Handbook For Writing Proposals, Second Edition - Softcover

Hamper, Robert J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 007174648X ISBN 13: 9780071746489

Verlag: McGraw-Hill, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

Proven techniques and invaluable advice for writing winning business proposals—revised and updated!

What makes a winning business proposal? It highlights your skills and services, meets your client's needs, and clearly sets you apart from the competition.

Since 1995, Handbook for Writing Proposals has helped thousands of professionals develop winning proposals. This exceptional handbook guides you through the unique nine-step proposal-writing process from the initial RFP to the client presentation. In this revised and updated version, the authors show you how to:

• Choose the RFPs that give you the best chance of success
• Showcase your company's skills and services
• Set realistic time/cost schedules and budgets
• Avoid the mistakes that sink most proposals
• Build client relationships that bring you repeat business
• Tailor your writing for an international business audience

The second edition also offers you a wealth of downloadable forms and checklists that you can adapt for your own proposal-writing process.

Whether you own your own business, need to train your corporate staff, or simply want to improve your skills, Handbook for Writing Proposals, second edition will show you how to profit from every proposal you write.

Praise

This book guides you through the process of creating the best impression of your sweat equity to your customer. Whether you need to polish up and improve every aspect of the proposal or just certain elements, this book will fill the need. Remember, the economics of gain only occur when a customer feels you’ve fulfilled a need and created value.
Paul V. Baron, President, In-Store Bakery Division, The Quarter Oats Company

Handbook for Writing Proposals offers a wealth of down-to-earth, practical guidance on all phases of proposal writing. The book is well organized and full of concrete ideas that are easy to include in real-life situations. The sample letters, checklists, budgets, and proposals are extremely valuable. This book is a great resource for anyone whose success depends on convincing others through the proposal process.
Richard M. Sawdey, Former Vice President and Secretary, R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

Robert J. Hamper was a professor in the Graduate School of Business at Dominican University and Loyola University of Chicago and is currently a private business consultant.

L. Sue Baugh worked as a senior editor at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc., one of the world's largest management consultant firms, helping consultants develop proposals for industry, government, and nonprofit clients.

Both authors reside in Chicago, IL.

Robert J. Hamper was a professor in the Graduate School of Business at Dominican University and Loyola University of Chicago and is currently a private business consultant.

L. Sue Baugh worked as a senior editor at Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Inc., one of the world's largest management consultant firms, helping consultants develop proposals for industry, government, and nonprofit clients.

Both authors reside in Chicago, IL.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Handbook for Writing Proposals

By Robert J. Hamper, L. Sue Baugh

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 McGraw-Hill
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-07-174648-9

Contents

Introduction
1 Where to Begin
2 9-Step Proposal Process: An Overview
3 Selecting the Bid and Choosing the Proposal Team
4 Finding Your Unique Selling Point
5 Developing Your Program Design
6 Writing the Front Matter and Executive Summary
7 Producing Your Proposal
8 Making Client Presentations
Appendixes
Appendix A: Sample Executive Summary
Appendix B: Sample Proposal
Appendix C: Sample Résumé Boilerplates
Appendix D: Brief Guide to International Business English
Appendix E: Frequently Confused Words
Appendix F: Frequently Misspelled Words
Index

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

Where to Begin

Opportunities and Pitfalls

Types of Proposals

Internal Proposals

Solicited Proposals

Unsolicited Proposals

Sole-Source Contracts

Request for Information and Request for Quote

Four Key Questions

Your Planning Process

Your Company Mission

Your Business Plan

Your Marketing Plan

Summary of the Planning Process

Locating New Business

Government and Private Agencies/Nonprofit Groups

Industry Sources

Networks

Which Jobs to Target

Management Responsibility

Bid-Decision Criteria

When Not to Write a Proposal

Characteristics of a Winning Proposal

Nicolle Herras, a manager at Integrated Medical Systems, studied a request forproposal that had arrived on her desk that morning. Everett Hospital, a localcare facility, had a growing number of patients who did not speak English. Thehospital staff was having trouble finding translators for all the differentlanguages the patients spoke. This lack of communication resulted in poortreatment and follow-up efforts. The hospital management was seeking a high-techsolution to the problem.

Ms. Herras called her boss, Mr. Hardin Tagore, and told him about the request.

"Mr. Tagore, this is right in line with our revised company mission to developinteractive communication interfaces. We've got the systems, expertise, anddatabases to solve their problems. And I think we have an excellent shot atfollow-up projects working with their satellite care facilities. Our competitorswouldn't be able to offer as complete a package."

"I know Everett's IT director," Mr. Tagore said. "He's wanted to update theirin-house and external communication facilities for some time. Let's meet laterthis week after I get a bid/no-bid decision on this RFP. Meanwhile, see if youcan put together a good proposal team."

Ms. Herras had only one reservation in going after the job. Two of the peopleshe had in mind for the proposal team were new hires. They had limitedexperience in developing proposals at the corporate level. Well, she thought,this will be their chance to learn.

* * *

George Lee's marketing firm had been hit hard by a downturn in the economy.Searching for new business and new ideas, he noticed hundreds of little "green"companies springing up across the country that had no idea how to get theirmessage across to potential customers. Here was a niche his company could fill.He explained his idea to his writing staff.

"We can target green energy and home renovation firms—we know the mostabout those fields. Our proposal has to convince these companies that puttingmoney into targeted marketing materials can yield big returns. We haveexperience with some of the green energy fields and the target customers forthis niche. Let's propose a partnership that combines the green companies'products and our media savvy."

* * *

Linda Valdez spread the requests for proposals across her desk. Her informationtechnology company was new to the marketplace, so it made sense to try for anyand all jobs her firm might win. There was a telecom company contract for marketdata analyses, a municipal study to examine traffic pattern flows to improvesafety measures, and a corporate contract to develop inventory software for thecompany's international offices.

Her staff would be stretched a little thin on the corporate job, and they didn'treally know the government process very well. But they could probably do thework with luck and long hours.

"What if we get more than one of these jobs?" her finance officer asked.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Linda said.

Opportunities and Pitfalls

These three scenarios illustrate some of the most common opportunities andpitfalls of proposal writing. In the first scenario, the firm has targeted theright market and has the required skills and expertise. But the proposal-writingteam is not experienced in responding to a high-level request. If the new hiresdon't learn in time, the company will lose out in the bidding war.

The second scenario represents a good match of company skills and client needs.Since many "green" firms are startups, their management is likely to make costlymistakes in marketing their services. However, Lee's firm is developing anunsolicited proposal. Their task is to convince clients that the firm'sexpertise and services can provide exactly what clients need. If the team doesits homework, this firm has a good chance of creating a new client base.

The third scenario describes one of the most tempting pitfalls that new and evenexperienced companies encounter: shoot at every target in sight and hope you hitat least one. Valdez has made little effort to match client needs with hercompany's services and skills. Even if a proposal is accepted, she has no way toassure the client that her firm can do the job within the proposed time andbudget. If her firm has more than one proposal accepted, Valdez may not haveenough staff to do any job well. At the very least, her company will waste a lotof time, money, and effort writing proposals for jobs they have little chance ofwinning or of completing to the client's satisfaction.

Types of Proposals

A proposal is primarily a sophisticated sales and marketing piece you develop todefine a client's problem and/or opportunities and to sell the client on yourability to provide solutions and strategies to their satisfaction. To begin,let's look at the types of proposals you or your company may write. Proposalsgenerally fall into four categories: internal, solicited, unsolicited, and sole-source.

Internal Proposals

Internal proposals are written within a company by a particular division,department, group, or individual to persuade top management to support an ideaor project. For example, the product line manager may write a proposal toautomate a particular assembly process. Even though these proposals are forinternal consumption only, they follow the same principles as proposals writtenfor outside companies or agencies.

Solicited Proposals

Sometimes, a company is formally invited to submit a proposal. They receive arequest for proposal (RFP), request for quotation (RFQ), or bid invitation. Theclient has a particular project or problem and is looking for outside help...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: McGraw-Hill
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 007174648X
• ISBN 13: 9780071746489
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Auflage: 2
• Anzahl der Seiten: 256
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar