Proposal Writing: 11 Tips for Writing a Winning Proposal
The benefits of winning a major contract can mean more than just additional income for your business. For starters, upon receiving notification that your company has been selected for the project, you can begin marketing your achievement. Write an article about it. Post articles in “IT publications” such as “Federal Computer Week” and “Federal Computer News” and post them on your company website.
1. Indicate the requirements
Point out the capabilities of the requirements, contact them for clarification, don’t put your proposal on hold waiting for a response, don’t wait. Get started right away so you have plenty of time to edit your proposal and deliver it to the correct office on time.
2. What do they want?
Determine what they want and write to that. Read the project requirements and make sure your proposal is written to meet the requirements.
3. How will you be evaluated?
Know how you will be evaluated and write to that.
4. Support your evaluation
This step is crucial. You will need to back up your assessment and stand behind it. Write to support your evaluation by providing clearly written and described steps. Remember, the person reading your proposal should have no questions once they have finished reviewing your proposal.
5. Keep in order
Save them in the order the company requests them. Don’t let your proposal get disorganized. No matter the size or extent of your proposal, it is imperative that it is properly organized and formatted to meet the needs of project requirements.
6. Create an outline
Create an outline with the required information. Do you remember the schematics in high school? This is where the skills you learned in your youth will come in handy. An outline helps keep the proposal clearly and precisely formatted.
7. Review your proposal.
Review, review, review.
8. First impressions are important
Proposal submission is your first impression.
9. Take enough time
Allow enough time so you don’t forget the details.
10. Know the agency or company to which you are writing the proposal Know the agency that issues the request for proposal, location, delivery point of view, location that can receive next day deliveries, allow more time for delivery of the item.
11. Pay special attention to quality control
Quality control means that your proposal will be taken seriously. No one will pay attention to your proposal if it is not well written and formatted correctly.
- Follow the required proposal format in the order they are required (should reflect the order)
- Answer questions and easily identifiable information, in bold, put a heading
- Using a consistent writing style makes it easier for them to review our proposal.
- Provide best product first, provide current touchpoints, use group email boxes
Marketing steps for a winning proposal:
- Research agency budgets and find agencies with large IT budgets, identify which agencies have funding.
- Review the SBA Scorecard for Small Businesses. The SBA rates each agency with a rating and focuses on those agencies that met or met to achieve the small business socioeconomic goals of the companies or agencies it has chosen to target. First visit your small business utilization website to get your small business procurement forecast. Identify those agencies that have a prognosis and need your services.
- Write articles or press releases about your achievements! Honk your own horn. If you don’t, no one else will. Promoting the fact that you have the winning proposal is almost as important as writing the proposal.
If you do not complete and submit your proposal on time, it will most likely be removed from the company or agency system. Therefore, make sure your proposal is delivered on time.
