Proposal Writer Playbook

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.

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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.

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