Proposal writing bears quite a resemblance to a sermon.
A recent sermon at a special Catholic mass, brought this message home clearly and loudly.
Let me give you a few details of the event that related to proposal writing.
This special mass celebrated the first Holy Communion for excited and proud 8 year olds. It also was a big deal for the excited and proud parents.
This mass was also special because two past parishioners from the congregation had returned to help the Communicants (those celebrating their first Holy Communion) celebrate this important time in their young Catholic lives.
The guests happened to be brothers, both of whom were priests. The older brother had also reached the exalted position of Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church. If you saw the Tom Hanks movie, “Angels and Demons,” you might remember that the Cardinals were the elite group designated to select a new pope.
Being a Cardinal is a big deal in the Catholic Church.
With these details as a background, see if you can tell how they relate to proposal writing.
Review the rest of this article and learn how to receive immediate access to Al's offer to review up to 20 pages of one of your proposals at http://www.proposalwritingsuccess.com
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
PROPOSAL WRITING: 21st Century Proposal Writing Strategies
Proposal writing strategies that meet 21st century standards depend on one overriding principle.
You must be passionate about creating proposals that sell for you when you are not in front of your clients.
So what does that have to do with 21st-century strategies?
Let me explain by showing how the types of websites you display to the world relate to your proposals.
Review the rest of this article and learn how to receive immediate access to a White Paper entitled, "How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Proposals"
You must be passionate about creating proposals that sell for you when you are not in front of your clients.
So what does that have to do with 21st-century strategies?
Let me explain by showing how the types of websites you display to the world relate to your proposals.
Review the rest of this article and learn how to receive immediate access to a White Paper entitled, "How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Proposals"
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Use Your Automatic Spell Checker with Proposals sent in Outlook
Success in Proposal Writing increases when you pay special attention to your spelling.
If you use Outlook to send your proposals, you can save yourself time and embarrassment if you use the Outlook Spell Checker feature. If you set the proper default, Outlook will automatically check your spelling BEFORE it sends your e-mail on its way.
This e-mail training video addresses how to properly to set up your spell checker feature in Outlook and reveals one easy way to save time by using your spell checker.
If you use Outlook to send your proposals, you can save yourself time and embarrassment if you use the Outlook Spell Checker feature. If you set the proper default, Outlook will automatically check your spelling BEFORE it sends your e-mail on its way.
This e-mail training video addresses how to properly to set up your spell checker feature in Outlook and reveals one easy way to save time by using your spell checker.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
PROPOSAL WRITING: HOW TO SQUEEZE THE MOST PROFIT FROM YOUR PROPOSAL WRITING EFFORTS
Proposal writing can either create increased profits or drain your resources, time, and budget.
Squeezing profits from your proposal writing efforts demands paying attention to three significant disciplines.
The sales skills required to sell on paper, however, differ vastly from the skills mentioned above for selling in person.
When selling in person or on the phone, sales people can benefit by observing body language, tone, and verbal and non-verbal cues.
Selling on paper or via e-mail, without these benefits, must rely on a keen sense of client priorities. In proposals, sales people must match what clients see in their heads with the pictures the words paint.
Read the entire article at http://www.proposalwritingsuccess.com
Squeezing profits from your proposal writing efforts demands paying attention to three significant disciplines.
The sales skills required to sell on paper, however, differ vastly from the skills mentioned above for selling in person.
When selling in person or on the phone, sales people can benefit by observing body language, tone, and verbal and non-verbal cues.
Selling on paper or via e-mail, without these benefits, must rely on a keen sense of client priorities. In proposals, sales people must match what clients see in their heads with the pictures the words paint.
Read the entire article at http://www.proposalwritingsuccess.com
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Proposal Writing: Attractiveness Counts
Proposal Writing should focus on three views of proposal attractiveness.
A proposal gains attractiveness when reading and reviewing it does not conjure up images of "War and Peace."
It means the proposal uses the proper mix of graphics, fonts, photos, headers, bullets, and paragraphs that immediately proves to the clients that your proposal will be pleasing to the eye and not a burden on their brain.
Attractive also means the readers will be drawn into the proposal because ii addresses their stated wants, needs, desires, goals, budgets and timetables. Your clients will be attracted to the proposal because it is not easily-recognizable, boilerplate content but rather information that specifically fits their situations.
The third view of attractiveness is that your proposal appeals to your clients emotionally and logically.
It appeals to their emotions because they appreciate something created to solve their problem, fix their pain, or vault them into a productive, prominent, and profitable position.
It appeals to their logic because they recognize the value your solution delivers to them. Your solution may not be the lowest price but the value your solution brings far exceeds any cost considerations.
A proposal gains attractiveness when reading and reviewing it does not conjure up images of "War and Peace."
It means the proposal uses the proper mix of graphics, fonts, photos, headers, bullets, and paragraphs that immediately proves to the clients that your proposal will be pleasing to the eye and not a burden on their brain.
Attractive also means the readers will be drawn into the proposal because ii addresses their stated wants, needs, desires, goals, budgets and timetables. Your clients will be attracted to the proposal because it is not easily-recognizable, boilerplate content but rather information that specifically fits their situations.
The third view of attractiveness is that your proposal appeals to your clients emotionally and logically.
It appeals to their emotions because they appreciate something created to solve their problem, fix their pain, or vault them into a productive, prominent, and profitable position.
It appeals to their logic because they recognize the value your solution delivers to them. Your solution may not be the lowest price but the value your solution brings far exceeds any cost considerations.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Proposal Writing Tip: Deliver Your Proposal in Person
Your Proposal Writing becomes a more valuable tool if you deliver it in person.
Yes, I know what you're thinking.
I can't do that all the time.
My clients want me to FEDEX it or e-mail it.
Great. If that's what the clients want, give them what they want the way they want.
But, recognize that your chances for success increase dramatically if you deliver it in person.
Notice that I said "chances for success," not "chances for closing the order."
All of this boils down to how you define "success."
If success only means getting the order, delivering the proposal in person may or may not increase your chances.
If by success you mean developing long term relationships that could lead to future business, delivering the proposal in person presents definite advantages.
Face-to-face meetings to deliver your proposal can yield valuable information that can help you win more than the initial proposal. Such meetings go a long way in building a better relationship that can mean success with future RFPs as well as business that may not require an RFP.
In these face-to-face meeting you should be able to develop a dialogue that offers insights that immediately tell you where you might have focused on something you and your team did not recognize or consider. The dialogue can bring out what parts of your proposal the client becomes excited about and which parts did not measure up.
And, this dialogue gives you clues how the client evaluates and decides on successful bidders.
In addition to the dialogue yielding information, the non verbal signals you receive from your client can mean more than the words you hear.
The best reason for delivering the proposal in person is the possibility of the "Action Step."
If you create an outstanding proposal that meets all the needs and emotional buttons your client desires, you could walk out of the meeting with the signature on the bottom line.
The success of a proposal begins long before the first words hit the paper.
If you have developed a strong, positive relationship built on trust, you might be able to close the order or contract at that meeting.
How's that for action!
Yes, I know what you're thinking.
I can't do that all the time.
My clients want me to FEDEX it or e-mail it.
Great. If that's what the clients want, give them what they want the way they want.
But, recognize that your chances for success increase dramatically if you deliver it in person.
Notice that I said "chances for success," not "chances for closing the order."
All of this boils down to how you define "success."
If success only means getting the order, delivering the proposal in person may or may not increase your chances.
If by success you mean developing long term relationships that could lead to future business, delivering the proposal in person presents definite advantages.
Face-to-face meetings to deliver your proposal can yield valuable information that can help you win more than the initial proposal. Such meetings go a long way in building a better relationship that can mean success with future RFPs as well as business that may not require an RFP.
In these face-to-face meeting you should be able to develop a dialogue that offers insights that immediately tell you where you might have focused on something you and your team did not recognize or consider. The dialogue can bring out what parts of your proposal the client becomes excited about and which parts did not measure up.
And, this dialogue gives you clues how the client evaluates and decides on successful bidders.
In addition to the dialogue yielding information, the non verbal signals you receive from your client can mean more than the words you hear.
The best reason for delivering the proposal in person is the possibility of the "Action Step."
If you create an outstanding proposal that meets all the needs and emotional buttons your client desires, you could walk out of the meeting with the signature on the bottom line.
The success of a proposal begins long before the first words hit the paper.
If you have developed a strong, positive relationship built on trust, you might be able to close the order or contract at that meeting.
How's that for action!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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.
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.
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