the industry.
- She offered me a ride.
- New York became the last city to accept the offer because of the current economic situation.
- There are so many offers for marketers that social media seeks to build a larger community first.
- Some countries currently offer some extra labor benefits for parenting.
- When you offer me some great music to clean my ears from all this noise.
- The world has a lot to offer. It is me that is not accepting.
- Having a lack of experience reduces your amount of job offer interviews by a considerable margin.
- For my city, transforming into a local tourist attraction may offer the community a way to create much-needed revenue.
- They feel that the program has many advantages to offer in return for the cost and yearly support.
- I accepted the offer so that you could see the difference between this market and theirs.
- Thinking it was a call for endorsement, which he could not offer.
- I am forced to offer myself everywhere. Nobody helps, so I do it myself.
- It is undoubtedly true that the agency has proposed some aggressive plans to rein in medicine pricing. Still, it has hardly enacted any of those proposals.
- His agenda is the most radical set of proposals ever put forward by a party nominee.
- Negotiations over the proposal are expected to generate congressional action.
- The CFO said he expected the board of Representatives will be supportive of his proposals.
- In 2005, Jim released a budget proposal that modified the course.
- Meantime, a proposal to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour dies in Congress.
- Tomas proposed “to transform the current penitentiary system into an arts center.”
- He says there are discussions with the country’s officials about the proposal, but there is a low suspicion.
- The new proposal from Beijing requires a majority vote by the Hong Kong Legislature to go into effect.
- I propose, and you decide.
- This was no plan to be poor together. It was a proposal to all be rich.
- In its fundamental essence, socialism is a proposal for certain kinds of economic reform.
- It is time to hear his proposal. Let him say whatever is in his mind.
Conclusion
These words can appear very similar when we think about them. But one leads to the other.
A proposal goes first. That’s the plan. Then comes the offer because it is the award for a compelling proposal, the details. If it is a formal proposal, it goes in writing, and the offer can be extensive.
When someone says: “Make me an offer,” concerning an item like a car, what they mean is you place a bid. There is no formal proposal involved in this case. But there may be a discussion over price. There are also circumstances when an offer and a proposal are alike.
Another example is when a government office opens up a public position. Many industries make a proposal. The one that wins then receives an offer from the government.
If you like someone’s car, and you want to buy it, most of the time, you make an offer. But what should be done is that you make the proposal of buying the car and, if the owner accepts, you make them an offer and start negotiating.
Think about all your proposals and or your offers. I’m sure you remember quite a few. Just remember which one goes first. Some people love formality and will probably be mad if you simply make an offer on something instead of proposing that they sell it to you. Picture a stranger walking up to you and saying: “I’ll give you ten grand for your car,” and your car is not for sale. You wouldn’t like that. And if that offer is a lower price than what you expect? The outcome could be worse. So, propose then offer. That’s the way to go.
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.