Proposal Best Practices describes the most important practices that all proposal professionals should implement if they're serious about improving their win rates. These include proposal writing best practices, proposal process best practices, business development best practices, and sales messaging best practices. What sets this book apart from many other business books is it contains actionable advice, practical recommendations, and many examples. If you're serious about improving your win rate, Proposal Best Practices shows you how.
Acquire the necessary skills to win business through proposals, bids, tenders, and presentations—this hands-on guide is your partner for success You have in your hands the collected knowledge and skills of the professional proposal writer. Proposal writing is a profession — a growing and increasingly important one and an essential part of a broader group of business development professionals who plan and execute strategies for businesses who want to obtain new customers. Proposal writers have a professional organization — the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) — and their best practices are the foundation for this book. Proposal writing is a skill you can learn, practice, and master; you can even go through a professional certification process to prove your mastery. Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies is your no-nonsense guide to finding out what professional proposal writers know and for applying it to your own business. If you're a small- to medium-size business owner, a first-time proposal writer in a medium-size company, or a sales representative, you know that a written proposal (printed or electronic) is still a common, personal, and effective way to win business. Written in plain English, Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies will help you to: Know the difference between reactive proposals (the RFP or request for proposal) and proactive proposals Focus on the customer by going beyond their requirements to address their true needs Know your competition through research and analysis Write persuasively to develop a winning business proposal Plan and use a repeatable proposal process Incorporate a lessons learned aspect to your proposal process Use tools and templates to accelerate your proposals Motivate and lead your proposal team to ensure they're on the same page Use graphics to enhance your proposals Learn ways to automate your proposal development process And a whole lot more Additionally, you'll gain access to ten templates for building a proposal, find out ten common misconceptions about bids and proposals, and add a compiled list of online resources to your toolset. Grab a copy of Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies to start sharpening your proposal writing skillset.
This book is an essential weapon for anyone looking for funding in the extremely competitive grantseeking world. It explains how and why to approach both public and private sponsors with not just information, but persuasion, for the best chance for success. How do you present the right balance of logic, emotion, and relationship-awareness to make a persuasive proposal? What is THE most important thing to do before submitting a proposal to increase your odds for funding success? What portion of the proposal must be stressed even when it has a low point value assigned to it in the reviewer's evaluation form? How can a site visit make or break the fate of a meticulously prepared application? Models of Proposal Planning & Writing: Second Edition answers all these critical questions and more for grantseekers, documenting how to write a proposal that will persuade a sponsor to invest in your projects and organization—and just as importantly, explaining why a properly persuasive application puts forth a seamless argument that stands the test of reason, addresses psychological concerns, and connects your project to the values of the sponsor. The book's comprehensive annotations provide practical information that walks readers step-by-step through a logical, integrated process of planning and writing persuasive proposals.
Develop a winning business proposal Plan and use a repeatable proposal process Use tools and templates to accelerate your proposals Get the intel on bids and proposals Congratulations! You have in your hands the collected knowledge and skills of the professional proposal writer – without having to be one! Inside, you'll find out how to unlock what these professionals know and apply it to your own business to improve the way you capture new customers and communicate with existing ones! Inside... Develop a great proposal Focus on the customer Know your competition Plan your approach Use tools and templates Write persuasively Overcome misconceptions Expand your skills Avoid proposal killers
In this book, we share our modern perspective on proposal management and what matters within the proposal process. We're using these insights to help our customers concentrate on what's truly important in proposal development and on best practices that may have fallen to the wayside in their companies. We examine the Federal Government source selection decision-making process and what the government evaluators and the final decision maker look for as they review your proposals. We discuss our strength-based solutioning process and the difference between features and benefits--and how to really make your proposal stand out. Finally, we walk you through 10 actions your organization can take that will positively affect your proposal outputs.
Proven techniques and invaluable advice for writing winning business proposals—revised and updated! What makes a winning business proposal? It highlights your skills and services, meets your client's needs, and clearly sets you apart from the competition. Since 1995, Handbook for Writing Proposals has helped thousands of professionals develop winning proposals. This exceptional handbook guides you through the unique nine-step proposal-writing process from the initial RFP to the client presentation. In this revised and updated version, the authors show you how to: Choose the RFPs that give you the best chance of success Showcase your company's skills and services Set realistic time/cost schedules and budgets Avoid the mistakes that sink most proposals Build client relationships that bring you repeat business Tailor your writing for an international business audience The second edition also offers you a wealth of downloadable forms and checklists that you can adapt for your own proposal-writing process. Whether you own your own business, need to train your corporate staff, or simply want to improve your skills, Handbook for Writing Proposals, second edition will show you how to profit from every proposal you write. Praise This book guides you through the process of creating the best impression of your sweat equity to your customer. Whether you need to polish up and improve every aspect of the proposal or just certain elements, this book will fill the need. Remember, the economics of gain only occur when a customer feels you’ve fulfilled a need and created value. Paul V. Baron, President, In-Store Bakery Division, The Quarter Oats Company Handbook for Writing Proposals offers a wealth of down-to-earth, practical guidance on all phases of proposal writing. The book is well organized and full of concrete ideas that are easy to include in real-life situations. The sample letters, checklists, budgets, and proposals are extremely valuable. This book is a great resource for anyone whose success depends on convincing others through the proposal process. Richard M. Sawdey, Former Vice President and Secretary, R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
Writing Proposals aims at making it easier for your project to access a grant with two tools: industry best-practices and a field-tested proposal template. This book is mainly for projects that wish to access public grants and will give you: - A downloadable proposal template and budget sheet - An A-to-Z methodology to write your proposal and budget developed over 7 years of practice - In-depth explanations for each proposal section - Several examples of paragraph texts - 7 Writing techniques to make your project's case better - 26 Proposal-Specific writing tips Proposal Writing is a daunting task: we have to follow strict guidelines and a process we aren't familiar with. On top of that, we need to present our project in the best possible light, all within a very tight deadline. Doing everything, and doing it perfectly, is possible - but it requires time: time to read, to understand, to plan and to write. Time, unfortunately, is the resource we lack the most, and we might not be able to build the necessary expertise via practice. This is where I come in: I put my time in this book, so you don't have to waste yours. This book is a collection of the best, tools, tricks and techniques developed in 7+ years of grant writing. Every single tool or concept has been field tested and refined via trial and error. Writing Proposals is divided in three sections SECTION 1 is an A-to-Z guide on how to write a proposal. It provides a workflow, a sample proposal structure, and a downloadable proposal template and budget sheet. Each one of its chapters provides a detailed explanation of the different building blocks: - First Steps of Proposal Writing - Outline of the Technical Proposal - Introduction - Context and Proposal Structure - Methodology - Organisation and Staffing - Budget - Review and Finalization SECTION 2 focuses on Writing Techniques for Proposals, meaning what you can do to write your text better, faster and to make it more effective. Here, we go over 7 fundamental tools for better writing. SECTION 3, lastly, is a collection of 26 Proposal-Specific Writing Tips, that is a series of adjustments you can use in your text right away that make your document more readable and easier to follow. At the end of the book you will find the proposal structure (for quick reference) and a methodology to calculate your personnel's hourly rate
How can you take your skills and expertise and package and present it to become a successful consultant? There are proven time-tested principles, strategies, tactics and best-practices the most successful consultants use to start, run and grow their consulting business. Consulting Success teaches you what they are. In this book you'll learn: - How to position yourself as a leading expert and authority in your marketplace - Effective marketing and branding materials that get the attention of your ideal clients - Strategies to increase your fees and earn more with every project - The proposal template that has generated millions of dollars in consulting engagements - How to develop a pipeline of business and attract ideal clients - Productivity secrets for consultants including how to get more done in one week than most people do in a month - And much, much more
Despite its importance as an initial step in the development of major technical projects, the Request for Proposal (RFP) process rarely receives the professional attention it deserves. Used by government agencies and by private corporations to solicit proposals from contractors and vendors, the RFP document is the foundation for a successful project. A clearly written and properly organized RFP clarifies technical goals, communicates administrative and financial expectations, and sets the tone for good communication and a trusting and productive relationship between customer and contractor.
