Here is a simple approach to help you cover all the bases in your proposal. For each section/requirement that you must address, make sure you answer: who, what, where, how, when, and why. Repeat it until it rolls off your tongue and you have it memorized.

· Who: who will do the work, who will manage the work, who does the customer call if there is a problem, who is responsible for what

· What: what needs to be done/delivered, what will be required to do it, what can the customer expect, what it will cost

· Where: where will the work be done, where will it be delivered

· How: how will be work be done, how will it be deployed, how will it be managed, how will you achieve quality assurance and customer satisfaction, how will risks be mitigated, how long will it take, how will the work benefit the customer

· When: when will you start, when will key milestones be scheduled, when will the project be complete, when is payment due

· Why: why have you chosen the approaches and alternatives you have selected, why the customer should select you

This simple little phrase (who, what, where, how, when, and why) can help you ensure that your proposal says everything needed to "answer the mail."

For each of the customer’s requirements, go through the list and you will probably have everything covered. You can use it for inspiration when writing, and you can use it like a checklist for reviewing a draft proposal.

And you thought proposal writing was supposed to be hard!

Proposal layout, formatting, and design

Layout and design

If there is no written RFP, or if the written RFP does not specify outline or format, then there are no rules for the layout and design of your proposal. The only standard to apply to the proposal’s appearance is whether it fulfills the proposal evaluator’s expectations. If they haven’t told you what they are or written them into an RFP, then all you can do is make your proposal legible. Your proposal layout should be highly readable and make it easy to locate information. You should make extensive use of graphics, because they enhance the readability of the document and convey information well. In the absence of instructions to the contrary, your headings, typefaces, margins, headers/footers, and other formatting attributes can be anything that you want that achieves the goal of your proposal.

So that you don’t have to study typography, we recommend:

· A serif typeface such as Times Roman

· 10-12 point type

· A column width of 50-60 characters (either double column or “scholar’s margins”)

· Page margins of at least .5”

· The use of color whenever possible

· Extensive use of graphics

· Full use of front matter (Table of Contents, List of Figures, etc.)

· “Navigation aids” such as a cross-reference matrix

· Appendices for data that must be provided, but disrupts your proposal’s story

· If the page count is large enough, use 3-ring binders or other binding

· Use tabs that break the content down into sections and make finding material easier

Final production

Final formatting and polish is often reserved for the end of a proposal effort. Indeed, in some environments they wait until all edits to the content have finished before they apply final formatting and perform reproduction. On a large proposal they may allow several days to a week just for final production. Some organizations use sophisticated desktop publishing and artwork, others use MS-Word for their final output. The value of a better-looking proposal must be weighed against the level of effort it takes to achieve it. We recommend that you format your proposal in a layout that you are comfortable with. Keep it simple, and don't overextend yourself by using an advanced layout that you have difficulty producingHow to Write a One-Person Proposal — for when your product is yourself

If you are a consultant, your product is often the services that you will perform yourself. Sooner or later you will need to give your customer a proposal, either because they ask for it, or because it can help you persuade them to approve the project. To approve the use of a consultant, many companies will need a written statement of work and other information. Putting it in their hands can expedite the process. If you are not a consultant, you may still need to prepare a proposal from time-to-time to expedite a decision or persuade someone to take action on your behalf.

Your goal will define the content of your proposal. People sometimes write proposals to persuade the reader to take an action, make a selection, reach a decision, spend money, offer a job, or grant a raise. Large, formal proposals are often prepared in response to a written Request for Proposals (RFP). One person proposals often do not have a written proposal to provide guidance. You must anticipate the information that will be required by the reader to take the action you desire and then design a document that will achieve your goal.

Your proposal should be more than your resume and a work plan. As an individual, your proposal will be partly an introduction, partly a statement of qualifications, partly a work plan, partly pricing, and partly an articulation of the reasons why the client should approve your recommendations.

Your resume only addresses your qualifications, and even these a resume tends to address only in a generic way. You should customize your resume every time you use it to emphasize the qualifications that are most relevant to the person you are trying to persuade. For example, are you a network technician, an administrator, an engineer, or a project manager? Many networking consultants could play all of these roles. But which is more important to this project and this client -- your education, your experience, you certifications, or your capabilities? You should customize your resume to make the relevance clear, to prove that you have the qualifications required to do what you propose, and to support you rationale for why the client should accept your recommendations.

In addition to your resume, you have some explaining to do:

· What will you accomplish for the client?

· How long will it take?

· What resources will be required?

· How will they benefit from the project?

· How much will it cost?

· Who are you to be making these recommendations?

· Why do they need you?

· Why should they have confidence in your ability to do the work correctly?

· Why should they accept your recommendations?

Here are some additional topics for more complex proposals:

• o Staffing
  o Management and Oversight
  o Allocation of effort
  o Orientation and Phase-In
  o Deliverables
  o Metrics, measurements, and performance standards
  o Quality assurance
  o Communications
  

In order to answer these questions, your proposal should start with an introduction to what you plan to accomplish and how they will benefit (start by explaining what's in it for them). Then provide your work plan, including methodologies, resources, and schedule. You might also provide your resume to support your ability to deliver as promised. Once you've laid this foundation, provide your pricing and rationale, emphasizing the return on investment and value.

Depending on the complexity of your work plan, this can usually be accomplished in a couple of pages. You can use any format that will fulfill the client's expectations. Your proposal could be in the form of a letter, memo, report, document, email, or contract. When to require a contract is a matter of personal and legal judgment. When you do, I recommend that you include it as an attachment to your proposal. Contracts tend to be perceived skeptically, so you want the message delivered by the proposal, with your goal being to persuade them to sign the contract.

Whether your goal is the signing of a contract or something else, and whether your proposal is delivered in the form of a one page memo or a three-inch binder, the entire proposal should revolve around persuading them to take the action you desire. You must be clear about your goal and turn that into a clear call to action in writing.

Because you will probably be producing your own proposal, you should make sure that you design the layout of the document around your own capabilities to produce it. In other words, don't get too fancy. Go for simple elegance instead of complicated sophistication. Just make sure that it fulfills the reader's expectations. This is harder to do when you don't have a written RFP. If you don't know their expectations, make an effort to discuss their expectations and issues such as:

•  Do they want something formal or informal?
• Does it have to meet the requirements of the purchasing department?
• Do they need a strong financial justification?
• Have they already decided and just need something to facilitate completing the paper work?
• Are there any forms that must be included or formats to follow?
• Will they follow a formal evaluation process?

Remember, your proposal is only a part of how you achieve your goal. If you are a consultant, remember that what they are buying is you — not the proposal. You will need to practice your salesmanship. This is especially true if there is no formal evaluation process. There is a school of thought that says that you shouldn't submit the proposal until you know what the decision will be. If you can't achieve this, then make sure that you have a personal follow-up plan for after the proposal is submitted. The follow-up can be crucial for supplying additional information and validating what you put on paper. You don't have to be pushy to follow-up, just be helpful, and remind them that you can be even more helpful if they accept the proposal.
. 7 Tips for Creating a Great Business Proposal

Q: I was wondering if you had any tips on what constitutes a good proposal. Much of my business comes from making proposals, and I think they could probably be stronger, though I am not sure they are weak, if that makes sense. Thanks in advance.
— Kirk
A: In his excellent book, Writing Winning Business Proposals, author Richard C. Freed says this about business proposals:
Although a few are outstanding, most aren't. Many offend with 'cut-and-paste' boilerplate, miss important opportunities to provide value, suffer from poor logic and organization, and focus more on you than on me and my organization. Although some do a few things well, some don't do much well at all.

I think he is on to something. I read quite a few business proposals, and have written many. Most often, and most successfully, my proposals have been to publishers. Each time I have written a book, the process begins with a proposal that explains what the book would be, who its intended audience is, why it would be better than competitive books, and why the publisher would be nuts not to publish it.

Similarly, not a few business proposals come across my desk. Some are excellent and some are not. So here then are my 7 Tips for Creating a Great Business Proposal:

1. Write Clearly and Succinctly: There is a tendency in business writing generally, and in business proposals specifically, to try and show how smart you are by using excess verbiage, jargon, and run-on sentences. Don't do it. Be succinct. Make your point and move on.

Remember: When people begin reading the proposal, they have little or no idea what you are proposing, so you have to walk them through the process. You do so by starting at the beginning and clearly, simply, and logically moving forward by making your points one at a time.

Start with the big picture and drill down as you go along.

2. Make a Good Argument and Counter Possible Obstacles: A great proposal is, essentially, a sales brochure, disguised. In it, you put your best foot forward, put your company in the best light, and make yourself irresistible to the reader.

How do you do that?

The best way is to marshal the top facts and arguments in your favor. Have a theme and reinforce it again and again. Take the reader down a path that leads but to one conclusion — that hiring you makes the most sense for them.

You also have to put yourself in the readers' position, think of what counter arguments they may be considering, and deal with those potential obstacles honestly. That makes you trustworthy.
3. Show your Personality: Far too often, business proposals are devoid of life, as if the person writing it is some Employeetron 3000, programmed to say nothing, be boring, and not offend.

I say, let your personality come through. Of course this is business and you have to follow some business conventions, but as you do, also let the reader see who you are. Share your enthusiasm for your business, their business, the idea, something.

4. Use Graphics Intelligently: Don't make the mistake of bogging down a perfectly fine proposal with excess graphics. Yes, of course you need graphics; they can clarify an idea, and liven up a proposal and allow readers to focus on something other than words. That's smart. Just don't get carried away. Whether you use a program like Publisher or PowerPoint, just be sure that the graphics reinforce the sale rather than distracting from the point.

5. Don't Oversell: Avoid hyperbole. As soon as you cross the line from understandable pride to obnoxious overstatement, you lose credibility. Once readers think you're not shooting straight with them, they may question the truthfulness of everything in your proposal—all that they read so far, and all that is still to come.

You avoid this unenviable fate by staying on the safe side of overstatement.

6. Avoid Boilerplate Language and Catch Typos: Another sure way to lose readers is to have them think that your proposal is a cut-and-paste job, consisting of boilerplate data and text. Certainly you can reuse persuasive information from elsewhere, but try to keep it to a minimum and don't make it obvious. Your proposal should read as if it were created especially for this particular client or customer. And while you're personalizing the proposal, triple-check for typos.

If it is clear that you didn't give the proposal your best effort, why would your readers think you would give their project your best effort?

7. Always Keep the Reader in Mind: A proposal is a marketing tool, and as such, remember Marketing 101: Stress benefits, benefits, benefits.

Finally, while price is important and must be discussed, do so only after you have wowed readers with your crisp writing, powerful arguments, supporting graphics, and a plethora of potential benefits. Then you can go in for the sale.

By Edward Freedom

A BSc holder in Geology and Minig Who have passion for information marketing. He corently is the Director of Nigeria Business Talk and Jobport International.

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