This short course on proposal writing reminds us that our business proposal does not stand alone. It is process of a larger process that involves planning, research, writing, editing, proofing, submission and acceptance.

This list gives 37 ways to improve your next proposal. Scroll through it and tell me what I missed.

1. Show that your response is logical and organized



2. Make the information easy to find. Cross reference against the Request For Proposal
3. Include a table of contents for proposals over 10 pages in length
4. Ensure that your Proposal is in compliance with the RFP
5. Arrange material in order of priority
6. Arrange everything in the order that’s most important to the client
7. Arrange the response in accordance with their requirements
8. Number pages and sections consecutively; do not re-number each section
9. Use headings
10. Each section title should stresses the main benefits
11. Each section title should help readers orient themselves
12. If possible, express the key point of the section in the headline, or immediately after it.
13. Highlight important points
14. You can emphasize the most positive points by using bold, underlining, different fonts, spacing, titles, bullets and summaries
15. Content – Sell the Message
16. Respond completely
17. Answer every question in the RFP. Failure to respond correctly to the RFP may disqualify your proposal. The client put these questions in for a reason, and expect an answer.
18. Avoid banal headings and titles
19. Rather than say “Development Section,” say “Ten Ways to Improve Your Processes”
20. Use action verbs in heads, especially verbs that stress a benefit for the client
21. Avoid boilerplate
22. Don’t recycle resumes and corporate profiles from previous proposals; modify them in accordance for the proposal at hand. Using old, tired resumes will be perceived by the reader, and will count against you when they can making the final judgments.
23. Avoid hype, padding and other self-congratulatory drivel. Remember that the proposal is a legal document that becomes part of the contract if you win
24. Support your recommendations
25. By giving specific details and quantifying the benefits whenever possible
26. Don’t just say that you will comply with a requirement — say how we’ll do so
27. Don’t attack competitors. Refer to rival products if you must.
28. Point out the weaknesses of alternative solutions.
29. Use a strong closing statement
30. Ask for their business; tell the reader exactly what you want him or her to do
31. Remind the reader of the benefits of taking action
32. Avoid business cliché’s
33. Avoid hackneyed openings and closings that clients have read a thousand times. Avoid “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for considering the enclosed . . .” Get to the point: “Here is your proposal.” Avoid “If you have any questions, please feel free to call.” That closing has been done to death, so avoid it and write something more genuine.
34. Make your proposal easy to understand
35. Use the same terms and jargon that appear in the RFP. Don’t try to impress the client with your own special brand of buzzwords or TLA (three-letter acronyms)
36. Use simple, direct language
37. Wrap up the Proposal with confidence

What did I miss?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a left-handed technical writer who writes business proposals for clients. He also shares business writing tips for smart people at Klariti.

Related posts:

1. Business Proposals Format, Style and Presentation Tips – Part 1
2. Warren Buffet Guide to Plain English Business Writing
3. 9 Business Proposals Format, Style and Presentation Tips

Writing Business Proposals is easy. It’s other activities that are hard. Your Business Proposal may be the best priced, with the right people, and the top qualifications, but, if you overlook one critical business requirement, your bid gets rejected. We want to avoid this, right?

Proposal Development

• Have you analyzed the client’s needs thoroughly and creatively?
• Have you turned the statement of need into an overall strategy?
• Have you checked the proposal for continuity and consistency?

Compelling Content

• Is the creative strategy viable?
• Are all facts accurate and double-checked?
• Is the strategy supported by evidence and samples?
• Is the proposed solution clearly worthwhile?
• Have you removed all vagueness, abstraction or generalization?
• Is there too much detail and no overview or sense of perspective?
• Is the proposal client-centred or us-centred?

Make your Organization Interesting

• Do the cover letter and executive summary hook the reader?
• Is the proposal one unified, persuasive argument? Is there one common strategy to which everything is related?
• Are the parts arranged in a coherent, logical order?
• Is there a wrapping up to each major section?
• Have you structured the information from the reader’s point of view?
• Are my headings clear, properly worded and parallel?
• Is each section written around (1) the client’s need, (2) solution, and (3) with supporting details?

Get the Style Right

• Are the sentences easy to understand?
• Are all technical terms and jargon used correctly?
• Have you avoided clichés?
• Is the proposal concise?
• Is the level of writing appropriate for the reader?

Facts and Figures are Accurate

• Check for mistakes in grammar, usage, spelling or typing?
• Check for mistakes in names, titles, dates, costs or other details?
• Check that the proposal is neat, professional and easy to read?

How else can we improve our Proposals?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides business proposal writing tips, tutorials, and templates on the Proposal Writing Course every week. Get his free proposal writing newsletter here.

Related posts:

1. Kate Winslet’s 7 Smart Ways to Read Business Proposals
2. 9 Business Proposals Format, Style and Presentation Tips
3. Business Proposals Format, Style and Presentation Tips – Part 1

Last week we looked at how to format your Business Proposal, use a Style Guide, select the right type of font, language and writing style to impress the proposal evaluation team. Let’s look at other ways you can improve your next Business Proposal or Grant application.

1. Proofreading

Always proofread your proposal not once but several times.

As you do this, look at the:

1. Content – does your proposal have enough substance? Are your ideas complete?
2. Structure – is the bid organized in a logical manner? Are all facts and figures accurate? Are ideas expressed clearly? Is the proposal design visually appealing?
3. Format – are words spelled correctly, especially proper names? Are all numbers and computations accurate? Are sentences grammatically correct, including subject-verb agreement? Are sentences punctuated properly?

2. Editing

Revise, reduce, and rearrange where necessary.

• Rewrite to improve the transitions between sections and chapters.
• Are all the major pieces of the proposal in the proper order?
• Does your bid look attractive?
• Is it readable?

3. Headings

Use headings and subheadings that mirror the structure of the Request For Proposal. Headings and subheadings re-enforce the main ideas and the organization of your proposal to the reader.

4. Lists

Use list to break up text and make the document easier on the eye. Also:

• Use a numbered list when items need to be examined in a specific sequence.
• Use a bulleted list when items are all equally important.
• Lists convey a sense of immediacy.

5. Margins

A ragged margin is easier to read than one that is right justified because the proportional spacing slows readability. It is easier for the reader’s eye to track from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line when the right-hand margins are jagged.

6. Page Numbering

Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center of the pages of your proposal.

Do not number the first page!

7. Bold Type

Use bold type to emphasize key words, avoid overemphasis.

8. Font

Consider using serif typefaces for the text of your proposal and sans serif typefaces for titles and headings.

Note: Serif typefaces such as Times Roman are easier to read.

Sans serif typefaces such as Arial are ideal for titles and headings because they stand out from the body of the text.

9. White Space

Use white space to break up passages of text. White space makes your proposal appear inviting and user-friendly. Judicious use of white space breaks your proposal into smaller, manageable chunks of information making it easier for the readers to move through your document and find the relevant information.

What other mistakes do we need to avoid when creating Business Proposals and Grant applications?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides business proposal writing tips, tutorials, and templates on the Proposal Writing Course every week. Get his free proposal writing newsletter here.

Related posts:

1. Business Proposals Format, Style and Presentation Tips – Part 1
2. Request For Proposals: Writing the Format Section
3. Warren Buffet Guide to Plain English Business Writing

What’s the best way to format your Business Proposal? Should you use a Style Guide? I’ve been writing and reviewing Business Proposals for over fifteen years and, while there are exceptions, the following guidelines will help you improve the look and feel of your next Business Proposal.

Business Proposals Formatting Guidelines

Your Business Proposals should ‘look’ familiar to the reader. Don’t choose strange fonts, designs or paper that distracts the reader from the bid.

• A familiar proposal is a friendly proposal.
• Look at the materials issued by the sponsor.
• Note their use of fonts, style, layout, white space, and headers.

Consider structuring your proposals to match their publication preferences; if appropriate, use the same type size, style, layout, and headers as they do in their publications.

Business Proposals Content Guidelines

You can improve the impression of your proposal by following these content guidelines.

Before Starting

• Read the Request For Proposal before beginning any work – twice!
• Get clarification on any points that are unclear
• Submit questions back to Request For Proposal issuer.
• Print the RFP out for review
• Print your Proposal on A4 Paper
• Print one copy in Color and Double Sided. Print the other support documents in black and white.
• Check for smudging, paper-jams, blank pages, and color resolution issues.
• Check that the page numbers are in the correct sequence.

Business Proposals Templates

Start every project with a clean template. Don’t modify previous Business Proposals or other business documents. Be very careful when you cut and Paste as references to previous tenders and other documents can creep through without being noticed.

Use the Reader’s Language

Write the document in the language of the client. Check that UK or US English is used in all Microsoft Office documents, including Microsoft Visio and other image files.

Avoid Trendy Fonts

Make sure you use the same font families across the document.

One suggestion is to choose Serif or San Serif and then stick with these across the Proposal.

For sure, if you chop and change, it will distract the reader and give the impression that you didn’t spend time formatting the final draft.

On Tuesday, we will look at other ways to make your proposal document sparkle!

Any ideas, please let me know.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides business proposal writing tips, tutorials, and templates on the Proposal Writing Course every week. Get his free proposal writing newsletter here.

Related posts:

1. Kate Winslet’s 7 Smart Ways to Read Business Proposals
2. Request For Proposals: Writing the Format Section
3. 34 Ways to Check Your Request For Proposal Submissions

What’s the quickest way to evaluate responses to your Request For Proposals? One way to speed up the evaluation and award process is to create a Format section in your RFP document.

RFP Template – Sample Costs Format

Understanding the RFP Format section

Most format Request For Proposals (RFP) includes a Format section which explains to the bidder how the Business Proposal should be written. After you have written the Request For Proposal and published it, the next step is to wait for contractors to submit bids.

If you’re working on a large tender, you can get many bids for suppliers. One way to evaluate these bids quickly is to include a “Format of Proposal” section at the end of the Request for Proposal.

Request For Proposals: How to Write the Format section

Remind the bidders that they must follow the “Format of Proposal” criteria as otherwise they risk disqualification. In general, the criteria will mirror the main sections of the Request For Proposal itself.

Note: an Request For Proposal is also called an Invitation To Tender or ITT.

The following section provides a suggested “Format of Proposal” outline:

General Information

• Name
• Address
• Telephone
• Fax
• Email

Terms and Conditions

• Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions as described in the request for proposal by the bidder and third parties.
• Statement from the bidder that none of the excluding circumstances listed in section <> are applicable.
• Confirmation that the bidder understands the requirements and scope of the project
• Recommendation that the bidder should provide any other information that may be relevant to the proposal.

samples Format For Bids

Proposals should respond under the headings set out in “Section X” of the main RFP:

Introduction

• Details of Bidding Company
• Details of Key Personnel

Proposed Solution

• Understanding of Requirements
• Scalability
• Performance
• Deliverables
• Audit Requirements
• Testing
• Skills Transfer
• User Training
• Reporting Requirements
• Development Environment
• Testing Environments
• Maintainability
• Development Support
• Project Management
• Quality Management

Costs

The costs section should provide the following:

• Total Costs
• Consulting costs
• Software costs
• Training costs
• Implementation costs
• Indicative costs (e.g. hardware)
• Schedule of costs (costs associated with deliverables)
• Validity period of costs

By mandating that these criteria need to be followed, your Evaluation Team will be able to review the responses much quicker and, in turn, speed up the procurement process.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides business proposal writing tips, tutorials, and templates on the Proposal Writing Course every week. Get his free proposal writing newsletter here.

Related posts:

1. Kate Winslet’s 7 Smart Ways to Read Business Proposals
2. How to Analyze the Buyer’s Mindset When Writing Proposals

Philip Koopman, at Carnegie Mellon University, reminds us that, “Writing an efficient abstract is hard work, but will repay you with increased impact on the world by enticing people to read your publications. Make sure that all the components of a good abstract are included in the next one you write.”

Let’s look at how to write headlines, summaries and abstracts. Before we start, what is an Abstract? 

Photo Credit Pjern 

Why We Read Abstracts and Summaries?

When you open your inbox every Monday morning and see a stream of emails crying for attention. Which do you choose? I’d guess it’s the ones with the snappiest headlines, like these:

• Zen and the Art of Remarkable Blogging
• A Simple Four-Step Strategy for Developing Content That Connects
• The Benjamin Franklin Guide to Marketing Your Business Online
• Five Common Headline Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
• Become a Master of Metaphor and Multiply Your Blogging Effectiveness
• Metaphor, Simile and Analogy: What’s the Difference?

These are from CopyBlogger .com and show how smart headlines can tickle your fancy. So, when you read, ‘Are You Leaving Your Readers Out of the Conversation?’ you can’t help but start to answer the question in your mind. And when you do that, you open the article and start to read.

So, good headlines act like hooks bringing you into the story.

Abstracts are also important. We have an ever-increasing need for quick access to information we rely on abstracts and summaries to provide a snapshot of what’s in the article.

If you visualize it as a pyramid, on the top is headlines, then summaries, and then the body of the article. You can see how one leads to the other.

How To Write An Abstract

You have two options. Write it before you start on the main document or after you’ve finished writing, take a break and explore:

• What is the main subject in this article?
• What conclusion has the writer made?
• What message does the writer want to convey?
• What do you want the reader to do after reading the document?

Analyze this and define it in one sentence – this is your ‘topic’ sentence.

Write one topic sentence that covers the entire document, regardless of whether the document is a five page letter or a hundred page annual report.

1. Getting Ideas

Then, look at the recommendations, conclusions, summaries, and results in the final document. When abstracting a technical manual, look at the tutorials and see if these help form the topic sentence.

2. Don’t Use the Document’s Title

Avoid using the formal name of the document as this can be misleading and may not help you write the topic sentence. Chances are the ‘working title’ will be too vague. Parts of the title might serve as modifiers in your topic sentence, but you’ll probably need to go beyond the title.

3. Be Specific

Make the topic sentence as specific as possible.

Avoid writing

"This report describes [document title]."

Instead, write something like

"The results of this [subject] study show that [result]."

4. Use Supporting Sentences

After you identify your topic sentence, write supporting sentences. Make each of these supply specific details about the ideas in the topic sentence. Think of what supports the topic sentence.

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• Why?
• How? and
• How much?

Give statistics, results, conclusions, or recommendations that back up the topic sentence. Only use two or three major supporting ideas. Include the less important evidence as subordinate clauses and modifiers.

5. Use Transitions

Arrange the supporting sentences in a logical sequence after the topic sentence. Add whatever transition is needed to connect the supporting sentences to the topic sentence and to connect ideas within the sentences to each other.

Re-write the sentences to improve the connections.

10 Other Ways to Write a Better Abstract

1. Write the abstract only when the document is finished. Abstracts written before then are just previews.
2. If you are forced to write an abstract before the document is completed, think about its purpose and write a topic sentence. Keep in mind that you’ll need to rewrite the abstract when the document is finished because it will no longer accurately reflect the contents of the document.
3. Before starting the abstract, list your thoughts on the document. Group related items together.
4. Prioritize the list and put the most important group first. The first few groups form the core of the topic sentence. The rest lead to supporting sentences.
5. If you can’t create a topic sentence, write the supporting sentences first. The topic sentence may then become obvious.
6. Write for an audience not necessarily up to speed in your subject area. This is important because you never know who will read your abstract.
7. Choose acronyms, abbreviations, and technical terms carefully as they may confuse many readers.
8. Define the scope of the project in the abstract.
9. Re-read your abstract after several days have passed and remove superfluous information and padding.

This technique works for documents of any length from a couple of pages to multi-volumes.

Using Keywords in Abstracts

I’ve added this in as many business documents are published directly to the web. This tip applies to writing abstracts, headlines and summaries.

Use keywords in your Titles, Abstracts, Headlines are documents are file electronically. As users search for documents by keywords, write the documents headings with these keywords in mind.

Likewise, your abstract must contain keywords that about the article, proposal, or report so readers can retrieve it quickly.

What other ways can we improve our business documents?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also runs the popular Business Planning Blog at http://www.ivanwalsh.com

Related posts:

1. Kate Winslet’s 7 Smart Ways to Read Business Proposals
2. What Warren Buffett Taught Me About Writing Executive Summaries
3. How to Write a Concise Executive Summary for your Business Proposal

I evaluate Business Proposals. I do this every week. In the last fifteen years, I’ve seen hundreds of business proposals ranging from the large Consultancies to one-man/women businesses. Part of evaluating a proposal is checking that the numbers add up but also to see if the project in question is worth investing in. How do we know that from a fifty page document? We don’t always know, of course. But, we can make certain deductions just by looking at the first ten pages. Or even the first five. To be honest, the Executive Summary is the first hurdle you need to master if you want to get investment. Let’s look at how to do it right.

Business Plan – Executive Summary

Executive Summary Checklist

Like we said above, first impressions count. For this reason, you need to pay special attention to the Executive Summary. If your clients or investors don’t get past the Executive Summary, then the rest of your document will go unread.

This also raises the question: Should you write your Executive Summary before or after you’ve written your Business Proposal? Some business writers prefer to do it first, others write it after the entire document is completed. I write it at the end as I want the complete text before me. That way, I can digest the document and write the Executive Summary based on what I’ve read.

The following is one suggested approach for an Executive Summary. Change this to suit your needs. In the Executive Summary, include the following:

Introduction

• Brief description of your product or service
• Identify when, where, and how the company was established
• Provide the current status, including funding, of your organization

Problem Definition

• What problem does the solution solve?
• How important is it to users over the next [x] years?
• What is the business and/or technical road map?
• Who are the customers and their needs?

Market Opportunity

• What is the market size?
• What is the timing of market development?
• What are the key market drivers?
• What are the inter-dependencies of this market to other markets, businesses or the government?
• What are the supply and distribution channels?
• Has the market been validated by a customer / partner?
• What is the marketing and sales strategy?

Competitive Analysis

• Who are your competitors?
• What are your advantages and the competitive products/services?
• What business models have been successful?

Management Team

• Who are the key management personnel? Cross-reference to Appendix if necessary.
• What is their track-record? 
• How will you complete the management team if all the key members are not yet identified?

Technology

• How unique is the technology?
• Can any parts be patented?
• What is the current development status of product/service?
• How will the products be tested?

Financial Analysis

• Summarize projections for revenue, cost and return on investment
• Describe funding required to achieve the next milestones

Conclusions and final writing tips

While this looks like a lot of work, the key is to select the parts that you want to highlight in the Executive Summary and move the rest to the main document.

Most Executive Summaries are one to two pages max.

With this is mind, write the text and get all the information down first. Then revise the material and see where you can refine the wording to reduce the word count, for example, by merging points together and remove filler text. Also, look for phrases that can be pruned and made shorter. For example?

Instead of

In the event of

Write

If

Instead of

We have come to the conclusion that

Write

We decided

Instead of

The purpose of this document is to

Write

This document… (The purpose of is redundant)

Look for ways to remove these fillers. You’ll sharpen the prose in the process and give your document a nice, polished tone.

What have I missed?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also runs the popular Business Planning Blog at http://www.ivanwalsh.com. Follow him on Twitter at ivanwalsh.

PS: You can get the Business Plan Template from our partner Klariti.com here.

Related posts:

1. 6 Ways To Write a Better Executive Summary
2. What Warren Buffett Taught Me About Writing Executive Summaries

“For more than forty years, I’ve studied the documents that public companies file. Too often, I’ve been unable to decipher just what is being said or, worse yet, had to conclude that nothing was being said. If corporate lawyers and their clients follow the advice in this handbook, my life is going to become much easier. “ Warren Buffet

In the late 90s, I found the Plain Language writing technique almost by accident. It’s also called Plain English, by the way. I was reading a lot about Warren Buffet a few years back and came across a nice, short document he wrote for the SEC. These are the folks who submit legal and business document to Wall Street when going on the stock exchanges. Buffet writes like he speaks. Direct, immediate and without pretension.

Ever read an annual report from Warren Buffet. Try it. Easy, isn’t it? Few successful business-people write so clearly. There is no pretension, no haughty references to obscure allusions and no strange acronyms. It’s all there in black and white. Here’s what Buffet had to say about other business writers, though,

Audience Analysis worksheets.

From the handbook:

There are several possible explanations as to why I and others sometimes stumble over an accounting note or indenture description. Maybe we simply don’t have the technical knowledge to grasp what the writer wishes to convey. Or perhaps the writer doesn’t understand what he or she is talking about. In some cases, moreover, I suspect that a less-than scrupulous issuer doesn’t want us to understand a subject it feels legally obligated to touch upon. “

He adds that “Perhaps the most common problem, however, is that a well-intentioned and informed writer simply fails to get the message across to an intelligent, interested reader. In that case, stilted jargon and complex constructions are usually the villains.”

It’s a great read and you can download it here www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf in PDF.

Write Business Proposals in clear English

So, with this in mind, I wrote this short guide to help you write Business Proposals in clear English. It explains how to prepare an business documents that readers can digest in one reading. That’s the acid test. They shouldn’t have to read them twice and three times to get the meaning. It also covers how to use Plain Language writing techniques to win more business, accelerate your tender process, and encourage staff to contribute to the overall tender process.

1. Start Early

Developing a Plain English document takes time – the first time!. For your first Plain English proposal, allow extra time to write, edit, and revise. Add more time than you would expect to your usual schedule if possible. The next time it’s easier.

2. Study the principles of Plain English

Remember: you want your request for proposal to be understood in one reading. This means you need to:

• Identify your target audience i.e. Government departments.
• Consider what they need to know.
• Consider the technical terms they may, or may not, know.
• Develop plain English writing guidelines for your staff.
• Think about how to organize and format your Proposal.

3. Promote Plain English amongst your Staff

Once you’ve seen the benefits of plain English compared with other writing styles, you can promote its values to your own staff and senior management. You need to get your staff onside so that they will begin writing in this style. Likewise, you also need to convince your managers of its values and possibly funding for a training program. Explain to both camps how they will benefit. Outline a high-level roadmap with timelines for the overall program.

4. Contact an experienced proposal writer

The first time you write a plain English proposal, you may find it time-consuming and more difficult than you thought. If this is the case, you’re on the right track! Everything worthwhile is difficult the first time round – soon you will get the hang of it.

You can also approach a writing consultant, especially someone who has a proven track record of writing good, clear English.

5. Review previous Proposals and see where you can improve

Before you start writing, consider the following:

• Literacy level. What level of education is required to understand the Proposal? Use the Fog Index to test your proposal’s readability.
• Clarity. What parts of the Proposal are hard to understand? Are the sentences too long and complex? Does it use technical terms and acronyms that the target audience will not understand?
• Organization. How easy can you find relevant information? Would the Proposal be clearer if you reordered the main sections and possibly the sub-sections within it? Does the table of contents and index need sharpening? Are there too many/too few levels of information in the TOC.
• Repetition. Is the same information repeated in several sections? Does it have any real benefit?
• Headings. Should the headings be re-written in the form of questions that each section answers?
• Format. Do you need to add more bullet-point lists? Put keywords in bold? Use more white space?

6. Create an outline to help readers find information faster

One very effective writing style is to write headings as questions,which each section answers. If you include sub-sections, use a numbered outline format (e.g. 1.2, 1.3) for the section headings. This helps the reader find the main sections quickly and see the relationship among subsections.

7. Write the RFP, section by section, using plain language techniques

If some sections are hard to write, read them aloud and see where they are difficult to understand. Go through the document section by section.

Write the first draft of key sections first, and then work on the inside sections. Once you’ve written these, refine the text by editing each section tightly. However, make sure your text does not become too cold and dry. Write as if you were speaking to a colleague whom you respect; this often helps control the tone of the document.

8. Review and Revise

Once you’ve finished the first draft, get it reviewed internally by colleagues who can add value to the review process. Don’t choose colleagues who are too close to the Proposal, as they will not see errors. Instead, get a neutral reviewer if possible. After getting the feedback, make the required edits.

If possible, ask volunteers from the target population to review the draft Proposal. Ask them if they can locate information easily. When interviewing ask open questions and you will get a better response.

Avoid closed questions, such as, is this a great RFP? Most will say Yes, just to please you – and make you go away!

Ask how much they could read in one sitting. Again, revise as needed.

9. Create an easy-to-read format

Format the document to make it easy to read and attractive in presentation. If you have time, prepare a template that can be re-used for all future RFP’s. This will reduce the time spend on preparing the document.

• Leave a blank line between paragraphs
• Use bulleted lists
• Highlight main points with bold and italics
• Use boxes for examples
• Use white space generously
• Include margins of at least one inch all around the page
• Use two (2) columns to increase readability, if practical

Use several different type sizes for headings. In many documents, the headings are in San Serif font (i.e. Verdana) and the body is in a Serif font (e.g. Times New Roman). Use a contrast in style to add emphasis.

10. Get feedback – and share it

Lastly, see if the Proposal works! Ask the external reviewers how they felt using the ‘new’ plain English Proposal. Get feedback from personnel involved in the review process and collate it for distribution.

• Did they find that the plain English Proposal made a better application?
• Was it easier to write the application, and what made the most difference?
• What worked and what needs more refinement.

Summarize what you learned and share this information with colleagues. Encourage them to try writing plain English Proposals.

Track Your Proposal Wins

Keep a record of all the Proposals written in plain English and see if their success rate is higher than the previous styles of writing. There are more great writing resources are at: http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/

About the Author: Ivan Walsh provides Business Tips for Smart People on Klariti.com. His also runs the popular Business Planning Blog at http://www.ivanwalsh.com. Follow him on Twitter @ivanwalsh

PS: The Audience Analysis Template is here.

Related posts:

1. What Warren Buffett Taught Me About Writing Executive Summaries
2. Kate Winslet’s 7 Smart Ways to Read Business Proposals
3. Four-Step Strategy for Better Business Proposals

Post written by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter

Sandra wants to know where is the Styles menu option in Microsoft Word 2007. She wants to update her new business plan and add Notes, Messages, Quotes and other pre-formatted styles. The Styles in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007 seem to be different.

He’s right. The Microsoft Word user interface in 2003 and 2007 is very different.

1. The best way to add Styles, such as Notes etc (2007) is to go to the Home tab. It’s the default.

2. Click the little arrow button under Change Styles.

3. This opens the Styles menu along the right-hand side of the page.

4. Select the text you want to change.

5. Scroll down and find the Note style, for example.

6. Change the text.

Does it work?

<styles would be saved but in my “styles” drop down menu, I do not see these styles.

Do you see the little arrow under Change Styles. Click this and the Styles will appear! If not, drop me a line.

PS – if you’re looking for tips on writing user guides, then check out I Heart Technical Writing.

Related posts:

1. How to Stop Your Business Proposal Files From Crashing – Part 1
2. Kate Winslet’s 7 Smart Ways to Read Business Proposals

Post by Ivan Walsh. Follow me on Twitter.

What can Kate Winslet teach you about proof-reading Business Proposals? Watch the movie The Reader and it will make sense. If she was writing this blog, she’d probably say: “Don’t do it all at once! One of the biggest mistakes you can make when revising any business proposal, is to do it all in one go. You can’t!” And she’d be right.

7 Ways to Check User Guides

Make it easy on yourself and focus on one area at a time. Instead of revising the document in one session, break out the tasks and revise the document by task. For example, start with checking the facts, then the spelling, how the document flows, cross-references, footers, index entries and so on.

Seven Ways to Read Business Proposals.

1. Overview – In the opening section, do you have a statement, a sentence or two that states the main point or argument of your document? Likewise, is there a conclusion that ties together all the points made in your document?
2. Tasks – Does your user guide address the user’s requirements? Check the document to see if you addressed each task and provided enough information for the user to perform the task.
3. Structure – Does the document flow? Make sure each topic connects clearly and logically. Do the topic sentences of each paragraph relate to the subject matter?
4. Accuracy – Is the information correct? Is it adequately documented? Have you tested the document so that it helps the reader to perform their tasks?
5. Language – Do you use specific language? Avoid vague terms such as in the event of, thing, factors, and over reliance on unclear pronouns like “this” and “it.”
6. Drafts – Technical Writing involves writing multiple drafts. This means that after each draft, you need to check that the edits have been included in the correct draft.
7. Read Aloud – Get into the habit of reading your documents aloud. If you have trouble reading a sentence clearly and smoothly, it probably needs to be rewritten. And if it sounds wrong to your ear, then that’s a warning sign that something needs to be corrected.

PS – I also use a checklist to check off the different tasks as I revise technical document. This is especially helpful if you’re working late or are revising several documents in succession.

One mistake to avoid is to focus on one area, for example spelling, and overlook other areas, for example, the accuracy of the material. While the reader may forgive you for the occasional spelling mistake, they won’t be impressed if the material itself is incorrect.

How do you revise your documents? What mistakes do you see most often?

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a 40-something technical writer with a weakness for documentation plan guides. His other obsession is video marketing at http://www.videocameraschool.com/

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