Proposal Writing Requires Research

Your research starts with developing a business relationship with clients who fit the profile of your target market.

If you sell software, you need to focus on the clients who have the computer power and applications that logically make your product a benefit to the client.

If you are in the AEC area, you need to know what organizations are planning major projects that fit your capabilities.

All of this is Sales and Marketing 101.

Once you know your target market, you need to know those clients as well as you know your own company. If you expect to "partner" with these clients on their programs, plans, and projects, you need to prove to them that you have their best interests in mind as well as yours.

Face to face meetings, telephone conversations, e-mail messages, annual reports, internet research, RFPs all provide valuable pieces of information that mean the difference between a successful proposal and wasted time and effort.

The more you know about the client, the better your chances of winning the business.