Proposal Writing; The Secret to Conciseness

The worst thing you can do in a proposal is waste your reader’s time.

You may have 12 pages of information that is valuable to your client. If the RFP states a maximum of 10 pages, give them eight pages. Many times exceeding stated minimums and maximums become knockout factors for your proposal.

If clients request a one-page proposal or pre-proposal document, give it to them.

Most of the time, excessive writing results from weak writing skills, not an overabundance of information valuable to the client.

Allow me to explain. Please check the examples below to see how excessive writing can become concise writing.

We are in agreement with your conclusions.

We agree with your conclusions.


The monthly report should have been distributed sooner.

We should have distributed the monthly report sooner.


With this situation, there is involved in apparent reorganization of all 15 departments in the company.

This situation involved in apparent reorganization of all 15 departments in the company.

This reorganization involved all 15 departments in the company.

All 15 departments in the company reorganized.

The company reorganized all 15 departments.


Company policy states that it is the responsibility of all employees to report all actions the day the accidents occur.

Company policy states that employees must report all accidents the day the accidents occur.


It seems likely that the recent additions to our staff will eliminate the bottlenecks caused in customer service.

Recent staff additions should eliminate customer-service bottlenecks.


Our manager made a recommendation that we sell the return goods for half price.

Our manager recommended we sell the return goods for half price.


After you have reviewed the enclosed material, please give consideration to becoming a sponsor for this program.

After you have reviewed the enclosed material, please consider becoming a sponsor for this program.

Engineering made modifications to the galootin pin.

Engineering modified the galootin pin.

As I hope you recognize, conciseness in proposal writing means forgetting the tactics you used when you wrote your high school and college term papers.