Chapter 16. Writing Proposals © 2010 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

• Analyze your audience.

• Analyze your purpose.

• Gather information about your subject.

• Choose the appropriate type of proposal.

• Draft the proposal.

• Format the proposal.

• Revise, edit, proofread, and submit the proposal.

Writing a proposal requires seven steps:

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Understand the logistics of proposals

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Solicited and unsolicited proposals respond to different needs:

• Solicited proposals are sent in response to an IFB (information for bid) or an RFP (request for proposals).

• Unsolicited proposals are submitted by a prospective supplier who believes that the customer has a need for goods or services.

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• research

• goods and services

Proposals lead to two kinds of deliverables:

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• Show that you understand the readers’ needs.

• Show that you have decided what you plan to do, and that you are able to do it.

• Show that you are a professional, and that you are committed to fulfilling your promises.

A successful proposal is a persuasive argument

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• Understand that what makes an argument persuasive can differ from one culture to another.

• Budget enough time for translating.

• Use simple graphics, with captions.

• Write short sentences, using common vocabulary.

• Use local conventions regarding punctuation, spelling, and mechanics.

• Ask if the prospective customer will do a read-through.

When writing international proposals, follow these six suggestions:

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• Provide your credentials and work history.

• Provide your work schedule.

• Describe your quality-control measures.

• Include your budget.

Follow these four guidelines in demonstrating your professionalism:

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Avoid these four common dishonest practices:

• saying that certain qualified people will participate in the project, even though they will not

• saying that the project will be finished by a certain date, even though it will not

• saying that the deliverable will have certain characteristics, even though it will not

• saying that the project will be completed under budget, even though it will not

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• to avoid serious legal trouble stemming from breach-of-contract suits

• to avoid acquiring a bad reputation, thus ruining your business

• to do the right thing

There are three reasons to write honest proposals:

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To follow through on a proposal, you need three categories of resources:

• personnel• facilities• equipment

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• summary

• introduction

• proposed program

• qualifications and experience

• budget

• appendices

A typical proposal includes six sections:

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• What is the problem or opportunity?

• What is the purpose of the proposal?

• What is the background of the problem or opportunity?

• What are your sources of information?

• What is the scope of the proposal?

• What is the organization of the proposal?

• What are the key terms that you will use in the proposal?

An introduction answers seven questions:

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Task schedules are presented in one of three formats:

• table• bar chart or Gantt chart• network diagram

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This is a task schedule as a table:

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This is a task schedule as a bar chart:

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This is a task schedule as a network diagram: