So, you've decided to submit a proposal.

Maybe you're the incumbent with a very happy client or in a pack, or somewhere in between. (Article update Oct. 2021.)

Maybe somebody threw a request for proposal (RFP) over your transom. Or you were invited to respond to an RFP. Or, you've done it the hard way—by having a sustained business conversation with a prospect about what the prospect needs.

However you got there, you're looking for ways to write a proposal that sets you and your company favorably apart. Ways that capture the great things you have to offer. And do you no harm.

Here are six suggested proposal writing tips and best-practices. They will not only maximize your chances to stand out and land the job but also manage the risks.

1. Be responsive

If your proposal is the result of an RFP, you've been given a recipe. Follow it precisely.

Well, at least be very cautious about how much you improvise. Remember that you're getting points for showing how well you color inside the lines—and how well you listen.

The paradox is that RFPs often ask (or expect) you to demonstrate your creativity, problem-solving skills, and the like. And you want to break out of the pack, somehow. The trick is to find the middle path, one that fills in the RFP's required blanks while showing that your right hemisphere is alive and well.

No RFP? There's more freedom if you're not working within the framework of an RFP.

There's also more responsibility. That's because you not merely have to follow the path, you also have to help define it.

If you're working ad hoc, it's important to be clear about what your prospect wants, about the issues your prospect wants addressed, about any history with other vendors, and so on; otherwise, you're just guessing.

That kind of clarity requires three things.

  • First, do your homework. Research the prospect's business and industry. Brains and charm alone won't get you invited into anything sustainable.
  • Second, ask questions, and listen. If you've done your homework and are asking the right questions, your prospect will practically write your proposal for you.
  • Finally, use caution. (See key No. 4 for more about the risk of giving away the farm.)

2. Use plain English

Not all RFPs are the same. But even the most technical Web-development or civil-engineering proposal had better be readable and engaging. That's especially true if the decision-makers who are reading your proposal include techies and non-techies, which is often the case.

So write the way you speak. Avoid jargon, unless it's responsive to something in the RFP (and even then, use it sparingly). Let yourself connect with your reader the same way you would if you were face-to-face.

Relax.

Go on a word diet. Start by asking yourself, Why am I writing this? Then, Who's reading it? And so on.

By the time you're finished, you've put every word, sentence, and paragraph through the wringer. You've examined their need to exist and their proper place in the landscape of the page.

In other words, you've been thematic.

3. Use your whole brain

Being responsive is a given. Using the right words will help, too, by making sure your proposal gets read and is remembered well.

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Six Keys to Writing a Great Proposal

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Doug Stern (www.doug-stern.com) is a freelance business writer and marketing strategist based in Louisville, KY. Contact him at 502-599-6624 or stern.doug@gmail.com.

Jaclyn Landon (www.jaclynlandon.com) is a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant. Contact her at 949-872-2296 or writer@jaclynlandon.com.