Following on from yesterday’s post, I believe that a written proposal should separate itself into 7 individual parts and these are:
- Background information & objectives – do an analysis & overview as it shows understanding
- Discussion – the “consultancy” stage where you can make assumptions, state pros/cons of your options, outline benefits etc
- Solution/Methodology – go into detail of features selected to solve the problem
- Timings & costs – try not to include on their own in a final section, but set alongside a recap of benefits & maybe offer options
- Deliverables – drive home exactly what they get for their money!
- The team – their titles, roles they will play etc.
- Your credentials – outline experience of you & your team + any examples
If the proposal is a large one, you might have to include contents & appendices, but make sure that your logo is on every page along with the client logo and page numbering exists to ensure that no pages are lost.
Finally, make sure that your document is written in a style that the reader(s) can understand, taking them easily from page to page. Not everyone is a good writer so you might consider getting professional help from a copywriter.
If you would like some tips on actual writing techniques, please see a previous article on my Blog, these may well make the difference to ensuring you have a winning written proposal.
