Tips For Winning Proposal Writing

By Kathleen Watson


Proposals aim at convincing thrifty, busy and skeptic minds that your idea is worth funding or considering. The closest it gets is persuasive writing. Proposal writing should also consider the competitiveness of selection processes. Only the best proposals are funded. If you have to spend time preparing the bid, make it a winning one.

Though the old saying not to judge a book by its cover discourages people from making conclusions, you can be sure that initial vetting takes that direction. The panel does not have all the time to peruse through all the pages of hundreds of proposals. They rely on the executive summary. Make it brilliantly amazing.

An executive summary should be a single page that highlights all your strongest points. Give the reader a reason to peruse beyond the front page. Convince the panel that you are the best selection. It will give a winning first impression that enables your paper to pass the initial stage where attention is not on details. Make it easy for a reader to understand your idea and buy it.

Selection panels endeavor to get certain information from the proposals. This information is hinted in the instructions given. As such, your goal should be to provide this information in a precise manner. It means writing a paragraph instead of five that are irrelevant. Wordy text full of buzzword, meaningless shop talk and information that adds no value should be avoided. At this point, the idea that less is more makes a lot of sense.

Imagine the questions in the mind of the panelists and answer them in the best way possible. Answering the questions rightly makes you a good listener. It shows that you can understand instructions and because of your diligence, you will get a reward. Such questions and answers provided must be relevant and factual. The answers should also be easy to understand.

Sponsors rely on past performances to make a decision on the future of a project, plan or implementer. There is a lot of weight placed on evidence of projects successfully completed in the past. Such evidence confirms that you can follow instructions and deliver according to set expectations. This evidence is your referee that you can deliver. The best projects to highlight are those that bear similarity to the one you are biding for. Such evidence beats a litany of narrated yet untested technical ability.

Funds are not necessarily directed to the lowest bidder. The challenge of funding such a proposal is that it raises doubts about your ability or quality of delivery. A sponsor is looking for a differentiating factor beyond the price. This is an element in you that makes you standout. By reading through your pitch, the sponsor must declare that, This is the person we have been looking for!

The inclusion of facts instead of opinions will make your attempt successful. Paint a realistic picture of the outcome of your endeavor. The bid should be meticulously written with proper editing and design. An attractive and engaging presentation will win the confidence of any sponsor.




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