Proposal Writing: How To Be Correct When Writing Proposals

Being correct means many things.

First, the information needs to be correct. That includes names, dates, addresses, contact information, pricing, products, services, projected timetables, and solutions.

Second, the structure of the proposal must match the structure of the RFP or the size and importance of the client.

Your knowledge of and history with a client can serve as a guideline for how to correctly structure your document.

You may be dealing with or know the principle of a firm and know that he or she simply wants a one-page document (similar to an Executive summary) that states solutions, costs, fulfillment details, and support strategies.

If you can do all of this in one page, do so.

If you are working on a multi-faceted, multi-million dollar contract, you need to create a proposal that correctly follows and correctly presents your products and services using the structure laid out in the RFP.

But maybe, more importantly, your spelling, punctuation, grammar, format, style, and tone need to scream correctness.

If you call the Procurement Officer and ask for Mr. Smith and the voice at the other end of the line says, "This is he," do you have a clue on one of the more important parts of that proposal?

I hope so.