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

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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