This Presentation explains the proposal writing techniques. types, functions.

1. The Art of
Proposal Writing
by
Messan Lanre
(A fast rising idea strategist in Africa)
Chief Idea Officer, Infinite Impact Company

2. Welcome….
At the end of this Workshop, you will have learnt;
• What Proposals Are and Can do
• The various types of Proposals and their Functions
• The Demographics for Offering Winning Value Propositions
• The Step by Step Approach to Writing and Packaging a
Winning Proposal
• The Avoidables and the Unavoidables of Proposal Writing
• The Art of Developing your own Proposal Framework

3. Before the proposal, there is the Customer…
• The primary aim of every proposal is to
convince, persuade, influence, and inform the customer, client, decision-
makers, end-users, influencers, gatekeepers.
• The truth is if you must submit a proposal that is filled with boilerplate
text that focuses on yourself, you are giving the customer an impersonal
experience. You are delivering a document that fails to acknowledge the
customer’s unique needs, values or interest.

4. WHAT PROPOSALS ARE AND CAN DO
• Every proposal is a sales document with a basic goal to persuade
and move the sales process toward closure.
• The proposal has to be persuasive, accurate and complete. 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.
• A business proposal is designed to describe — to an extent
sufficient to sell the idea — the concept you are proposing to
your client.

5. ‘A written proposal is a selling
document, a statement of your
capabilities to address a given client
requirement.
A proposal says I can do what YOU
WANT.’

6. • A winning proposal, on the other hand, does not simply
say, 'Hey, I can do that!' but rather:
• 'Hey, I fully understand what you are trying to
do, I have a much better understanding than any
of my competitors, I have a better solution to
your problems than anyone else, I can do a better
job of delivering the required solution, and at a
more attractive cost than anyone else,
and here’s why…”.

7. In addition to this, 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?

8. 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 proposal 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.

9. 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.

10. WHAT A PROPOSAL CAN DO FOR YOU
• A good proposal can help you make money by convincing
people to choose you to provide the products or services
they need. In the nonprofit realm, it can help you obtain
funding in support of your mission and objectives.
• A good proposal can position what you have as a solution to
a business problem, and helps you to justify a slightly higher
price than your competitor by showing that you will provide
superior value.

11. • A good proposal can persuade the reader to take an
action, make a selection, reach a decision, spend
money, offer a job, or grant a raise.
• A good proposal can help you compete successfully
without having personal contact with every member of the
decision team.
• A good proposal can help you demonstrate competence
and professionalism enabling you to sell to the smart buyer
while offering a bundled solution.

12. WHAT A PROPOSAL CAN DO FOR THE CLIENT
A good proposal can help the decision maker to:
• Compare vendors, offers or prices so he or she can make an
informed decision.
• Clarify complex information
• Make the buying process more ― objective‖
• Slow down the sales process
• Solicit creative ideas, become educated, or get free consulting.

13. THE VARIOUS TYPES OF PROPOSALS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
Basically, proposals are categorized as solicited or unsolicited;
however, solicited proposals are requested for by the clients with
specific criteria and description of what they want while
unsolicited proposal is written and submitted on impulse or based
on perceived needs of the client, without the client asking for it.
– Business Proposal
– Sales Proposal
– Sponsorship Proposal
– Idea Development Proposal
– Case study
– Investment Proposals

14. VARIOUS TYPES OF PROPOSALS
• Real estate Proposals
• Banking Proposals
• Funding Proposals
• Insurance Proposals
• Construction Proposals
• Product Development Proposals
• Marketing Proposals
• Janitorial Service Proposals
• Joint-Venture Proposals
• Software Proposals
• Advertising Proposals

15. Functions of Proposals
• A proposal may function in three ways as outlined;
• As a means of communication – to
inform, educate, analyze, convince, propose and explain
details.
• As a plan – to execute set f principles, strategies or
recommend.
• As a contract – to serve as a guide of work or legal
document to process business or deals. It is the basis
for report.

16. THE DEMOGRAPHICS FOR OFFERING WINNING VALUE PROPOSITIONS
• What is Value Proposition?
• Value proposition is a description of the customer problem, the solution that
addresses the problem, and the value of this solution from the customer's
perspective.
• The Value Proposition. For each option that you present to the potential
customer, provide a value proposition. Your value proposition should be
something that can be conveyed in three to five bullet points, three to five
sentences, or spoken in thirty seconds or less. You should be precise and succinct.
Present the value proposition from the customer point of view. For
example, rather than say "we ship in three to five days", you could say "the
product will typically arrive at your door in three to five days". Rather than say
"we have the fastest process", you could say "our process is fast, so you get
results faster"

17. • It's important when developing your value proposition that it be clear
and concise. It's best to start by brainstorming and focusing on what
needs your target demographic group have in common. This can be
done by market research. What do they all want that your business can
provide? What is important to them?
• Once you've found the common denominating need you can determine
what it is that they are in search of and develop your value proposition
around that need.
• Keep in mind that the purpose of your value proposition is to identify
and satisfy an unmet need that your target market possesses.

20. THE PERSUASIVE PARADIGM
• The Persuasive Paradigm is a classic approach to offering great
values to the clients. Consider this four point strategy:
• The Customers Needs: Demonstrate you understand the
customer’s needs, issues, or problems.
• Outcomes: Focus on the outcomes or results the customer
wants to achieve.
• Recommend a solution
• Prove you can do it
• Varieties of values

21. • Cost:
– Lowest price, or
– Best price/performance, or
– Return on Investment (ROI).
• Technical:
– Superior specifications, or
– Programme/solution design, or
– Better technical personnel.
• Quality:
– Improving reliability
– Enhancing maintain ability
– Increasing ease of use
• Competition:
– Achieving the best total improvement in operational and financial performance
– Leaping past a competitor's position
– Dominating the market

22. Credibility
• whether the lead decision-maker is technically, financially or
administratively oriented, the credibility of your organization can
be a compelling argument for or against your proposal. You could
have been selected because of:
– Who your organization is, or
– Your team members, or
– Client industry experience.
• You can get started by developing your value proposition today.
• Here is an example of one of the best value proposition that
belongs to a sales consultant:

23. Our clients grow their business, large or
small, typically by a minimum of 30-50%
over the previous year. They accomplish this
without working 80 hour weeks and
sacrificing their personal lives.

24. STEP BY STEP APPROACH TO WRITING AND PACKAGING PROPOSALS
A simple proposal formula
• 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.
• Focus on benefits first, supported by the features of
your offering, then provide proof

25. Successful proposals are:
• Customer focused
• Responsive
• Easy to evaluate
Stages involved in
preparing your proposal

26. Processes
• Research, Writing, Production, Submission, Presentation, Follow
–up, De-brief
FORMATS
The Highlights …
• Business Proposal
• Sales Proposal
• Sponsorship Proposal
• Idea Development Proposal
• Case study

27. • Business Proposal: A business proposal is a written offer from
a seller to a prospective buyer. Business proposals are often a key
step in the complex sales process--i.e., whenever a buyer
considers more than price in a purchase. Examples of formats:
1. Front
2. Body
3. Appendices
• Data
• Bibliography and references

28. COSTING
• Budget
• Expenses
• Justification

29. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• The challenges you face
• The outcomes you need
• The solutions we recommend
DETAILS
• The solutions explained
• Our implementation strategies
• What we have done
• The guarantee of service delivery
RESUME
• Who we are
• Our team
• Contact/Communication person

30. Sales Proposal: This is a document offering valuable sales proposition strategies.
Format
Example 1:
• Introduction/Situation Analysis
• Overview of Product or service
• Customer’s issues, needs
• Solutions/Benefits/Evidence
• Implementation plan/Project steps
• Pricing
• About Us
• Conclusion
Example 2:
• Brief/Problem Analysis
• Aims, Objectives and Adoptable
• The Competition
• The Opportunities, and Past Achievement
• Recommended Strategies and Marketing Plan and Resources
• Budget
• Who we are

31. Sales Proposal Structure
A proven, five-section structure for writing winning sales proposals.
Five Proposal Main Sections
1. Client Background
2. Proposed Solution
3. Implementation
4. Seller Profile
5. Business Issues
Four Key Proposal Components
A sales proposal should also include the following four components:
1. Title Page
2. Table of Contents
3. Executive Summary
4. Appendices

32. Sponsorship proposal:
This is a document asking a company to support a cause, an event, a
person, organization, business or a group of people, financially or by the
contribution of goods, products, services, manpower, etc'.
Format
Example 1:
• Title page
• Project description
• Strategic approach
• Specifications
• Partners
• Benefits
• Sponsorship
• Conclusion

33. Example 2:
• The Letter
• What we offer
• Who we target
• Why we do this
• When and Where
• Our Intent
• How this adds value
• Means of Sponsorship
• Conclusion

34. Idea Development Proposal: This is a document that entails
unsubstantiated knowledge based propositions containing solution driven
values basically for utility or commercial purposes.
Format Example 1:
• Background
• Concept Description
• Strategic plan
• Marketing plan
• Implementation plan
• Expected outcomes
• Resources
• Action plan(task based)
• Conclusions

35. Example 2:
• Title page/One Liner content
• Introduction
• Project Capacity
• Project Objectives
• Project Goal
• Project Details
• Proposed partners
• Expected Results
• Rationale/Market Analysis
• Sequence Activities
• Project Needs
• About Us
• Contact Persons

36. • Case Study: A case study is a puzzle that has to be solved. The first thing to remember
about writing a case study is that the case should have a problem for the readers to solve. In
writing a case, you must follow three basic steps namely: Research, Analyze and write.
• Format example: A basic format features: Situation, Solution, Benefits and Lessons
Learnt. However, other formats are:
Example 1.
• Title page
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
• Study
• Analysis
• Recommendation
• Conclusion
• References and Appendices

37. • Example 2.
• Introduction
• Project Background
• Project Objectives
• Project Strategies
• Process Solutions
• Project Challenges
• Project Evaluation and Outcome
• Project Next Steps
• Conclusion

38. The Avoidable and the Unavoidable of Proposal writing
The Avoidable
• The Seven Deadly Sins of Proposal Writing
• Failure to focus on the client’s business problems and payoffs – the contents sounds
generic
• No persuasive structure – the proposal is an ―information dump‖.
• No clear differentiation of this vendor compared to others.
• Failure to offer a compelling value proposition.
• Key points are buried – no impact, no highlighting.
• Difficult to read because they are full of jargon, too long, or too technical.
• Credibility killers – misspellings, grammar and punctuation errors, use of the wrong
client’s name, inconsistent formats, similar mistakes.

39. The Unavoidable
– Gimme a KISS - Keep It Short and Simple
– GYST – Don’t write anything until you ―Get Your Stuff Together‖
– Write using a natural voice tone i.e. make it conversational
– Use short, simple sentences. A sentence is an idea. Sentences work
when they contain only one idea. They work best when they are
short and simple. Apply Sant’s Law to every sentence which states
that ―To write a clear direct sentence, make sure the key idea is
embedded in the heart of the sentence.‖

40. What is the heart of the sentence?
It is the subject the verb ad the compliment – usually the direct object or indirect object.
You need to ask yourself continuously, does my SVC communicate the key idea?
See this:
• It would appear that enhanced access to the database on the part of our key
executives is desirable.
• This could work:
• Our key executives need better access to the database
• And in fact:
• Executives need access (SVC) is simply maintained
– Watch Your Words – Use everyday language in your writing. As a rule, use one
or two syllable words like 90%.

41. • The Art of Developing Your Own Proposal Framework
• Please pick up your pens and let us get the ball rolling!
THANK YOU!