Writing Business Proposals

OUTLINES

From Wikipedia

2014_10_20 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposal_(business)

Types of Proposals

Informally Solicited or Sole-Source Proposal

Managing Business Proposals

Process of Proposal Management Features

• Inherently collaborative process involving sales, marketing and legal.
• Increasing trend using proposal management software: Create proposals, collaborate with team members, track and analyze customer engagement.

Roles and Responsibilities in Proposal Making

• Creator – responsible for creating and editing content.
• Designer - responsible for the layout and ensuring it looks good
• Editor – responsible for tuning the content message and the style of delivery, including translation and localization.
• Publisher – responsible for releasing the content for use.
• Administrator – responsible for managing access permissions to documents and files, usually accomplished by assigning access rights to user groups or roles.
• Consumer or viewer – the person who reads or otherwise takes in content after it is published or shared.

Proposal Writing Template

Format of Proposals

• Title: Title page to be curt, definate, use key words for indexing
• Abstract: State Situation, Method, Goal, Scope and expected Outcome.
• Statement and Method: State what the idea is and do something to make it unique. What to do with the idea.
• Budget:
• Biographical Information: Prove to the client that the person writing and submitting the proposal is capable of doing the job. Everyone that contributed is mentioned, including achievements. Get audience to buy into idea.
• Sponsor Values:
• Applicant Credibility: Credibility by the organisation, individual and project. Persuasion and convincing how different and unique it is from other company.
• Proposal Logics: Identified gap, improved situation and resulting benefits to the intended target. Exact description of the problem or need is required with the purpose of the organisation, funds and how to complete the objections. Timeline and summarisation of intended audience
• Proposal Psychologies: Appeal to emotional needs including passion, ownership, energy, trust and commitment.

Shipley Proposal Guidelines

http://www.shipleywins.com.au/site5/library/25.pdf

• Language
  • Abbreviations
  • Active/ Passive Voice
  • Cliches
  • Choosing Correct Words
  • Simplify or replace wordy phrases
  • Use COrrect word in context
  • revise words or phrases that have more than one meaning
  • Replace nomicals with verbs or adjectives to make sentences more direct, concise and easier to read
  • Use precise, powerful, descriptive verbs
  • Use Grabbers, transitions and clinchers effectively and appropriately in proposals an presentations
  • Avoid Words and Phrases that increase contact risk
  • Jargon
  • Redundant Words
  • Style and Tone
• Components and Style
  • Appendices
  • Executive Summary
  • Graphics
    • Color
  • Headings
  • Lists
  • Numbering Systems
  • Outlining
  • Page and Document Design
  • Photographs
  • Storyboards and Mock-Ups
• Types
  • Cover Letters
  • International Proposals
  • Letter Proposals
  • Oral Proposals
  • Presentations to Prospects
  • Presenting Cost and Price Data
  • Proposal Management Plan
  • Proposal Preparation Tools
  • Question/Response Proposals
  • Resumes
  • Sales Letters
  • Service Proposals
  • Task Order Proposals
• Features
  • Discriminators
  • Action Captions
  • BD-CMM
  • Bid Discisions
  • Capture Planning

Compliance and Responsiveness

Customer Focus

Daily Team Management

Electronic Submittal

False Subjects

Features, Advantages and Benefits

Gobbledygook

Grant Writting

Kickoff meetings

Organisation

Performance-Based Acquisition

Persuasion

Price to Win

Pricing

Process

Production

Relevant Experience/Past Performance

Reviews

Risk Management

Scheduling

Strategy

Team Selection and Management

Teaming

Value Statements

Value Propositions

Virtual Team Management