10 Business Proposal Writing Strategies

by Ivan Walsh on December 6, 2010

Writing a business proposal for the first time can be difficult. To make this easier we’ve compiled this list of ten writing strategies for developing your next sales, government or research proposal.
Green Tea Candy

10 Ways to Write Better Business Proposals

  1. Understanding of Requirements – confirm that you have addressed all the business requirements as listed in the RFP and the supporting documents. This ensures that you’re bid is not disqualified as it must meet any requirements before it can be assessed.
  2. Industry Knowledge – demonstrate your awareness of the business sector and prove this with relevant case studies and white papers that illustrate your knowledge and where you can add value.
  3. Reference Projects – give examples of other projects of a similar nature with details of the cost value, project timescales and the key technologies used in the projects. This gives the client more confidence that you have expertise in the areas they wanted addressed.
  4. Strategic Fit – Explain how the different methodologies align with the client’s procedures, strategy plan, and vision statement.
  5. Technical Requirements – show that you understand their technical requirements by addressing and responding to each requirement with examples of how this will be realized. Make sure to avoid clichés and answer each point so there is no ambiguity in your response.
  6. Confirmation – make sure that you agree to accept their procedures, practices and the Terms and Conditions of the contract should you be awarded it.
  7. Proposed Solution – show how the system you propose to develop will work by providing business scenarios and process maps. These help the reader ‘see’ how the solution will work as it enhances the text description.
  8. Screen Mockups – provide mockups of the main screens and/or sections of the system with screenshots and wireframes. This helps the reader understand how the system will work by seeing a visual representation.
  9. Cross-reference – make sure you cross-reference all requirements against the RFP and to the site map if you use mockups and other visuals.
  10. Warranty Period – another way to make the buyer feel more comfortable is to offer a warranty period. This means that if any issues arise with the product, solution or service, you agree to fix them within this time period.

The key to writing successful business proposals is to get the right balance between understanding the requirements and then demonstrating how you will achieve this. You can further improve your chances by providing endorsements from satisfied clients and including these quotes in the executive summary.

About the Author: Ivan Walsh is a Business Proposal Consultant who has worked for IBM, Intel and NEC in the US, UK and China. Get his Free Proposal Writing newsletter and read his Business Proposal Blog here.


Need help with your documents? Click Here for a Free Quote


Click here to get a free quote

Related posts:

  1. 7 Ways to Get your Business Proposal Accepted
  2. Proposal Writing Course – Lesson 5 Writing a Request For Proposal
  3. Proposal Writing Course – Lesson 3 Golden Rules Before Starting Your Proposal
  4. 7 Business Proposal Mistakes To Avoid
  5. S.P.E.E.D. Writing – 37 Ways to Increase Your Business Writing Productivity

Tagged as: Bid, business, Proposal, requirements, Research, Writing

  • http://www.skintightproposals.com Kyash2909

    A good listing, especially cross-referencing. I’m sure you’re aware folks who grade proposals don’t like to have to go hunting for responses to requirements.

    And the “how” of fulfilling technical requirements is key. I’ve seen too many writers lapse into the “what,” because that is “what” they know, but not the “how, ” which is a whole lot harder to write because it requires tapping that store of tacit knowledge (that which resides in one’s head. )

  • http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

    That’s a good point about what v how. You can fudge it when writing but… the evaluators will see through this and mark down the proposal.

    I feel to excel at business proposals, one need to have a good understanding of the topic at hand as this gives you the in depth knowledge you need to write the material. Otherwise, one is just making it up, really :)

  • http://truspeaks.com TruSpeaks

    I really like #7. Everyone has different learning styles and comprehension levels. Visual aids in the appendix or proposal that layout the “How” visually are great.

  • http://www.ivanwalsh.com Ivan Walsh

    Thanks TruSpeaks,

    I got the tip from someone who told me that during presentations it was the maps that the buyers wanted to discuss.

    I assume it was because it allowed non-technical people to contribute and also it just makes things easier!

    Thanks for dropping by,

    Ivan

Previous post:

Next post: