Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts

ISBN: 0814471536
EAN: 2147483647

Year: 2004
Pages: 130

Authors: Tom Sant

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Table of Contents
BackCover
Persuasive Business Proposals - Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts
Preface
Section 1: Why You Need this Book
Chapter 1: The Challenges You Face
Professionals and Writers
Let s Get Personal
Chapter 2: A Good Proposal is Hard to Find
So ... What Is a Good Proposal?
The Value of Your Proposals to Your Clients
The Value of Your Proposals to You
Section 2: A Primer on Persuasion
Chapter 3: Why the Inuit Hunt Whales and Other Secrets of Customer Behavior
The Myths of Decision Making
How People Really Make Decisions
Chapter 4: The Structure of Persuasion
Information
Evaluation
Persuasion
Going Deeper Into Persuasion
Chapter 5: Developing a Client-Centered Message Every Time You Write
Seven Questions to Keep You Client Focused
Redefining the Customer s Need
Where to Put Your Client-Centered Insights
Chapter 6: Understanding the Customer: The Cicero Principle
... you must ...
... think my thoughts ...
... feel my feelings ...
... speak my words
Analyzing the Audience
Adjusting for Personality Type
Adjusting for Levels of Expertise
The Decision Maker s Role and Values
Chapter 7: Establishing Your Credibility
Going Deeper Into the Issue of Credibility
Creating Credibility with Details
Section 3: How to Manage the Process and Keep Your Sanity
Chapter 8: An Overview of the Proposal Development Process
Laying a Solid Foundation
Review the RFP Document or Opportunity
Avoid Wasted Effort by Making Smart Pre-Proposal Decisions
Can You Recover the Cost of Writing a Proposal?
Create a Proposal Schedule
Assemble the Team
Hold an Effective Kick-Off Meeting
Create the Draft Proposal
Edit Your Draft
Print and Publish Your Proposal
Chapter 9: Writing From the Right Brain: Getting Your Ideas Organized
Cognitive Webbing
How to Create a Cognitive Web
Chapter 10: Presenting a Winning Value Proposition
When Value Matters the Most
The Value Proposition
Proving Your Value with Win Themes
Final Thoughts on Value
Chapter 11: The Structure of the Letter Proposal
A Few Tips on Writing Winning Letter Proposals
Chapter 12: The Structure of the Formal Proposal
Protecting Your Proprietary Interests
Writing the Business Case
Recommending and Substantiating Your Solution
Appendix
Some Final Thoughts
Chapter 13: Writing Research Proposals and Proposals for Grants
Preparing Your Research Proposal
Chapter 14: What to do after You Submit
After the Decision Has Been Made
The In-House Assessment
Chapter 15: Writing in the Midst of a Storm: How to Deal with Bad News and Negative Publicity
Chapter 16: Creating a Proposal Center of Excellence
The Proposal Unit: Defining Its Mission
Integrating the Proposal Center Into the Overall Organization
People: Putting the Right Staff in Place
Skills: Assessing and Training for Outstanding Performance
Methods: Incorporating Best Practices
Tools: The Right Resources and Facilities for Optimum Performance
Surviving and Prospering
Chapter 17: Proposal Metrics: How to Measure Your Success
Take a Three-Dimensional View
Five Ways to Measure Business Results
Measuring Technical Results
Measuring Customer Satisfaction: The Process
Implementing Metrics to Improve Your Proposal Processes
Section 4: Writing to Win
Chapter 18: Give the Reader a KISS
Chapter 19: Word Choice: Six Traps to Avoid
Trap 1: Using Jargon
Trap 2: Dangling Your Participles and Other Embarrassments
Trap 3: Creating Noun Clusters
Trap 4: Using Knotty Words Incorrectly
Trap 5: Converting Verbs Into Nouns
Trap 6: Riding the Cliche Pony
Chapter 20: Sentence Structure: Maximizing Your Clarity
Avoid Complicated Sentences
Avoid Passive Voice
Put the Important Stuff Up Front
Apply Sant s Law to Every Sentence
Chapter 21: Editing Your Proposal
Editing: A Five-Step Process
Measuring Readability
Red Teaming Your Proposal
A Proposal Writer s Checklist
Index
Index_B
Index_C
Index_D
Index_E
Index_F
Index_G
Index_H
Index_I
Index_J
Index_L
Index_M
Index_N
Index_O
Index_P
Index_Q
Index_R
Index_S
Index_T
Index_U
Index_V
Index_W
List of Figures
List of Sample Proposals
List of Sidebars