EffectiveProposalWriting:MakingYourWordsImpact

ReviewersDaveErickson

EvergentTeknologies

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Erickson,David.

EffectiveProposalWriting:MakingYourWordsImpactReaders/writtenandillustratedbyDaveErickson.

p.cm.

Includesillustrations,bibliographicalreferences,andindex.

ISBN:978-0-9938197-1-1

1.Business.2.Newbusinessenterprises-Planning.3.BusinessPlanning4.Proposalwritinginbusiness.5.Businesswriting–Handbooks,manuals,etc.

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HD62.5

I.Title

361.7/068/1ERI

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FirstEdition15/1413121110

TableofContents

Chapter1Introduction

Chapter2ProposalProcess

Chapter3KeyPrinciples

Chapter4SuccessfulProposalExamples

Chapter5Conclusion

AppendixAProjectPlanningResources

Chapter1IntroductionSomeonethathasneverwonaproposalcannotreallyteachacourseonthetheoryandapplicationofproposalwriting.It'sthatsimple.Thisisalearnedskillasmuchasapractice.Andmostengineersandscientistsdiscountthevalueofproposalwriting;theylearneconomicsandpracticeprojectbudgets;butyoudon'thaveabudgettoworkwithuntilyouhaveaproject.Andprojectfundingisscarce,andgettingscarcereveryyear.Withinflation,thepoolofmoneyformostresearchisreducedinvalueyearoveryear.Thatmeansonlybestwillcontinuetogetthemostmoneyyearover

year.

Proposalwritingiscompetitiveprocess,andthecompetitionpoolsgetslargereveryyear.

Sinceproposalwritingisalearnedskill,theonlywaytogetbetteristolearnaneffectiveprocess,jumprightinandwritesome.Rejectionisalsoalearnedskill.Thinkofitthisway,yourfirstattemptmaykilltwobirdswithonestone.

Hereisthebasictruth:whetheryoulikeitornotyoucannotnotdoseriousscienceandengineeringwithoutwinningaprojectproposalcompetition,atsometimeinyourlife.Andifyouwanttoreachthehigherlevelsofmanagementthisskillwillbeanessentialonefor

seniormanagement.

Thismicrobooklaysoutatriedandtrueprocesstofollow,theprinciplesthatyoushouldconsider,andgivessomeofmysuccessfulexamplestoprovethatIhavethebonafidestobackupmyclaims.

Andifwinningprojectcontractsisanimportantprerequisiteforanauthorclaimingtoknowhowtodoit,Ialsosetupcontractproposalstotenderandmarkbidders.SoIhaveexperienceonbothsidesoftheprocessworkingthroughandreviewingwhatisimportantinabid.

Whetheryouarewritingforanopencompetition,atendertobidonacontract,oryourbosswantsyoutoplanout/forecastofficeactivitiesforthenext

quarteroryear,theyallrequirethesamethings:theyallrequireanoutlineplanordesign,theyrequireabudget,apeopleallocation,andtimeline.Whatsetsthegoodonesfromthebadonesisn'thowmanydegreesyouhaveonthewallorhowmanypeopleareinyourcompany;it'showwellyouunderstandwhatyourclientisaskingyoutodoandhowwellyougettothepointexplainingwhatyouareproposingbutalsohowbeneficialyourplanis.Sothat'sthecoreofwhatyoushouldpropose.Nothingmore,nothingless.

Otherthingsliketechnicaltrivia,rants,diversions,history,complaints,criticismsoftherequestingtender,andothernonsensenothelpfulanddistractingina

bidiswhatlosersspendmostoftheirtimeon.Thisiswhatareviewerwillconsiderasfluff,andawasteoftime.Remember,areviewerhasminimaltimeandifyouwastetheirtimeyourproposalwillsufferaswell.Secretnumber#1isthatreviewersfavorthosethatmaketheirjobtheeasiest.Commonsense,right?

Mosttechnicalpeoplethinkthatdemonstratingfactsisthekeytowinning.Itisn'tthecriticalfactorbutitispartofitcertainly.ThecriticalfactorisyoudemonstratehowWELLyouunderstandtherequirements.Ifyouunderstandwhatisimportanttomeettheneed,thenthetechnologycanbemetmanyways.Butifyoudon'tknowwhyyouareproposingatechnology-likemanycompaniesthat

haveacannedsolutionandwanttosellit-thenhowcanareviewhaveconfidenceyouwilldothejob?Ifyououtlineandunderstandtherisksassociatedwiththeproblemandyourproposedplan,thenyougivethereviewers'confidencethatyouknowwhatmighthappenandyouarepreparedfordealingwithanyeventuality.

LikeproposalsIhavewritten,thisbookisasimplestraightforwardproposal.

Ifyouaccepttheprecedingideasthenyouarereadytogettotheheartofthebookandlearnsuccessfulproposalwriting.

See,wasn'tthateasy?Ifyouarereadingthissentencethenmyfirstproposalwassuccessful,Ilaidouttheimportanceof

myplan,madeiteasytoapproachthesubject,didn'twasteyourtimegoingonandon,andgaveyousomehelpfuladviceonproposals.

ReadChapter2forareviewofaneffectiveproposalprocess.Chapter3laysoutthekeyproposalprincipalstoconsiderthatarenotprescriptive-theydon'ttellyouwhattowrite-butdescriptiveintheyhelpyourthinking/brainstormingaboutwhatkindsofthingsareeffectiveinaproposal.Chapter4inthepremiumversionofthisbookoutlinessomesuccessfulproposals-fundedupto$1.7million-thatIwrote.ItexplainsthepointsImakeinchapters2andthreeappliedtothespecificbids.