The document provides tips for writing effective proposals that will attract clients and open doors. It stresses the importance of answering the question "Why?" by clearly articulating your purpose and value proposition upfront. It then offers specific tips such as using active voice, illustrating concepts, and avoiding excessive stock photos or assaulting the client with too much information all at once. The overall message is that strong proposals start with understanding your reason for existing and communicating that compelling purpose to clients.

1. BECAUSE I SAID SO
WRITING UNIVERSE-CONQUERING
PROPOSALS THAT OPEN DOORS AND
MAKE YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE
Ian Lurie
portent.com
@portentint
ian@portent.com

2. portent.co/ian-proposals
(Yes, use .co, not .com)

3. 1: Hand-wavy vision stuff
2: Specific tips

4. WHY?

5. BECAUSE I
F-----G
SAID SO

13. MOST PROPOSALS ANSWER WHAT?
WHAT
HOW

14. COVER
really? you
went there?

15. YOU MUST ANSWER ‘WHY?’

16. THEN DO THE LITTLE THINGS

18. A WARNING
I MAKE FUN OF OTHER
COMPANIES, BECAUSE IT’S
GOOD FOR A LAUGH

19. bask in my
guru-ness.

20. Guided by relentless focus on our five imperatives, we
will constantly strive to implement the critical
initiatives required to achieve our vision. In doing this,
we will deliver operational excellence in every corner
of the Company and meet or exceed our
commitments to the many constituencies we serve. All
of our long-term strategies and short-term actions will
be molded by a set of core values that are shared by
each and every associate.

21. Guided by relentless focus on our five imperatives, we
will constantly strive to implement the critical
initiatives required to achieve our vision. In doing this,
we will deliver operational excellence in every corner
of the Company and meet or exceed our
commitments to the many constituencies we serve. All
of our long-term strategies and short-term actions will
be molded by a set of core values that are shared by
each and every associate.

22. To be America’s best run, most
profitable automotive retailer.

23. To be America’s best run, most
profitable automotive retailer.

24. To help all people live healthy lives.

25. 1 GETTING THE WHY
YOU FIGURE OUT YOUR
RAISIN DETRE
RAI’SON D’TRE
YOUR ‘WHY’

26. WE ARE IN BUSINESS
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT
_______________________________

27. IF YOU _______________________
THEN WE’RE YOUR AGENCY.

28. I AM IN BUSINESS
BECAUSE I BELIEVE
SOMETIMES THE
DOCTOR JUST HAS
TO KICK SOME ASS.
Photo from Wikipedia

29. IF YOU LIKE TO SEE A
SKINNY NERD CRUSH
ENTIRE ALIEN
CIVILIZATIONS USING
ONLY HIS BRAIN, ALL
WHILE WEARING A
BOW TIE, THEN HAVE
WE GOT A SHOW FOR
YOU.
Photo from Wikipedia

30. WE ARE A FULL-SERVICE
DIGITAL AGENCY PROVIDING
PPC, SEO, ANALYTICS, SOCIAL
MEDIA, COPYWRITING, ONLINE
PR AND STRATEGIC
CONSULTING.

31. WE ARE IN BUSINESS
BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT
GREAT MARKETING CAN SAVE
THE WORLD BY CONNECTING
PEOPLE TO WHAT MATTERS.

32. IF YOU THINK WHAT YOU DO
MATTERS, AND WANT TO
WORK WITH FOLKS WHO
KNOW THAT MEANS IT ALL
MATTERS, THEN WE’RE YOUR
AGENCY.

33. WHY = VALUE

34. 2 IMPUTED VALUE
I STEAL IDEAS FROM STEVE
JOBS, BECAUSE HEY, WHY NOT.

35. HOW || WHY

36. LITTLE THINGS ADD UP

37. TOOLS I USE

43. RESEARCH I LIKE

47. LOOK ‘EM IN THE EYE

48. ‘YOU’ & ‘US’ & ‘WE’

49. OUR CLIENTS THINK WHAT
THEY DO MATTERS, AND
WANT TO WORK WITH FOLKS
WHO KNOW THAT MEANS IT
ALL MATTERS.

50. IF YOU THINK WHAT YOU DO
MATTERS, AND WANT TO
WORK WITH FOLKS WHO
KNOW THAT MEANS IT ALL
MATTERS, THEN WE’RE YOUR
AGENCY.

52. HAVE A PERSONALITY

55. GET TO THE POINT

56. A MAJORITY OF MOST
CLEARLY “”
IN ORDER TO TO
INDEED “”
BECAUSE OF BECAUSE

57. ACTIVE VOICE SHOULD BE
USED WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

58. USE ACTIVE VOICE
WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

60. ILLUSTRATE

63. DON’T ASSAULT THE CLIENT

64. Hi we’re jamming all of this onto one page because
we know that if we stop you may go somewhere else.
Ever go to one of those parties and meet someone
with no sense of personal space who keeps talking
and talking and talking no matter what you do and you
can’t get rid of them or even get a word in edgewise?
That’s how you feel reading this, too, I bet. But that’s
OK! Because you’re still reading! You’re still here!
Yay! That must mean things are going well. You’re
going to hire us right? Right? ‘Cause we’re so
awesome?! Nice. Hey, want to go fishing? I can tell
we’ll be pals in no time. I had a pal once who was a

65. Hi we’re jamming all of this onto one page because
we know that if we stop you may go somewhere else.
Ever go to one of those parties and meet someone
with no sense of personal space who keeps talking
and talking and talking no matter what you do and you
can’t get rid of them or even get a word in edgewise?
That’s how you feel reading this, too, I bet. But that’s
OK! Because you’re still reading! You’re still here!
Yay! That must mean things are going well. You’re
going to hire us right? Right? ‘Cause we’re so
awesome?! Nice. Hey, want to go fishing? I can tell
we’ll be pals in no time. I had a pal once who was a

68. AVOID STOCK PHOTO ABUSE

69. THEY ARE SO
AWESOME!!!

70. WE LOVE OUR CLIENTS THIS MUCH

73. USE DATA SPARINGLY (AND WELL)

75. " 0
!, ,
! 1
, "
!
,

77. CLEAN TYPOGRAPHY

80. BE CONSISTENT

83. USE PDF

86. 3 THE WRAPUP
I ATTEMPT TO TIE THIS ALL
TOGETHER WITHOUT
SPRAINING MY BRAIN

87. KNOW THE WHY

88. BUILD IMPUTED VALUE

89. WHY || HOW

90. COMMENCE HECKLING
portent.co/ian-proposals
@portentint
plus.google.com/+IanLurie
portent.com/blog