Write the Proposal that Gets You the Contract

How do you feel about writing proposals? Maybe you’ve got your process down, and it’s no big deal. But for the rest of us, proposal writing is a dreaded task.

When you are starting to lay out your thoughts and you’re not sure how to organize them, begin with an executive summary. This should come first, and be more of a big picture. What comes next will be the details. Don’t use this as an introduction to your business – your prospect should already know who you are through the course of your previous conversations. One trick suggested by a writing specialist is to state two obvious facts in the executive summary. This is meant to encourage your prospect to keep reading the proposal.

We know that less is more, and that we prefer to read proposals that are concise. However, it’s easy to get flustered and overload the proposal with information – but that doesn’t necessarily make it a better proposal. Try not to use technical terms, and keep it simple. On each page, ask yourself why the customer should care what you’re saying. If that’s not clear to you as you read it, consider adding the phrase “which means that…” to a statement that might otherwise be too vague. Remember, the proposal is about your company delivering value to the prospective client, so be specific about how your services will benefit them.

For more great tips on writing a winning proposal, see the full article.