5 Tips for Creating a Stellar Business Proposal
Recently, I found myself having to create a business proposal for a gig I really, really wanted. I have written these for clients before, and a lot of thought and work goes into them. All that hard work pays off though, because a really great business proposal will stand out from the crowd – and will get you noticed. I’m thrilled to say that I got that gig, and wanted to share a few tips with you that might help you take your proposal from good to fantastic.
1. Organization
It’s important for the reviewer to be able to get through your proposal quickly, and find important sections easily. Organization is key. For my proposal, I created a table of contents so the reviewer could easily skip ahead to sections that he was most interested in seeing. In addition, I placed the entire proposal in a document cover and added tabs to the paper so the reviewer could flip right to the different chapters. This is especially important if the proposal is a long one. Imagine trying to get through a 20 page proposal that has no page numbers, no sections, and no table of contents. When you think about the fact that a reviewer might look at dozens of these each day…it can make for a real headache!
2. Highlighting and Bullet Points
My proposal was for the purpose of obtaining a book deal, so I had to create a tentative outline of the book. In addition to small chapter summaries, I had to estimate the word counts of each chapter. This is a lot of information that was stuck in the pages, and I wanted that information to be as easily digestible as possible. So, when applicable, I used bullet points to break up the information and create easy-to-read lists. In addition to the bullet points, I highlighted certain things that were particularly important, such as the word count estimates. This took the big block of information and separated it neatly, making it much easier to read.
3. Images and Visual Additions
While you don’t want to fill your proposal up with pictures and images, a few strategically placed ones can really spice up the proposal and add to the value. For instance, in my proposal, I included a map in a part that discussed a certain area of land. This gave the reviewer a reference point, which made the experience of reading the proposal better. You might consider which areas of your proposal could really benefit from a quality image.
4. Personality
The last thing you want to do is try to impress the reviewer with gimmicks…and you want your proposal to be professional. That said, inserting some of your own personality into the proposal can certainly benefit you. Imagine reading through 10 or 20 stuffy, verbose proposals a day. Coming across one that contains light humor and that gives you a real feel for the author would be quite refreshing, wouldn’t it? Don’t be afraid to use light humor here and there, and be entertaining. Allow your unique personality to shine through in the writing, while maintaining a professional and polite tone.
5. Use Simple Words
This might go against your natural instinct to create a smart-sounding, professional proposal, but it’s important to keep the proposal as simple as possible. Don’t use the word ‘meritorious’ when you could use the word ‘worthy.’ You want the proposal to sound professional, but with a friendly tone, as if you’re simply speaking to a colleague you respect and like. This makes it much easier to read than if the reviewer is wading through words that are three inches long on a page. Filling the proposal full of these long words can also make it come off as pompous or arrogant.
When you really write your proposal from the heart and rely on your experience and skill, it will stand out. Use the above tips to ensure that the proposal is as wonderful as it can be. Of course, if you don’t have the time or feel uncomfortable writing your proposal yourself, hire a proposal writer from Priceless Writers and we’ll do a great job for you.
