Writing proposals

Every client wants to see, in writing, what you are going to deliver to their people…a proposal of your services, the costs and most importantly the benefits of giving you the business.

This proposal is often based on the information gained from the initial meeting that you have had with the client; the facts you have gathered from your conversations that led to the meeting and the research that you have done on the company.  If you fail to pick up on key messages at any of these stages you may have missed vital clues your competitors have picked up on, thus giving them the advantage not you.

So your proposal should be:

1. Informative & reflective of the details that you have ascertained…repeat back the key facts that you have identified which will confirm you are both on the same wavelength 
2. Facts…be careful that you present facts as facts and your opinion as your opinion.  To ensure that you remember these key points make sure you always take notes at every meeting be it face-to-face or on the phone
3. Fully costed…there is nothing worse than receiving a proposal with items that will cost not either covered or mentioned.  A classic here is not disclosing costs of specific materials or what you mean by expenses…your client is not daft so be clear!

However what you do not want disclose in your proposal are:

1. The full course content because if you do not get the work, you are handing your course on a plate for someone else to deliver!! 
2. The detailed break down of costs.  So, if you are going to charge for development time put it as a reasonable project price, do not itemise it out as this is an area that you could negotiate on, should you need to. 
3. Whatever concerns that you have about delivering this solution…your choice of language in the proposal must be positive, so use statements such as ‘the delegates will learn…’ etc.

The key thing to remember about your proposal is that it is the next step in building your relationship with the client and therefore it must be polished, professional and personal.