I don’t draft a lot of proposals these days but frequently get asked to tweak the copy. Roger found this excellent check-list for creating winning proposals. A few of my favorites:
Never title your proposal “Proposal.” That doesn’t say anything clients can’t figure out themselves. Would you ever title a book “Book”?
Avoid lengthy corporate histories. Nobody’s interested!
Quantify your benefits and payback. A convincing calculation of your client’s return on investment is more compelling than a slogan or cliché.
If you’re making a proposal to a client his week, check it against this list. And for god’s sake, read it aloud before you put it in front of the client, read it aloud to a co-worker and ask them if it sounds like the way you talk. If it doesn’t, rewrite and repeat.
Related posts: