{"id":36609,"date":"2020-08-13T10:53:47","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T08:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.targettraining.eu\/?p=36609"},"modified":"2020-08-05T13:19:22","modified_gmt":"2020-08-05T11:19:22","slug":"how-winning-offers-and-proposals-are-written","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.targettraining.eu\/de\/how-winning-offers-and-proposals-are-written\/","title":{"rendered":"How winning offers and proposals are written"},"content":{"rendered":"

I often find myself in the business section of the book store and I\u2019m always struck by how cleverly these books position themselves. Titles like \u201cHow to Have A Good Day\u201d or \u201cThe Art of Thinking Clearly\u201d seem to speak directly to me and this is the reason I pick them up and sometimes even buy them. If you are involved in writing offers and proposals (RFQ\u2019s, tender responses) you are looking to create a similar impact – you want the reader’s attention and interest from the moment they pick up the document. The secret to doing this, just as with business books, is to make them \u2018reader-oriented\u2019. Over the years we have worked with many companies that have great products and services but sometimes find it challenging to write commercial offers which appeal to readers. In this post we will explain exactly what \u2018reader-oriented\u2019 means and how to achieve it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What do readers want to read about in an offer?<\/h2>\n

Think for a minute; if someone sends you a proposal for a product or service they want you to buy, what do you want to read in it?<\/p>\n

Now read this quote: \u201cDon\u2019t come into my office and tell me about the perfect solution you have. Instead, tell me how you can solve my business problem and then I\u2019m all ears!\u201d<\/strong> Max Bittner, CEO Lazarda<\/p>\n

Every proposal or offer exists to solve a problem, which your client is unable to solve on their own. So, as Max says, make sure your client\u2019s problem or challenge is front and centre in your proposal. This means starting with a detailed and accurate description of the problem. You want your reader to think \u201cThis organisation understands my business and its challenges\u201d because this will establish your credibility to solve their problem right from the start. It sounds obvious I know\u2026and yet when running proposal writing workshops I am almost always asked \u201cBut where do I write about us<\/em> and what we<\/em> do? Normally we start with this!\u201d<\/p>\n

Key Learning Point 1<\/h4>\n

If you want to get your proposal read, start by talking about them<\/em> not you<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What will they actively read?<\/h2>\n

Proposals have many different elements and different stakeholders will focus on different parts; legal will study your T&C, finance will look at your figures, procurement will study your value statement. But the three most important elements, and probably the ones that will be read by the decision maker, are:<\/p>\n

1. The title<\/h3>\n

A good title can create a great first impression and get your proposal higher in the pile of many proposals. And the trick is to make the title speak to the reader. Compare these 2 different titles for the same proposal and ask yourself – which proposal would you read first?:<\/p>\n