Writing Business Bids and Proposals For Dummies

Acquire the necessary skills to win business through proposals, bids, tenders, and presentations—this hands-on guide is your partner for success You have in your hands the collected knowledge and skills of the professional proposal writer. Proposal writing is a profession — a growing and increasingly important one and an essential part of a broader group of business development professionals who plan and execute strategies for businesses who want to obtain new customers. Proposal writers have a professional organization — the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) — and their best practices are the foundation for this book. Proposal writing is a skill you can learn, practice, and master; you can even go through a professional certification process to prove your mastery. Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies is your no-nonsense guide to finding out what professional proposal writers know and for applying it to your own business. If you're a small- to medium-size business owner, a first-time proposal writer in a medium-size company, or a sales representative, you know that a written proposal (printed or electronic) is still a common, personal, and effective way to win business. Written in plain English, Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies will help you to: Know the difference between reactive proposals (the RFP or request for proposal) and proactive proposals Focus on the customer by going beyond their requirements to address their true needs Know your competition through research and analysis Write persuasively to develop a winning business proposal Plan and use a repeatable proposal process Incorporate a lessons learned aspect to your proposal process Use tools and templates to accelerate your proposals Motivate and lead your proposal team to ensure they're on the same page Use graphics to enhance your proposals Learn ways to automate your proposal development process And a whole lot more Additionally, you'll gain access to ten templates for building a proposal, find out ten common misconceptions about bids and proposals, and add a compiled list of online resources to your toolset. Grab a copy of Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies to start sharpening your proposal writing skillset.

Introduction 1 Part 1: Understanding Proposal Development 7 CHAPTER 1: Introducing Bids and Proposals 9 CHAPTER 2: Understanding Different Types of Proposals 25 Part 2: Focusing on Your Customer 53 CHAPTER 3: Building Customer Relationships 55 CHAPTER 4: Giving Your Customers What They Ask For (And More) 77 CHAPTER 5: Sizing Up Your Competition 103 Part 3: Planning Your Approach 123 CHAPTER 6: Developing Your Proposal Process 125 CHAPTER 7: Setting Yourself Apart From Your Competitors 155 CHAPTER 8: Keeping Your Proposal on Track 169 Part 4: Creating Your Proposal 193 CHAPTER 9: Developing Your Proposal 195 CHAPTER 10: Applying the Principles of Good Writing: Structuring Your Argument 221 CHAPTER 11: Making Your Proposals Look Good 251 CHAPTER 12: Getting Your Proposal Out the Door 275 Part 5: Taking Your Proposal to the Next Level 297 CHAPTER 13: Using Tools and Templates to Accelerate Your Proposals 299 CHAPTER 14: Leading Proposal Teams Effectively 323 CHAPTER 15: Making Each Proposal Better than the Last 345 Part 6: The Part of Tens 363 CHAPTER 16: Ten Templates for Building Your Proposal 365 CHAPTER 17: Ten Common Misconceptions about Bids and Proposals 371 Appendix: Online Resources 379 Index 383