Writing Proposals that Win Contracts

This seminar will greatly improve participants' chances of winning a contract. Seminar attendees will learn firsthand about RFP preparation from the instructors' personal experience gathered over two decades.

The topics covered include:

• Laying the foundation for RFPs, including pricing
• Examining the myths and realities of responding to RFPs
• Evaluating the bid/no-bid decision
• Learning the three elements of a good proposal
• Writing technically sound proposals
• Asking the right questions at pre-bid conferences
• Using the Freedom of Information Act and debriefing conference to your advantage

Seminar Tips

Three key elements a winning proposal will demonstrate:

• An understanding of the client's needs
• The knowledge of how to fill the client's needs
• The capability of delivering what you propose

Use the following resources to expand your knowledge of proposal writing:

• Proposal Cafe - Comprehensive array of free proposal development and management resources, including this page that contains links to resources helpful to small businesses

Additional Proposal Writing Training Available

Proposal Writing Boot Camp

This five-day seminar is designed to prepare an entire team or department to prepare proposals that win contracts. It focuses on both the clear writing and the business aspects of proposal writing. This training will immediately give your group the direction and organization needed to tackle the work involved in responding to a large government or corporate RFP.

Each segment of the class will be introduced by the instructor and include hands-on exercises relating to a composite RFP that relates to the type the participants are expected to prepare. Information that is presented to the class will be reinforced through small group and individual exercises. Plan to participate!

Power Writing Day 1

Writing documents that are concise, thorough, and well organized is the basis for a winning proposal. In this class, you will review the basics like sentence structure, correct punctuation, and effective paragraphing. You will also learn how to streamline your writing for clarity and conciseness. The best proposals depend on outstanding writing skills. After attending this class, you will be able to accomplish the following:

• Compose several different types of sentences
• Vary sentence structure to maintain your readers’ interest
• Punctuate each type of sentence correctly
• Write concisely and eliminate filler phrases
• Identify tired words and phrases
• Compose strong topic sentences
• Develop paragraphs with four different types of specifics
• Create bullet points and lists from narrative text
• Distinguish between different types of transitions
• Choose the appropriate style and tone
• Use persuasive wording

Report Writing Day 2

Writing an effective report can be overwhelming! Some of the challenges you face are writing for a diverse audience, succinctly summarizing the main points of your report, organizing a vast amount of information, and reaching a strong conclusion. This class will cover the following components:

• Analyzing your readers
• Addressing the needs of a mixed audience
• Developing reports through the writing process
• Organizing your report
• Writing an executive summary
• Developing the introduction
• Creating the results and discussion section
• Presenting your conclusion
• Forming the recommendations section
• Writing the first draft
• Choosing the right visual aids
• Developing a long report
• Using headings and subheadings
• Revising your report

Writing Technical Documents Day 3

This class will prepare you to write technical documents, with the emphasis placed on proposal writing. You will be given tips and techniques on how to start the writing process, how to organize materials by purpose and audience, and how to present complex information simply. This class will cover the following components:

• Focusing on your readers’ needs
• Adapting your writing to your audience
• Writing for a mixed audience
• Writing with greater clarity and precision
• Developing ideas and information clearly
• Using white space effectively
• Choosing the appropriate graphic to convey information

Writing Proposals that Win Contracts Day 4 and Day 5

This two-day class will greatly improve participants' chances of writing a proposal that wins a contract for their employer. Seminar attendees will learn firsthand about RFP preparation from the instructors' personal experience that has been gathered over nearly two decades. This class will cover the following components:

• Laying the foundation for RFPs, including pricing
• Examining the myths and realities of responding to RFPs
• Evaluating the bid/no-bid decision
• Learning the three elements of a good proposal
• Writing technically sound proposals
• Asking the right questions at pre-bid conferences
• Using the Freedom of Information Act and debriefing conference to your advantage
• Rating your proposal in advance to produce a winner
• Protecting proprietary information in proposal