Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Atricle Dump - Ten Proposal Secret: Ten Secrets No One Told You That Will Help You Win A Proposal
How many minutes are in a year? My niece, Sarah, and her third grade classmates sang a song from the Broadway show, “Rent.” The song breaks down how many minutes are in a year and asks us how many ways we count a year. It’s catchy. I’ve been humming the song all day, but I don’t remember how many minutes it turned out to be.Measuring is important. Figuring out what to measure is even more important. I just finished speaking about precise communication. I can’t imagine a more precise way to communicate than through exact quantities. How many times must something happen to know that it is successful? How much money must you earn to cover the cost of an endeavor? How much time is needed to determine when something is working or not working?There is no key to answering those questions. Your comfort level will determine how much of a risk you want to take. It will also
· Are you an entrepreneur who hasn’t started their own business venture yet?· Are you a writer who struggles to turn up on the page regularly?· Are you a painter who isn’t putting brush to canvass?· Do you know what you are called to do, but keep talking yourself out of it or keep procrastinating?Then you already know resistance; it is the internal force that thwarts and undermines you and stops you living what you were born for. It can even be the ways you actively sabotage your success.I want to share with you a single insight that that could help you start transforming your work, career and business: The thing you are most resisting being or doing is probably the thing that would most fulfil you and you could probably be successful at. It’s probably where you’d shine. You are resisting your vocation, your destiny and the work you were born
1. Adhere to the guidelines – The most important piece of advice that anyone can tell you is to ALWAYS follow the guidelines a government agency or company publish on how to write a proposal. I once wrote a proposal where 35% of the evaluation would be based on past performance review. In the Statement of Work, they kept referring on how important past experience was. Therefore, I decided to place it after the Executive Summary.
A good way to ensure that you have covered all the information requested by the entity you are trying to receive a piece of work or funding from is to create a Requirements Matrix. A lot of proposals I have seen do not use this great tool. You can even attach it as an appendix, and reviewers (sister is one) think it is a blessing in disguise.
2. Avoid the “ME” factor. The worst mistake a lot of people make in writing proposals is making it very focused on the company, instead of the client needs and wants. I once read a proposal from a major IT consulting company that read as though it were a business profile. It was 25 pages of raving on their great accomplishments, and it was only five pages on their solution and management approach.
One way to avoid this is by counting how many times you mention your company’s name, and how many times you mention the client. If it outnumbers the client, then some editing and rewriting needs to occur ASAP. You can praise your company and its efforts all you want in the past performance section.
3. Don’t be afraid….use “You.” A proposal has to be written like an advice letter you would receive from Dear Abby; very personalized to the company you are writing it for. I’ve seen so many companies be afraid to use “you.” Instead, they decide to use the client’s name all over the proposal making it feel cold and awkward. Write a proposal like you would write a friend, and the personalization will be something that even the client will be able to tell.
Marketing experts the world over have all preached at some time that the business card is a small businesses most important marketing tool. The majority of business cards handed out fail to impress and make a lasting mark on our customers. The confidence that a well-designed stylish business card can give you in any market cannot be over stated enough.Business cards use dates back hundreds of years initially as personal calling cards, and more recently as business marketing tools. Almost all forms of marketing has been transformed by the arrival of computers and Internet technology, business cards however remain the tool of choice for many situations.This article focuses on how as a designer or a marketing entrepreneur the steps you should take to avoid making common mistakes when designing your business card. With a little time and effort you can produce a buthe guidelines a government agency or company publish on how to write a proposal. I once wrote a proposal where 35% of the evaluation would be based on past performance review. In the Statement of Work, they kept referring on how important past experience was. Therefore, I decided to place it after the Executive Summary.
A good way to ensure that you have covered all the information requested by the entity you are trying to receive a piece of work or funding from is to create a Requirements Matrix. A lot of proposals I have seen do not use this great tool. You can even attach it as an appendix, and reviewers (sister is one) think it is a blessing in disguise.
2. Avoid the “ME” factor. The worst mistake a lot of people make in writing proposals is making it very focused on the company, instead of the client needs and wants. I once read a proposal from a major IT consulting company that read as though it were a business profile. It was 25 pages of raving on their great accomplishments, and it was only five pages on their solution and management approach.
One way to avoid this is by counting how many times you mention your company’s name, and how many times you mention the client. If it outnumbers the client, then some editing and rewriting needs to occur ASAP. You can praise your company and its efforts all you want in the past performance section.
3. Don’t be afraid….use “You.” A proposal has to be written like an advice letter you would receive from Dear Abby; very personalized to the company you are writing it for. I’ve seen so many companies be afraid to use “you.” Instead, they decide to use the client’s name all over the proposal making it feel cold and awkward. Write a proposal like you would write a friend, and the personalization will be something that even the client will be able to tell.
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) became an accepted standard (as established by the Project Management Institute) that is still widely used in many industries around the world. At a basic level, many of the methodologies advocated by PMBoK and Six Sigma have a great deal in common. Both seek to establish a sound plan; identify and communicate with stakeholders; conduct regular reviews; and manage schedule, cost, and resources.Six Sigma is not just another project management initiative or process improvement program. Six Sigma is not just a new term for project management nor is it a mere repackaging of old concepts. It is more than that because it is a robust continuous improvement strategy and process that includes cultural and statistical methodologies. Six Sigma is complementary with existing project management programs and standards but differs in sig="http://process.umn.edu/groups/ppd/documents/appendix/proposalmatrix.pdf" target="_blank">Requirements Matrix. A lot of proposals I have seen do not use this great tool. You can even attach it as an appendix, and reviewers (sister is one) think it is a blessing in disguise.
2. Avoid the “ME” factor. The worst mistake a lot of people make in writing proposals is making it very focused on the company, instead of the client needs and wants. I once read a proposal from a major IT consulting company that read as though it were a business profile. It was 25 pages of raving on their great accomplishments, and it was only five pages on their solution and management approach.
One way to avoid this is by counting how many times you mention your company’s name, and how many times you mention the client. If it outnumbers the client, then some editing and rewriting needs to occur ASAP. You can praise your company and its efforts all you want in the past performance section.
3. Don’t be afraid….use “You.” A proposal has to be written like an advice letter you would receive from Dear Abby; very personalized to the company you are writing it for. I’ve seen so many companies be afraid to use “you.” Instead, they decide to use the client’s name all over the proposal making it feel cold and awkward. Write a proposal like you would write a friend, and the personalization will be something that even the client will be able to tell.
Although lately Airbus has chilled out a little on the embellishment of the orders given to it by both Corporate and Government Airlines or Government Agencies it seems the practice of counting your chicken before they hatch with bird flu is alive and well in the European Union with Airbus Company.You know I have a problem with Airbus and their claim of orders taken for new jet airlines. It claimed in Farnborough World 2000 Airshow, that it had sold 12 A330s (about 33 Billion Dollars if it were real) and none of them ever were built and no substantial deposits were taken, is this a kind of Proforma type hype to move the markets. What is the difference, it is still a lie. Why is this bad?Well, it hurts Boeing’s stock, who has to tell the truth and yet our government does not go after Airbus as they lie like a rug? What a complete double standard we have, but if company that read as though it were a business profile. It was 25 pages of raving on their great accomplishments, and it was only five pages on their solution and management approach.
One way to avoid this is by counting how many times you mention your company’s name, and how many times you mention the client. If it outnumbers the client, then some editing and rewriting needs to occur ASAP. You can praise your company and its efforts all you want in the past performance section.
3. Don’t be afraid….use “You.” A proposal has to be written like an advice letter you would receive from Dear Abby; very personalized to the company you are writing it for. I’ve seen so many companies be afraid to use “you.” Instead, they decide to use the client’s name all over the proposal making it feel cold and awkward. Write a proposal like you would write a friend, and the personalization will be something that even the client will be able to tell.
Any business needs two basic things to be successful: customers and products. Products can be services or actual tangible items, and this article lesson will examine the different methods for obtaining goods to resell in wholesale for your business, as well as look at ways to help you decide which method is right for your online store or offline mini-mall. Buying goods for resale is done primarily through four methods also called channels: Directly from the manufacturer, from a wholesaler, from a distributor or from a supplier.Each method has its pros and cons. Most businesses will use only one method, and many times it is not the business that determines what method will be used, but rather the volume and size of that business as well as the channels available. Not all four purchasing methods are available for all products, and in some cases there may only be one methouse “You.” A proposal has to be written like an advice letter you would receive from Dear Abby; very personalized to the company you are writing it for. I’ve seen so many companies be afraid to use “you.” Instead, they decide to use the client’s name all over the proposal making it feel cold and awkward. Write a proposal like you would write a friend, and the personalization will be something that even the client will be able to tell.
4. Research is vital. A proposal is 70% research, and 30% writing. Before writing a proposal, you should thoroughly read the guidelines, write down the questions you still have, and then research the following:
a. The questions you had. b. Background on the client c. Anything emphasized in the guidelines d. Any negative publicity concerning the client. e. If there is an incumbent, anything about how their work is being perceived.
Good places to start if it’s a government agency:
a. The agency’s Inspector General web site.
b. The General Accountability Office (GAO) web site.
c. News articles NOTE: Use Google News or Yahoo! News that is a compilation of tons of
newspapers and journals.
Good place to start if it’s a private company:
a. News articles.
b. Better Business Bureau web site.
I have seen so many times where companies just rely on their boilerplates and recognized name to write a proposal. They forget how essential research is.
5. Always volunteer extra information. In every proposal guideline I have ever read, I always read something to the extent of “any extra solution/information you might have...” But, then I read the proposal and there is never any extra tidbit that will entice a client to learn more. I’ll ask the team what can they offer this client that no one else can, and then I will hear ten responses to my question. My reply is always to add one or two of those ten things that will let the client know you are more than able to handle the job.
6. Ensure your cost analysis is on point. One piece of advice that I always cherished was from my graduate professor who had his own freelance writing company: Never underbid when writing a proposal because it will always hurt you in the long run.
Afte
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.articledump.net/article/46067/articledump-Ten-Proposal-Secret-Ten-Secrets-No-One-Told-You-That-Will-Help-You-Win-A-Proposal.html">Ten Proposal Secret: Ten Secrets No One Told You That Will Help You Win A Proposal</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.articledump.net/article/46067/articledump-Ten-Proposal-Secret-Ten-Secrets-No-One-Told-You-That-Will-Help-You-Win-A-Proposal.html]Ten Proposal Secret: Ten Secrets No One Told You That Will Help You Win A Proposal[/url]
Related Articles:
Continuous Improvement - PDCA - The CHECK Phase
Interview Preparation - 5 Steps for a Successful Interview
Project Management – Fast Tracking with Gantt Charts
Bookmark it:
|