#BloggingRedefined - TIPS TO WRITE A WINNING PROPOSAL

Posted on Palhood, January 5th 2013.
A proposal is a special type of report that seeks to persuade the reader that the writer has the capacity to perform certain functions to the mutual benefit of the two parties. Proposals are used to solicit for funding of a project, to secure a contract, to help organization maximize their potentials etc.

Proposals can either be Solicited or Unsolicited.
*     When it is solicited, it means an organization may publish its desire to accept proposals from different companies on a project it is about to execute.
* An unsolicited proposal is a prospecting one, which is voluntarily submitted to an organization.

Proposals generally follow the format of a long report. It is always detailed, with figures and percentages playing a prominent role. The onus is on the writer to first identify the problem it hopes to address especially in unsolicited proposals, the reader must be convinced at the outset that such a problem as the writer describes, exist. The writer must therefore go on to demonstrate that the problem is solvable and that it has the capacity to effect the solution. This often requires the provision of proof of having successfully executed such projects in the past.

The best way to approach the writing of a proposal for an organization is to first find out as much background information as possible on the recipient. This will acquit the writer with the details of the problems he seeks to solve. In solicited proposals, the writer will do best to study the requirements or guidelines of the issuing organization. The guidelines must be strictly followed as the competitive nature of such proposal requires that a standard of rating be applied for points stated by individual proposals.

A major part of a proposal is financial implication. A detailed budget must be prepared to show exactly how much the reader will spend in achieving the objectives of the proposal. Writers of proposals, especially in business situations must also include their expected benefits. The writer’s benefits must not be higher than that of the awarding organization or else the organization may be discouraged.

- HINTS ON PROPOSAL WRITING
Arrest the attention of the reader from the beginning. The first page determines whether other pages are worth reading.
Use carefully worded questions in the opening pages to arrest attention.
Use your hypothesis.
Write lucidly and avoid the use of technical jargons. The reader may not be a specialist in your field and will need to understand what you are writing on to arrive at a decision.
The proposal must in the main context tell the reviewer what is new.
Approval is based on the freshness of ideas or a new approach to an old idea.
The writer must show his familiarity with what is already known and base his own suggestions on what is not generally known.

What is the profit in investing in the project? A proposal must spell out the benefits to be derived by the investor. It must show why the project is important now and not in twenty year’s time.  Explain the methodology you intend to use in prosecuting your proposal objectives. You must explain to the reviewer the research operations involved and how data will be interpreted. Methodology must be such that is capable of providing answers to the problems identified in the proposal. Specify your objectives clearly.

Culled from the book titled: Communication Skills For Business Organizations – Femi B. Ipadeola and Muyiwa K. Ojo.

Thanks and God bless!

You can follow me on twitter: @Mc_Jawbone

#BloggingRedefined
...encouraging and improving online reading culture!