HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL
HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL.
Whether it’s a business, project, or a different type of proposal, the goal is the same: to convince the reader to make the choice you propose. Therefore, your proposal has to be persuasive. Keep in mind that all communication, including writing, is persuasion. The words you write will be delivered to your audience. This may be a potential client or teaming partner. The goal of these words is to influence that person’s decisions. It’s that simple.
Before you start thinking on how to write a proposal for a company or business, it is important to understand a few things about the reader:
- He/she cares first and foremost about their own needs.
- He/she will want to spend as little time as possible reading or looking at your proposal.
With this in mind, there are a few established rules of thumb on how to write a proposal:
- Tell them, tell them, and tell them some more
- Proposals are not about you
- Sell the benefit.
- Be extremely specific
- Keep it as brief, but not briefer, than possible.
- Spoon feed the reader.
- Focus on the action.
Tell Them, Tell Them, and Tell Them Some More
There is an old saying that goes with how to write a proposal and presentation development.
- Tell them what you’ll tell them.
- Tell them.
- Tell them what you told them.
This is good advice. Believe it or not, repetition is good. If you say something to someone twenty times, they’ll complain you told them twice. If you say it once, it’s likely they’ll forget you said it.
Proposals Are Not About You, They’re About Them
When thinking on how to write a proposal, people forget the golden rule: do unto others as you would have them do upon you.
You probably hate people who only talk about themselves. So, why would you be that person? I understand that you want to give the client a 10-page description of how amazing you or your firm are. But frankly, people these days don’t have the time or interest to read ten pages about you.
Write about them and how they can benefit from your resources, experience, and approach.
Throughout the process of writing this proposal, keep reminding yourself, “It’s not about me.”
Sell the Benefit
“Sell the Benefit” is a pretty simple concept. Your words need to tell the reader how the choice you are advocating will benefit them. The reader needs to gain a clear understanding of what he or she would gain from making the choices you promote.
Often, proposal writers fall into the trap of talking about how great their firm is and forgetting to identify how it impacts or intersects with the reader. Readers tend to hate this “fluff” and will most likely skim or skip it completely.
A great way to make sure your writing “sells the benefit” is to use the “So What? Test.”
The “So What?” Test
As I said, the most effective measurement of benefit selling is the “so what?” test. Here is how it works. After you write something, go back and read it pretending you are the intended audience. Picture yourself as that grumpy old man who used to steal your baseball if it accidentally landed in his yard. After reading each paragraph, ask yourself “so what?”
Let’s apply this test to some examples
Example:
Using the lessons learned from 50 years of experience designing high-rise buildings, we will ensure your design is technically correct, constructible, and cost effective.
So What Test Result: Pass
Example:
With 100 qualified employees, we have the in-house resources to meet your current expectations and satisfy any changing needs.
So What Test Result: Pass.
HOW TO WRITE A PROPOSAL
Be Extremely Specific
Writing a proposal is like being on The Dating Game. You have to convince the client that you’re the best choice. You can’t do this with vague, weasel words.
Keep it as Brief, But Not Briefer, than Possible
Many proposal writers are under the delusion that people enjoy reading their long-winded proposals. They will write a flowery four-page cover letter and expect a potential client to read it.
However, if I sent them a four-page marketing letter about my marketing supply business, most of them would not read it. This is why it is important to keep it brief, because no one wants to spend his or her time reading your drivel.
On the other hand, some proposal managers keep it too brief. Too brief is when you don’t sufficiently cover the benefits or address the audience’s requirements. People don’t like to read content that is too long, but they are suspicious of content that it too short. It screams, “This firm isn’t the best choice.”
Spoon Feed the Reader
We live in a world where people want their information easily and quickly. Some proposal writers make the mistake of forcing a reader to figure things out for themselves. That’s not a great idea. You don’t want the reader to have to decipher your message. Writing proposals is not like writing a novel. On how to write a Proposal, your proposal needs to be direct and lead the reader to an obvious conclusion. Be sure to directly state the conclusion within your content.
Make it easy for the reader to follow your writing. Use subheads, follow formats exactly as clients have laid out, and above all don’t “beat around the bush.”
In addition, we have the disadvantage of knowledge. We just assume that everybody knows the good and bad things about our firm. That’s a terrible assumption. Here is a better one to use. Assume the reader knows nothing. If you don’t explicitly tell them, they don’t know it. Don’t talk down to the reader, but assume they are starting from a blank slate.
Focus on the Action
There has been a good deal written about the use of active voice in writing. I recommend that you write in the active voice. In the active voice, the subject of the sentence is performing the action. Sentences that are written in the passive voice read weak and sound less important.
These are some of the ways on how to write a proposal, I can’t give you all the tips. Research and find other ways to write a proposal that can fit your style of business.
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