Winning Proposals. Hans Tammemagi

aspect of proposals is their Jekyll-and-Hyde personality. On the one hand, proposals are fascinating, alluring, and full of reward and satisfaction. On the other hand, they can be frustrating and difficult. Many people do not enjoy the stress that is involved in meeting tight deadlines and being required to produce winners.

      Each proposal has a dual personality

      Why do proposals have this complex dual personality? Let’s look at the difficulties first. Not many people know how to write a winning proposal. This is not surprising as most firms and educational institutions do not place emphasis on teaching this subject. Why is this?

      A proposal is difficult to write; it combines a factual presentation with the psychology of persuasion. In other words, the proposal intertwines science and art. At the same time, the proposal must be attractive and have an appealing layout. It is not easy to combine these attributes.

      Furthermore, the proposal is a major document; it can sometimes become as big as a large report or even a small book, which requires considerable effort to compile. It must contain a well-thought-out technical work plan, company credentials and experience, a cost estimate, and other relevant information.

      In addition, proposals are often written under intense pressure. Meeting the required deadlines frequently means working overtime and disrupting family and private life. There may also be a fear of rejection should the proposal lose; this can be exacerbated by senior managers who may place considerable pressure on the proposal team with a win-at-all-costs attitude.

      3. The Satisfaction of Proposals

      There can be a very tangible excitement associated with the proposal preparation process. And there is enormous satisfaction in preparing a winning proposal! There is nothing as exhilarating as learning that your proposal has won.

      One of the fondest memories of my career was winning my first contract at a firm that I had just joined. The firm was in a dilemma as a major Request for Proposal (RFP) had just been received for the development of a large software program for marine engineering design. Unfortunately, the person in charge of this area was on holiday and no one was else was prepared to take the lead in the proposal preparation. I volunteered, and although I was a junior employee with little expertise in this area, I was given the green light. I set to work with an enthusiasm that only youth and naiveté can generate. I enlisted the help of a bright engineer who ensured that the proposal was technically strong, and I tried a number of new slants that my new firm didn’t usually employ. We worked long hours and assembled a fine-looking document. We took care not only with the technical aspects but also with the visual appearance of the proposal. We used graphs, figures, and a cover specially designed to reflect the theme of the proposal. I was proud of the final product.

      As often happens, almost a month passed after the submission, during which time the daily humdrum of consulting life took my mind completely off that proposal. One day, the president of the firm, who up to that time had never acknowledged my existence, walked into my office and began to heartily congratulate me. My proposal had won.

      I was ecstatic! My colleagues were ecstatic. The proposal resulted in a major contract, which in turn led to further contracts; the financial contribution to my firm was significant. My reputation at the firm soared and I was accepted as part of the established circle. All this because of one proposal!

      A good proposal writer is a valuable commodity and a key person in the organization. He or she is the breadwinner and the bringer of contracts and work. A good way of enhancing career growth is to learn the basics of writing good proposals. This skill will be a valuable asset on your résumé. As you will see, this skill is transferable and will also help improve many other areas of your life.

      Every proposal submission is like a lottery ticket. It brings excitement and the unbridled hope that is an intrinsic component of the human spirit.

      4. The Challenge of Competition

      Proposals also bring the challenge of competition. If you are a natural competitor, you will enjoy writing proposals, for they are the quintessential challenge. You are competing against top firms who are also pursuing your objective. Like an athlete, you must constantly hone your skills in writing and improve the quality of the product. It is also important to learn to live with the disappointment of losing. It is essential to learn from your defeats so that your next proposal will be better. Give everything you have, push to the limit, and make sure you submit the very best proposal that can be produced under the given circumstances.

      The proposal-writing process is intrinsically competitive.

      5. Persuasion

      The majority of proposals present as much information as possible in the hopes that the reader will find something he or she likes and respond positively. The problem, though, is that this approach isn’t very effective. The purpose of a proposal should be to present a solution or recommendation, and to persuade the reader that it is a better proposal than those presented by others. A proposal is a waste of effort unless it wins.

      But how do you create a winning proposal? The key is persuasion. Persuasion can be defined as the process by which a person’s attitudes or behavior are, without duress, influenced by communication from other people. In Chapter 3, the principles underlying effective persuasion are discussed. These principles can be applied to make your proposal more persuasive than that of your competitor.

      Persuasion is powerful and mysterious. It requires a knowledge of the human thinking process and a compassionate understanding of our fellow human beings. What motivates people? How do we look inside another person’s mind and bring his or her train of thought onto our track?

      One thing is clear: Successful people are invariably good communicators. They might not always have a greater command of grammar or vocabulary than others, but their written and oral communications have punch; they compel others to take action. The reason people listen when others are speaking is likely because they are using the magic of persuasion.

      6. Persuasion in Business

      Although persuasion plays a role in virtually every facet of life, it is, in particular, an essential part of business. To be successful, a businessperson must be good at writing winning proposals and applying the gentle art of persuasion in all aspects of his or her business dealings.

      The success of the entrepreneur is largely due to an inspired idea. We usually recognize that hard work is also a contributing ingredient to an entrepreneur’s success. However, the most important quality a businessperson can have — persuasive skill — seldom receives its proper recognition.

      If you have an idea, great! But it’s selling the idea that’s the real challenge. Persuasion plays a key role from the inception of the entrepreneurial idea through to the mature business operation. First, financial support must be raised using a special type of proposal: a business plan. Your business plan must be very persuasive indeed, for there are not many people, even rich ones, who will easily part with their money. Words must be crafted together to form a powerful, persuasive lever with which the mindset of the venture capitalist or banker must be changed from a dubious to a receptive state, and the money gently pried from his or her grasp.

      Having obtained venture capital, the entrepreneur must next convince the public to purchase the product or service. Again the entrepreneur is faced with a daunting market challenge, for today’s consumer is sophisticated and is offered an almost limitless variety of products or services competing for his or her hard-earned savings.

      Having passed these two difficult “selling” hurdles, persuasion continues to be a major component of the successful operation of this new enterprise. Now the entrepreneur must persuade the labor force to work at high efficiency and productivity, while at the same time accepting