Proposal Writer Playbook

Shipley PROPOSALWRITER

P L A Y B O O K

A guide to writing winning proposals in any industry

Shipley Associates 532 North 900 West Kaysville, UT 84037, USA

888.772.WINS (9467) www.shipleywins.com

Version 1.0

No part of this publication and the associated toolkit may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from Shipley Associates. Trademarked names may appear in this book. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner with no intention of infringement of the trademark.

ISBN: 978-0-9990168-4-8

Shipley Proposal Writer Playbook ™ In sports and in life, no single playbook prepares us for achieving success in every game or situation. Likewise, there is no silver bullet approach to writing proposals that makes it easy! Luckily, for professional writers or others who contribute content to bids and proposals, there is help. There are best practices and proven approaches to proposal writing that work—that help us create relevant, consistent, compelling, and customer-focused content. The purpose of the Proposal Writer Playbook is to guide proposal contributors through a repeatable approach that simplifies bid and proposal writing. This approach is based on the following principles: Proposal writing is not just about putting words on a page. Bid and proposal writing is about telling a story; solving customer problems; and being persuasive and clear in your sales message. It requires careful planning, precise organization, customer-focused writing, editing, and review and revision—the POWeR TM approach to bid and proposal writing—Plan-Organize-Write-examine-Revise. Writing, without proper planning, is generally a waste of resources. Understanding the Sales Cycle As a writer, it is important to understand where your role fits in the overall business winning cycle. With input from hundreds of companies in dozens of industries, Shipley has established a well-accepted, baseline business development lifecycle framework. This framework consists of the following seven phases:

• Phase 0: Market Segmentation • Phase 1: Long-Term Positioning • Phase 2: Opportunity Assessment • Phase 3: Capture/ Opportunity Planning • Phase 4: Proposal Planning • Phase 5: Proposal Development • Phase 6: Post-Submittal Activities

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The Proposal Writer Playbook focuses primarily on Phase 4: Proposal Planning and Phase 5: Proposal Development , shown in figure 1. A lifecycle is a progression through multiple stages leading to a desired result. For this Playbook, that means writing proposals that win. By applying the concepts of customer focus, compliance, responsiveness, and others addressed in this Playbook , you will show your customers that you listen and address their needs. This will improve your chances exponentially and help you win more business.

se 0. Market Segmentation

Figure 1. The Shipley Business Development Lifecycle. The seven phases are an efficient basis to understand and develop a successful framework for your organization. The phases addressed in this Playbook are highlighted above.

The Role of the Proposal Writer The proposal writer is often tasked to produce a compliant, responsive, customer-fo- cused, and highly scoring proposal, section by section. The primary emphasis is on the ability to organize and present clear, persuasive content, either from personal knowledge or by obtaining input from subject matter experts (SMEs). The proposal writer typically completes, contributes to, or manages the following tasks: • Identify, research if necessary, and understand the requirements from the bid request. • Identify relevant company proposal materials, applicable boilerplate, and intelligence that might be adapted to the writing assignment. • Develop mockups, section storyboards, or annotated outlines based on the proposal outline and compliance matrix. • Interview technical experts or others to establish the basis for draft and final content. • Tailor existing proposal reuse material or boilerplate to the needs of the current response. • Participate in some proposal reviews. • Review, revise, and edit proposal content based on reviewer feedback. • Help graphic specialists design meaningful graphics that support the proposal message. • Maintain contextual integrity of proposal sections by coordinating edits with the respective SME/contributor. • Assist in the production of the proposal, as needed.

See Appendix A: Team Roles and Responsibilities, Technical/Proposal Writer and Proposal Editor in the Shipley Business Development Lifecycle Guide .

The Proposal Writer Tools Accompanying the Shipley Proposal Writer Playbook is a compilation of simple- to-use, industry-tested tools to help manage and improve the proposal writing process. These tools are Microsoft (MS) Office based and easily customizable to your organizational needs and culture. A complete list of tools is included in the back of the Playbook . You will also receive a link to download (one time) these tools for your personal use. The following two icons are your guideposts for key activities and tools to use throughout the Playbook :

Key Activities: These are critical actions in the process that often involve the proposal writer(s).

Shipley Download Tools: These are titles of tools that are included in the Playbook toolkit that apply to the associated step.

How to Maximize the Playbook The Shipley Proposal Writer Playbook is a condensed resource for the activities, tasks, milestones, and tools to effectively write a proposal in any market environment— business-to-business, business-to-government, international, or grant proposals. The Playbook has four primary goals: 1 Streamline the proposal development process by providing a “how to” approach for proposal writers. 2 Improve customer focus in proposals to address customer hot buttons while remaining compliant and responsive.

3 4

Provide tools to improve proposal quality and save money, time, and resources.

Win more—increase probability of win with strategic planning and writing during the proposal planning and development phases of the business development lifecycle.

This Playbook has three sections followed by proposal checklists, a list of tools, and a glossary of terms. The Playbook also references in-depth information on various topics in the Shipley best practice guidebooks and links to a variety of simple MS Office tools to help accomplish proposal objectives. Section One: Proposal Planning (Pre-Writing) Proposal planning focuses on preparing how to develop a winning proposal before writing. This involves understanding the fundamental concepts of an effective proposal, focusing on the evaluators, and gathering information on the customer and competitors. Section Two: Proposal Writing and Development Proposal development is the phase where you may begin organizing and writing the proposal. Organize the proposal with emphasis on customer focus. Begin filling in your storyboard or annotated outline with theme statements, headings, graphics, action captions, and draft content. This becomes your content plan. Section Three: Proposal Revision and Submission Proposal revision involves strengthening your proposal by improving content, writing, and readability. To ensure the proposal is ready for final submission, conduct multiple reviews. After proposal submission, gather information on what can be improved through a lessons-learned review.

See Process in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

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Table of Contents Shipley Proposal Writer Playbook ™

Understanding the Sales Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii The Role of the Proposal Writer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v How to Maximize the Playbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi Proposal Planning (Pre-Writing) 1.1 Understanding the Characteristics of Effective Proposals . . . . . . . . 3 1.2 Engaging with Your Sales and Capture Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.3 Focusing on the Reader, the Evaluator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1.4 Developing an Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.5 Attending the Proposal Kickoff Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1.6 Gathering Information from Many Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1.7 Participating in a Pink Team Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Proposal Writing and Development 2.1 Organizing the Proposal for Ease of Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . .15 2.2 Writing with Customer Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 2.3 Drafting Initial Proposal Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2.4 Writing Guidelines for Efficiency and Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . 22 2.5 Avoiding Wasted Prime Proposal Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 2.6 Saving Time and Resources with Boilerplate and Reuse Material . . . . 27 2.7 Using Emphasis Techniques to Improve Scores . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Proposal Revision and Submission 3.1 Examining and Editing Your Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 3.2 Reviewing and Revising Your Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

3.3 Participating in a Red Team Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 3.4 Improving Readability for Ease of Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 3.5 Preparing to Submit the Bid or Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 3.6 Holding a Gold Team Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 3.7 Holding a Lessons Learned Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Tools and Templates Appendix A—Descriptions of Effective Proposal Characteristics . . . . . . 45 Appendix B—Proposal Review Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 The Proposal Writer Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Proposal Planning (Pre-Writing)

As a proposal writer, you may feel like the first step is to start writing immediately after the proposal section is assigned. Careful planning may seem like a waste of time, but when planning tools are used, you simplify the writing process and save time. Planning is vital to ensuring you create a clear, concise, and correct document while also improving the flow and direction, making it easier for an evaluator to score.

1.1 Understanding the Characteristics of Effective Proposals

To write a winning proposal, you must first understand what makes an effective, winning proposal. The seven characteristics shown in figure 2 are key ingredients to help you plan and write an effective proposal. These characteristics have been proven in dozens of markets and in over 125 companies worldwide to improve proposal quality and competitiveness.

Does the proposal clearly and directly address the customer’s needs?

Is it obvious why this offer is be�er than compe��ve offers?

Do visuals clearly communicate major selling points?

Visualiza�on

Compe��ve Focus

Responsiveness

Page and Document Design

Quality of Wri�ng

Compliance

Strategy

Have all bid request requirements been addressed and all instruc�ons followed?

Is it obvious why this offer should be selected?

Is the wri�ng customer focused, well organized, clear, and correct?

Is the proposal profes - sional and easy to evaluate?

Figure 2. Seven Characteristics of Effective Proposals. The quality and competitiveness of a proposal depend on the above criteria. Note that the quality of writing is only one of seven criteria for effective proposals.

Ask yourself these questions as you plan and write your proposals: • Compliance— Have all bid request requirements been addressed and all instructions followed? • Responsiveness— Does the proposal clearly and directly address the customer’s needs? • Strategy— Is it obvious why this offer should be selected? • Competitive Focus— Is it obvious why this offer is better than competitive offers? • Quality of Writing— Is the writing customer focused, well organized, clear, and correct? • Visualization— Do visuals clearly communicate major selling points? • Page and Document Design— Is the proposal professional and easy to evaluate?

Proposal Planner Appendix A: Descriptions

1.2 Engaging with Your Sales and Capture Team As a proposal writer, work closely with your sales or capture team. They can give you information about the opportunity, customer, and potential competitors that will be very useful in developing your proposal sections. As you engage with the sales and capture team, look to do the following:

• Gather the stated requirements • Record opportunity and customer information • Define customer hot buttons/issues • Identify competitor information and potential solution

• Understand your company’s solution ο Focus on benefits and results

ο Clarify discriminators ο Know the win strategy

Hot buttons are a combination of customer issues, needs, and requirements that the customer cares most about. Understanding hot buttons during proposal planning and addressing them as you write the proposal increases customer focus. The more you know about the opportunity, the customer, and the win strategy, the easier it is to write compelling, persuasive content.

Proposal Section Planner

See Proposal Preparation Tools in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

1.3 Focusing on the Reader, the Evaluator As a proposal writer, you must always remember you are writing for the customer, not for yourself or your management. These key principles apply:

People are lookers first, then readers. Make your proposal aesthetically pleasing to initially draw in the customer.

Know your evaluator/ customer. Details about the evaluator are best provided by the sales or capture/opportunity lead.

1 2 3 4

The reading process is identical for technical documentation or a proposal. However, the motivation of the reader differs. Compelling content motivates the reader to choose your solution.

The more interesting the subject is to the reader, the less you have to entice the reader to read your document.

Based on your writing, be sure the customer can answer the questions “So what?” and “How so?”.

1.4 Developing an Outline As a proposal writer, you are often responsible for developing an outline either for specific proposal sections or the entire proposal. This outline is the basis for how you organize your proposal response. The outline establishes the table of contents, serves as a proposal management tool, and helps writers and other contributors see their task as it relates to the entire proposal. Developing a compliant outline is often difficult since many bid requests are confusing on the first reading. The difficulty increases with complex and poorly written bid requests, management pressures to start writing immediately, and individual temptation to just default to a prior proposal for your outline. Proposal writing is often a team effort with many contributors. Follow these six guidelines when creating your proposal or section outline: 1 Use a numbering system that aligns with the customer’s solicitation to make the proposal easy to score and evaluate. 2 Determine the heading, subheading, and structure for the outline. Use the topic or requirement headings to assign each requirement to an outline section; check for additional topics and requirements that may not be evident in the instructions. Make note of the bid section(s) in the outline to lead you or other writers or contributors to requirements. 5 Allocate page targets in the outline to help you or other contributors know how much space is available for each section. 6 Annotate the outline by adding any instructions or information (as needed) to guide you and others as you begin populating the outline with draft content. 3 4

Your proposal executive summary should be a concise summary of your solution and value proposition. It should be positioned at the beginning of the outline.

Map your outline to a compliance checklist that identifies all requirements in the solicitation documents, as shown in figure 3. Often, a proposal manager prepares a compliance matrix detailing all requirements. In smaller organizations, it is sometimes left to the proposal writer to be sure all requirements are met in the response.

Compliance Checklist

Proposal Outline

1.0

1.1 1.2

2.0

2.1 2.2 2.3

3.0

3.1 3.2

4.0

4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6

5.0

5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4

Figure 3. Mapping Your Outline to the Bid Request Requirements. All bid requirements should be mapped to your proposal outline to ensure compliance and guide contributors when drafting proposal content.

A sample portion of an outline is shown below in figure 4.

2.0 MANAGEMENT PLAN 2.1 Organization Structure and Facility Resources

2.1.1 Current Organization 2.1.2 Size and Organization

2.1.3 Relevant Facility Resources 2.2 Relevant Corporate Experience 2.2.1 Software Development and Implementation Engineering Projects 2.2.1.1 ABD Project -Project name -Hardware and operating systems 2.2.1.2 DEF Project 2.2.2. Database Management and Integration 2.2.2.1 GHI Project

Figure 4. A Detailed Outline Guides Development of the Proposal. Using customer headings and terminology in your outline helps the evaluator track your response.

Proposal Outline

See Outlining in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

1.5 Attending the Proposal Kickoff Meeting Proposal writers should be invited to the proposal kickoff meeting. An effective proposal kickoff meeting can help you understand the opportunity strategy and content, and the development schedule for the proposal. You learn and receive the following about the opportunity:

• Summary of the opportunity • Anomalies in the bid request • Win strategy (from the sales or capture lead) • Baseline design of the solution • Proposal format

• Proposal schedule • Writer (your) assignments • Security controls • Document storage site • Document version control • Publication operations

If you are conducting the kickoff meeting yourself, seek to provide the above information to your proposal team. Invite the following teammembers to the kickoff meeting:

• Writers, editors, desktop publishers, and SMEs • Key management, including those who make critical decisions on this proposal effort • Sales personnel connected to the opportunity and customer

• Key technical contributors • Color team reviewers, if known • Subcontractors/teaming partners, if desired

If you work directly with your sales personnel, collaborate with them to understand the win strategy. Win strategies perform four key functions:

• Leverage your strengths • Mitigate your weaknesses and risks • Neutralize your competitors’ strengths • Exploit your competitors’ weaknesses

These messages are critical to defining how your customer will benefit from your solution.

See Proposal Strategy in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

1.6 Gathering Information from Many Sources Gather information frommultiple sources; don’t just rely on your best guess or gut feeling. While there are many online resources that may give you information about the customer, consider consulting with teammembers who may have already researched or met with the customer. Figure 5 details possible resources for proposal writers to gain information about the customer, opportunity, and competitors.

Figure 5. Information Sources for Proposal Writers. Time is wasted when proposal writers must perform research about the customer before writing the proposal. Many times, customer and competitor research has already been done by others. Collaborating with your sales or capture team saves time and energy.

Use a Proposal Development Worksheet (PDW) or proposal planner template, shown in figure 6. Interview SMEs and others to identify the customer’s hot buttons.

PROPOSAL SECTION PLANNER

Section Requirements and Outline Proposal Name

Section Heading

# Pages

Author

Enter proposal name RFP Requirements

Enter telegraphic heading

Proposal Section Outline

Requirements/Outline

A B C D

Paste RFP requirements here Paste RFP requirements here Paste RFP requirements here Paste RFP requirements here

1.1 Heading

1.1.1 Subheading 1.1.2 Subheading 1.1.3 Subheading

Requirement A RFP Requirement / Underlying Issue What is asked for? Why is it important?

Solution / Feature(s)

Benefit(s)

Requirement/Underlying Issue (Hot Button) Solution/Feature Benefits Discriminators Experience/Past Performance Risk Mitigation Key visual(s) or graphics

What specifically will we do? How will we do it?

What are the measurable benefits to the customer?

Discriminator

Experience / Past Performance

Risk Mitigation

Visual

How do we differ from competitors?

What proof will make customer confident?

How will we mitigate any risk?

What is the informative title and major selling point?

Requirement B RFP Requirement / Underlying Issue What is asked for? Why is it important?

Solution / Feature(s)

Benefit(s)

What specifically will we do? How will we do it?

What are the measurable benefits to the customer?

Discriminator

Experience / Past Performance

Risk Mitigation

Visual

How do we differ from competitors?

What proof will make customer confident?

How will we mitigate any risk?

What is the informative title and major selling point?

Requirement C RFP Requirement / Underlying Issue What is asked for? Why is it important?

Solution / Feature(s)

Benefit(s)

What specifically will we do? How will we do it?

What are the measurable benefits to the customer?

Discriminator

Experience / Past Performance

Risk Mitigation

Visual

How do we differ from competitors?

What proof will make customer confident?

How will we mitigate any risk?

What is the informative title and major selling point?

Requirement D RFP Requirement / Underlying Issue What is asked for? Why is it important?

Solution / Feature(s)

Benefit(s)

What specifically will we do? How will we do it?

What are the measurable benefits to the customer?

Discriminator

Experience / Past Performance

Risk Mitigation

Visual

How do we differ from competitors?

What proof will make customer confident?

How will we mitigate any risk?

What is the informative title and major selling point?

Theme

Summary Theme

Summary What are the main points made in this section?

For individual use only. Do not distribute.

Figure 6. Gather Information Using a Proposal Planner. Content planning tools like Shipley’s Proposal Section Planner, shown here, help writers organize information they have gathered. When you know how you will incorporate customer requirements and issues, you are better prepared to write a compelling proposal. When gathering information as part of proposal planning, start anywhere and go everywhere. List your customer’s hot buttons in priority order. Also list the various aspects of your solution under the hot buttons they most closely address. If a feature doesn’t fit a hot button, consider leaving it out. List the benefits or value propositions your solution provides, discriminators, proofs, relevant experience, and applicable past performance. List visuals that illustrate those points. Throughout your planning, think in terms of the benefits to enhance customer focus and value.

Proposal Section Planner Proposal Development Worksheet

10 See Proposal Preparation Tools in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

1.7 Participating in a Pink Team Review After the kickoff meeting, each assigned writer takes the information provided for each proposal section to create and validate:

• A compliant section outline • A summary of the solution/feature • Identified benefits to the customer for the solution and features • Discriminators • Experience/past performance/proof that you can provide the desired results

• Any risk associated with the solution and how you will address it • Suggested visuals/graphics (and associated action captions) to help tell the story

Following your planning, be involved in an early review of the proposal once a proposal strategy is in place. A Pink Team review checks compliance to the bid request and the overall strategy for the proposal. In smaller organizations, the writer takes a lead role in this review, seeking consensus on the way forward for proposal writing. In larger organizations, often a proposal manager is assigned to facilitate this review, but the writer should be involved and participate. This review should happen as early as possible when all or most of the inputs shown in figure 7 are prepared and ready for review, well in advance of the final submission.

Inputs

Capture and Proposal Strategies

Outputs

Instructions

Redirection on Strategy

Evaluation Factors

Pink Team Review

Documented Comments and Recommendations

Proposal Outline

Master Compliance Checklist

Verified Compliance Checklist

Completed Section Planners

Section Mockups

Figure 7. Pink Team Reviews Are Critical to Proposal Success. The Pink Team reviews all content plans, storyboards, or mockups for the entire planned proposal before text is drafted. This team verifies total compliance with requirements of the solicitation, responsiveness to unstated customer issues, and satisfactory expression of the approved capture and proposal strategies.

See Color Team Reviews in the Shipley Proposal Guide.

Proposal Writing and Development Proposal development picks up where proposal planning and pre-writing ends. This process involves the O-W-e-R in the POWeR approach to proposal writing. Without proper organization, including outlining, writing can be difficult and time- consuming.

“The most difficult aspect of good proposal writing is planning your message. The most overlooked aspect is organizing according to the customers’ interests and your sales strategy. If you have the discipline to follow sound planning and organizing processes, the rest will follow.”

- Larry Newman, Author of Shipley Proposal Guide

2.1 Organizing the Proposal for Ease of Evaluation When a customer issues explicit instructions in a solicitation on how a proposal should be organized, follow them. As you follow the customer’s organization instructions, also think about their hot buttons or underlying concerns they are trying to resolve. Use the guidelines listed in figure 8 to strengthen the proposal’s organization.

Mimic the numbering system, naming conventions, and order listed in the bid request.

Follow the organizational structure of the bid request.

Use telegraphic and informative headings at appropriate section levels.

Allocate all requirements to a section in the outline.

Develop outlines for unsolicited proposals only after collaboration with your customer.

Figure 8. Key Organizational Practices. The way you organize a proposal affects how it may be received by the customer. Mimic the organization of the customer’s bid request, as this is most familiar and comfortable to the customer.

Principles of Proposal and Section Organization Regardless of your overarching organizational scheme, adhere to fundamental principles whenever writing to persuade your reader. These principles make your documents easier for customers to understand and improve the likelihood they will choose your proposal.

Persuasive communications conform to five fundamental organizational principles (listed below and shown in figure 9): • Organize information as directed or according to the customer’s needs. Customers expect you to follow instructions for organizing your proposal response. They are interested in what benefits their organization, so organize based on instructions, and focus on customer needs and benefits, not just your solutions. • Group similar ideas. Paragraphs should only address a single idea. The alternative is greater complexity, length, and confusion. • Place your most important messages first. Readers assume the first items discussed are most important; make it so. Do not bury your persuasive message. • Keep setups short. Setups are a short introduction to a proposal section and help the reader establish context. However, the longer the setup, the more readers you might lose. • Use headings to guide readers. Like a road with clear sign posts, headings help keep readers on track, improve clarity and understanding, and enable readers to jump to any topic of interest.

Organize according to customer’s needs

Group similar ideas

Use headings to guide readers

PERSUASION

Keep setups short

Place most important messages first

Figure 9. Effective Organization Improves Readability. Five guidelines govern organization in proposals. Essentially, each supports the larger purpose of helping the customer find and interpret necessary information.

See Organization in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

The Shipley Proposal Section Organizer Shipley’s Proposal Section Organizer is a version of our standard, four-box, proposal organization tool. The boxes’ titles and their major purposes are shown, and the tool gives guidance on what you should put in them. This is also an example approach to organizing a proposal executive summary.

Box 1, the Summary , includes three fields for the theme statement, a buying vision statement, and a linking statement. Here, you are recognizing the customer’s buying vision, challenges, and objectives and linking those to your bid response. Box 2, the Introduction , announces and prioritizes the main needs of the customer or the desired outcome in terms of the hot button issues. Make ownership of the hot buttons explicit by attribution to the customer in some way. Introduce your solution here, but only at a thumbnail sketch level. In Box 3, the Body , you will repeat the hot buttons verbatim as subheadings; then, explain the benefits the customer will derive from your solution. Give details of the solution itself— particularly the discriminators—and offer proofs of your capability, including relevant experience and past performance. If there is a way to demonstrate one of your points visually, include a title or description of the visual. Box 4, the Review, provides for a closing summary. Include costs here if requested by the customer. Reiterate your discriminators. Close out with next steps (a meeting, follow-up questions, etc.). Using an organizational tool like the Proposal Section Organizer increases your customer focus throughout the proposal because you link to the customer’s buying vision and organize around their hot buttons.

PROPOSAL SECTION ORGANIZER

Proposal Section Organizer Box 1 – Summary Signal your purpose in a clear heading. Summarize the essence of your message. State what you want the reader to do, know or feel.

1.1

Box 2 – Introduction Preview organization of the document. Organize around the points most likely to influence the reader.

Provide convincing details for the reader. Maintain the same organizational scheme introduced in Box 2. Consider visuals to help convey your message

PROPOSAL SECTION ORGANIZER

1.1.3 1.1.4 Box 4 – Review Summarize the reasons the reader should do, know, or feel what you want. End by clearly stating the next realistically achievable step.

Four-Box Organizer Proposal Section Organizer

See Outlining, Organizing, and Customer Focus in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

Allocate Space Based on Page Count Targets About 10 percent of allocated proposal section page count should go toward the section title, the theme statement, and an introduction. An effective introduction restates the major customer need or requirement, which often matches the hot button issues. Introduce the offeror’s solution and capability by mentioning the key benefits and features that produce them. If the section will be complex, with more than three subordinate topics, provide a list of what’s coming. Devote about 80 percent of available section space to the details of your response. Proposals must demonstrate compliance with all requirements; express messages that support the proposal and volume strategies; provide backup evidence, substantiation of claims, and trade-off information; and discuss risk management and past performance that apply to your topic. Include visuals and graphics to help communicate value. The final 10 percent of available space is reserved for a review. Summarize the key benefits to the customer and link back to your theme statement, if possible. Figure 10 provides a visual representation of the recommended space allocation.

Section Title

Introduction • Restate customer requirement or need • Introduce solution and capability with key benefits and features • Preview if more than three subordinate topics

Details of Response • Requirements in compliance checklist • Implementation of strategy • Substantiation, trade-offs • Risk discussion, past performance

Review

Figure 10. Maximizing Proposal Section Space. Approximately 10 percent of your available proposal page count should be used to introduce your section. Respond to the proposal using 80 percent of available space, followed by a review that should take up only 10 percent.

2.2 Writing with Customer Focus At the foundation of effective proposal writing is the principle of being customer focused. Check your own writing for customer focus using a list of questions similar to the following:

Is the customer named before your company?

Is the customer named more often than your company?

Is the customer’s buying vision evident? Why are they buying?

Have you linked the buying vision to this solicitation/bid?

Are the customer’s hot buttons (issues and needs) prioritized?

Is hot button ownership explicit? Can you attribute hot buttons to a specific customer employee?

Are your proof statements directly related to the customer’s hot buttons? Are the benefits of the solution(s) listed before the features?

Is the content previewed in each section and are organization instructions followed?

Is the value proposition you’re offering clear and are next steps defined?

Small changes to writing, such as naming the customer first, can significantly change the focus of a sentence. Notice how the following example shifts when the focus is on the customer: We will provide quick turnaround time with the most bandwidth available in the industry with our professionally trained team to help ABC Company succeed. Original Customer Focused ABC Company will meet its objective of improved customer service by partnering with our certified professionals who provide response times of three minutes or less.

Putting the customer and benefits first in your proposal section gains and holds the customer’s attention as they review your solution.

See Customer Focus in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

2.3 Drafting Initial Proposal Content Use a section planning tool to help you develop the layout of your proposal and draft section content. Writers use a variety of methods for drafting, including mockups, storyboards, or annotated outlines. Follow the steps shown in figure 11 to develop and lay out your draft content.

Step 1 Establish a page style for proposal (be consistent with brand). Use blank template pages allotted to the section. Make sure you know your allotted page count early. Step 2 Overlay section outline headings onto allocated pages. Size topic areas by boxing; estimate space required for each subsection. Remember to allow space for introduction and summary. Step 3 Locate, size, and sketch or describe graphics. Place figure number, title, and action caption for each graphic. Place theme statements in consistent locations. Step 4 Add key words and sentences for content (draft content). Consider boilerplate usage and placement at this step. Don’t forget to draft an introduction and summary.

6.5 Project Management

Introduction

6.5.1.2 Key Personnel Authority Callout

Callout

6.5.1.1 Key Personnel

6.5.1 Account Team Structure

6.5.5 Summary

6.5 Project Management

Theme Statement

Introduction

Organization Chart

6.5.1.2 Key Personnel Authority

Callout

6.5.1.1 Key Personnel Figure 6.5-1. Efficient Account Team Structure.

Table/Chart

Figure 6.5-2. Quantified, Specific, Authority Matrix Fosters Rapid Decisions. 6.5.5 Summary

6.5.1 Account Team Structure

6.5.1.2 Key Personnel Authority Western Mountain Sports (WMS) Role/Position Authority • Continuous Improvement Di- rector: Quality assurance; “eye of the customer”; transition and low-risk transformation activities; collaborative market- ing and retail

6.5 Project Management

Project Management frame- work is aligned with OSG’s organizational structure. • 6.5.1 Account Team Structure • 6.5.2 Project Management/ Processes Management • 6.5.3 Service Level/ Past Performance • 6.5.4. Reporting of SLAs • 6.5.5 Summary 6.5.1 Account Team Structure • Vibrant’s organizational structure is streamlined and focused as shown in figure 6.5-1. Maximize OSG’s revenues at the minimum realistic cost through Vibrant’s collaborative Project Management. Direct project management and reporting with onsite account executive

6.5.1.1 Key Personnel Three key positions at OSG headquarters: • Account Executive: Reports to; located at OSG’s Utah office; account responsibility and authority—agree to SLAs, project personnel assignments, financial decisions up to $1 million Figure 6.5-1. Efficient Account Team Structure.

Figure 6.5-2. Quantified, Specific, Authority Matrix Fosters Rapid Decisions.

6.5.5 Summary

Figure 11. Mockup Development Process. Beginning with blank templates, space is allocated and basic features are added and adjusted to produce a final layout. This helps you visualize the proposal from an evaluator perspective before you finalize content.

Mockup Template

See Storyboards and Mockups in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

2.4 Writing Guidelines for Efficiency and Effectiveness Spending time planning the proposal shortens the writing process. Figure 12 lists several guidelines from experienced writing professionals you can use as you draft content and advance your writing.

Use Paragraphs Effectively • Have only one main idea per paragraph. • Begin with a sentence that states main idea. • Organize from general

Overcome Writer’s Block

Additional Guidelines

Write Quickly

• Work from organizer or outline. • Write headings first; use as guides. • Begin with easiest parts. • Start and keep writing. • Don’t worry if draft contains errors.

• Follow general sequence on each hot button: benefit, solution, proof. • Substantiate all claims. • Address weaknesses. • Use lists to clarify and emphasize. • Summarize key content within subsections.

• Check your

Section Planner or Organizer.

• Write

continuously, even if gibberish.

• Talk out

problem with another writer, manager, or someone you trust. • Change working environment. • Create summaries for each section to clarify thoughts.

to specific, familiar to unfamiliar. • Put details

in middle of paragraph. • Use transitions to show connections.

Figure 12. Good Advice for Improved Writing. Learning to write quickly, use paragraphs effectively, overcome writer’s block, and apply customer focus are efficient and effective ways to help you stand out to evaluators.

2.5 Avoiding Wasted Prime Proposal Real Estate As a writer, you need to understand that certain portions of your proposal are more likely to be read than others. These places in the proposal are called “prime real estate.” They include section theme statements at the beginning of each section, headings, graphics, and informative captions. In general, the proposal executive summary is also considered prime real estate. Use elements that highlight text as a way to draw attention to key content in the proposal, like formatting an important aspect of your solution in a callout box in the margin. Headings that Support the Sales Message Two different types of headings are used in proposals: telegraphic and informa- tive. Both are important ways to show what you are offering in a succinct fashion. Telegraphic headings can be useful to label main sections in your proposal. Informative headings are longer and more descriptive about the information in that section. These headings are used at second or third level sections of the proposal. As a writer, you are given some amount of creative license to deliver your message through headings. However, if the bid request has pre-determined headings, use them in your proposal. Headings are also an excellent way to subtly convey an advantage or benefit you are offering your customer. Use them wisely and concisely. Figure 13 shows the difference between a telegraphic heading for a main proposal section and an informative heading at second or third levels.

Telegraphic

Informative ( 2nd level)

Overviewof Sales

Solutions to improve sales performance

Reduced overhead cost through flat organizational structure.

Organization

System designed for tailoring to retail market

Design

Continuous support through a three- phase implementation approach

Implementation

Figure 13. Telegraphic and Informative Headings. Both telegraphic and informative headings are important and even necessary in proposals. Use telegraphic headings for major sections and informative headings to concisely explain and convey a benefit for the coming section.

See Page and Document Design and Headings in the Shipley Proposal Guide .

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