Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) help your company put the correct process in place to increase productivity, reduce manual errors, and streamline operations. However, before you write your SOPs, you’ll need to get support from Management to fund the writing project. When presenting your … [Read more...]
How to Write Proposal Themes That Stick
January 30, 2014 by
Once you understand how themes can make your proposal stand out, you'll kick yourself several times for not doing so earlier. The ability to use themes in business proposals is one way to highlight the unique strengths of your bid. However there is some confusion as regards what it means to … [Read more...]
How to Write an Abstract – Part Two
January 23, 2014 by
They say the definition of a smart mind is the ability to write a good abstract. In the first tutorial, we looked at how to structure an abstract by developing the tone, phrasing, and also explaining how its purpose differs from the main document. However, before we go any further, let’s … [Read more...]
Proposal Development: Using References and Endorsements Strategically
January 16, 2014 by
What's the biggest worry government agencies have before giving awarding a contract? It's not the money. It's whether the person they gave it to will deliver. Are they reliable? How you write, phrase, and position references and endorsements in your proposal will influence how evaluators … [Read more...]
How to Write an Abstract – Part 1
January 16, 2014 by
This article describes how to write an abstract for business, proposals, grant, conference and academic papers. Why write an abstract? It depends. If your business proposal will be read by executives or those in the decision making process, then you want to distill the salient points of your … [Read more...]
Proposal Writing: Short Deadlines
January 9, 2014 by
Here’s a suggested approach if you need to write a proposal with a short deadline. For example, if you have been asked to take over a bid or grant application at the last minute or if your company decides to bid on a procurement tender (RFP) towards the closing date, then the following guidelines … [Read more...]
If Megamind was a Business Writer…
October 28, 2013 by
So, what do Megamind and business writers have in common? Here’s a clue from one of my favourite parts in the movie. Titan: This town isn't big enough for two supervillains! Megamind: Oh, you're a villain all right, just not a SUPER one! Titan: Oh yeah? What's the difference? Megamind: … [Read more...]
How to Peer Review Business Proposals
October 21, 2013 by
From one angle, writing the proposal is the easy part. The difficulty is when you have to check what you’ve written, cross-reference it against the Request For Proposal, and ensure all parts fit together seamlessly. If you're writing the document by yourself, you need to find way to check your … [Read more...]
How To Control Proposal Files and Bid Documentation
October 14, 2013 by
One of the difficulties as a proposal manager is how to organize the documentation related to the bid. Not only do you have to manage the Request For Proposal document, but you also need to write, submit, and review clarifications, check submission guidelines, and make sure that support … [Read more...]
Proposal Writing: 7 Dos and Don’ts
October 7, 2013 by
A true story. Five bids arrived. We, the evaluators, tore open the packages and plonked the documents on the table. We’d decided who’d review which bids, and so set about. We meet again later than afternoon. Note: this was a preliminary stage before the actual evaluation began. At this point, … [Read more...]