be without. Often clients will put out a request for
proposal from three or more companies at the same time.
In order to get their business, yours has to be the
most convincing one -- the one that demonstrates the most
value for clients' dollars. Here are ten steps to
constructing compelling proposals that ensure your
success.
1. As with any writing project, you first have to
understand the purpose of your proposal and the people
reading it. Usually with a proposal it is to get
business, while they find the right vendor to solve a
problem.
2.Understand your readers. Learn all you can about
their needs. Ask lots of questions. The more needs of
theirs that you address, the better your chance of
getting the sale.
3. Under promise and over deliver. Do NOT over promise
just to close the deal. For example, by pricing
yourself too low, you will lose profit. Offering an
unrealistic deadline will put your reputation at risk
when you are unable to deliver on time.
4. Do your homework. Ask lots of questions during the
course of your research. Make sure to fully understand
your client's needs, and how your product will meet
their needs. What are their expectations? How will they
use your product or service? Also, learn their views on
pricing and quality - are they willing to pay a premium
for quality, or would they rather get a sloppy job for
cheap? Also find out:
* What problem are they trying to solve?
* What would their ideal solution be?
* What is the most important aspect of this project
to them: price, quality, timing?
* Who is the final decision maker? Will you have
to deal with a large committee of decision
makers? This might pose problems for you if you
receive conflicting feedback.
5. Ask clients for a wish list. Tell them you can't
deliver everything on their list of ideals, but you
want to get as close as you can. Next, ask them to
prioritize the items in order of importance. This way
you will be able to realistically meet their
expectations.
6. Organize the proposal to persuade. Focus on making the
sale. Act as if everything is already in place and this
is a contract about to be signed.
7. With research in hand, begin writing the proposal. This
step should run fairly quickly now that you have done
your homework.
8. Get to the point quickly - this doesn't have to be in
the first sentence, but make it close to the top. Be
sure they get your meaning quickly. If you don't do
this correctly, your proposal will wind up in the
circular file before it is read.
9. Make sure to tell clients how your solution meets their
needs. As with any marketing piece, be sure do define
for them how THEY will benefit from your services.
("What's in it for me?")
10. Add a sense of urgency. A proposal can sit on
somebody's desk for months before they decide to do
anything with it. By adding an expiration date on your
offer, you will encourage them to make a decision
sooner.
Be sure to include a cover letter and cover page with
longer proposals. Adding a line for a signature at the
end of the offer easily turns the proposal into a
contract. With these guidelines in mind, you are sure
to be a winner at any job you bid on.