This document discusses types of proposal arguments and strategies for strengthening proposal arguments. There are two main types of proposals: practical proposals that call for action on a specific local problem, and policy proposals that put forth broad plans of action for major social, economic, or political problems. To convince readers, proposals need to demonstrate knowledge, provide concrete information, research alternatives, prove feasibility, adapt to the audience, and be attractive. Effective proposal arguments establish that a problem exists, propose a solution, justify the solution, and address opposing views.

2. Proposal Arguments
Proposal arguments are the most
common type of argument,
particularly, in the real-world
environment of jobs
There are two types of proposal:
oPractical Proposal
oPolicy Proposal

3. Types of Proposal
• Practical proposals call for action to solve some
specific local or immediate problem.
• They are usually narrow and concrete
Practical Proposal
• Policy proposals, in contrast, put forth broad
plans of action to solve major social, economic,
or political problems of general concern.
Policy Proposal

4. Why Use Arguments
 A proposal is by definition a persuasive message
 General purpose is to convince reader
 To convince someone of your point of view, you have
to prove that your suggestion is appropriate and
adoptable.
Therefore we use arguments in proposals!

5. Argument Strategies
There are six main Strategies to strengthen proposal
argument
 Demonstrate your Knowledge
 Provide Concrete Information
 Research the Competition
 Prove its Feasibility
 Adapt “You” Attitude
 Make it attractive and readable

6. Demonstrate Your Knowledge
Everything you write should show the reader that
you have
 Knowledge
 Experience
To solve the problem

7. Provide Concrete Information
 Avoid vague unsupported generalization.
 Provide quantifiable details.
 Describe the problem by answering What?
Why? Where? When? & How?
 Tell how much money the proposed
solution can save
 Give details on how the solution will be
solved

8. Research the Competition
• Know Products,
Services & Prices
• Use Trade publications
& Internet
Competing
• Find Possible
Alternatives
• Manage to emphasize
the feasibility of yours.
Not
Competing

9. Buy or Build Situation
Customer has to choose between
 BUYING solution from external party
 BUILDING their own
Your goal is to sell your solution within your proposal
and your presentation!

10. Prove Feasibility
 Proposal should be:
o Appropriate
o Feasible
o Workable
 It should be according to the audience capabilities
and resources

11. Adapt “You” Attitude
Determine Audience Needs
Stated in RFP
Discovered through your
investigation

12. Adapt “You” Attitude
Describe qualities or benefits of your product,
service or personnel in relation to your audience
needs.

13. Make it Attractive
 Make sure your proposal is letter perfect, inviting and
readable.
 The quality of your offer is pre-judged by your
proposal
 Errors , omissions or inconsistencies may cost you
important career and business opportunities.

14. Techniques to write Arguments
 Follow the three-part proposal structure:
o DESCRIPTION of the problem,
o Proposed SOLUTION
o JUSTIFICATION for the proposed solution
 Give your argument immediacy through
o Details
o Scenes
o Examples

15. Proposal Claims
 ask the audience to act in a certain
way - to do something based on the
information you provide and the
argument you make, and the claims
are often stated as "should/should
not" statements.

16. Presence
 An argument is said to have
"presence" when the reader or listener
senses the immediacy of the speaker/
writer’s words.

17. Appeal to Emotion
 Should you choose to use an appeal to
emotion, consider limiting it to your
introduction or conclusion.

18. Reasons
 The reasons in the argument justify
why the action is to be taken.

19. Proponent of Change
 the current method of operation isn’t
working.
 even though it appears as though the current
method of operation is working, it isn’t, or
there is a better way.

20. Predict Future Consequences
 You will need to try to predict future
consequences as reasonably as
possible.

21. Developing a Proposal
Argument
 Convince your reader that a problem exists.
 Establish Presence
 Show the specifics of your proposal.
 The justification: convincing your reader that your
proposal should be enacted
 Touching the right pressure points

22. Special Problems of Proposal
Arguments
 Establish your authority through ethos, pathos, and
logos
 Overcome the cautious or skeptical nature of your
audience.
 Predict future consequences.
 Evaluate the consequences.

23. Techniques to Write Arguments
 Consider conservatism of people and use strategies to
overcome it
 Predict consequences and evaluate consequences of
certain courses of action
 Identify important, controversial problems that need
solving in the various communities to which you belong
 Consider who has the power to act on your proposal and
what are the constraints preventing action
 Use the claim-type strategy to generate ideas for your
proposal argument by thinking out claims of category,
cause, and resemblance that can support your proposal
claim

24. Techniques to write Arguments
Choose an effective way to organize your proposal
argument
 CONVINCES your audience of the problem
 PROPOSES your solution
 JUSTIFIES your proposal
 CONFRONTS opposing views

25. Techniques to Write Arguments
Revise your proposal argument by:
 Answering objections that
o Deny the problem
o Protest the effectiveness or cost of your solution
 Anticipating counter-proposals

26. Writing Your Proposal Argument
Ask yourself the following questions:
 Why is the issue a problem?
 For whom is the problem a problem?
 How will these people suffer if the
problem is not solved? (details)

27. Taking Stock of What you Have
Will your Topic Work?
 Does a real problem exist?
 Will my proposal really solve the existing
problem without causing bigger problems?
 Is there another, simpler means of solving the
problem?
 Is my solution really practical?
 What are the consequences and undetermined
problems associated with my proposal?

28. More Questions to Consider
 Who has the power to solve the problem?
 Why hasn’t the problem been solved up to this point?
 How can the problem be solved?
 What are the possible benefits of acting on your
proposal?
 What costs are associated with your proposal?
 Who will bear these costs?
 Why should this proposal be implemented?
 Why is it better than alternative proposals?