Ok, so you’ve been tasked with writing a proposal. Maybe you don’t know how to write one or maybe you’ve written them but you’re just not happy with the outcome. Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. That’s because I’m going to give you some tips on proposal writing. This series of posts is […]
January 31, 2018 by 4 Comments
The Ultimate Guide To Writing Skimmable Proposals
It can be overwhelming. When you look at some RFPs, you can’t believe how much information they ask for. Why do they need all this information? But it’s the “golden rule.” They have the gold, so they make the rules. And we’re just playing the game by the rules they’ve laid out. So, you spend […]
July 25, 2013 by 1 Comment
DCMP Episode 2: The Magic of Winning Proposals
In this episode of the Design and Construction Marketing Podcast, I have an in-depth conversation with Laura Ricci, the author of The Magic of Winning Proposals. I write about this book a lot on HelpEverybodyEveryday.com. I regard it as THE “how to” book on proposals. Talking to Laura just reinforced my belief that this lady […]
October 7, 2012 by 12 Comments
Where Do You Fit On The Proposal Experience Spectrum?
After talking to many people who work with proposals, it’s become clear that not all our experiences are the same. Each of us falls in a different category on the proposal experience spectrum. Oftentimes, we don’t realize this. You bring someone onto your team knowing that they spent a lot of time on proposals in […]
September 23, 2012 by 17 Comments
Want Clients To Believe Your Proposals? Use This Font.
Recently, the New York Times conducted an interesting experiment. They wanted to figure out if their choice of font had any impact on whether readers believed statements they made. What they found is going to blow your mind. The Experiment To answer this question, they set up an online survey, providing readers with a […]
September 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Why They Hate Writing Custom Technical Approaches
Some people wonder why technical professionals hate to write custom technical approaches. They hate it because it’s hard. It’s hard to write when you went to school for engineering or architecture. It’s hard to face that you don’t know everything you should know about the client and their challenges. It’s hard to put off […]
August 30, 2012 by 21 Comments
Want Better Proposals? Stop Worrying About Bug Dust!
Several Linkedin forums have been debating about cliches in proposals. These conversations devolve into debates about bug dust. What Is Bug Dust? Bug dust is defined as elements of your proposal that have no significant influence on whether you win the job or not. Should you use contractions in your proposals or is that too […]
August 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
What If The RFP Stipulates Experience Within The Last Five Years, But Yours Isn’t?
You have your hands on an RFP that is perfect for your firm. You have completed a ton of projects just like the client needs. But there is one gut- wrenching problem. The proposal asks for experience within the last five years. Your relevant projects are over five years old! Now, you could just throw […]
August 20, 2012 by 1 Comment
How To Create The 100% Recyclable Proposal
Clients have been asking that more and more of our proposals be recyclable or made from recycled material. Eventually, they’re going to ask for the 100% recyclable proposal. Why not beat them to the punch? The Challenge Of Creating 100% Recyclable Proposals We already have 100% recycled paper. That’s really easy to come by at Staples […]
August 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Guess What Will Be In The New AIA Handbook!
Good things come in “threes,” so I have three exciting announcements for you. First, the kindle edition of my book, Proposal Development Secrets: Win More, Work Smarter, and Get Home on Time has officially been downloaded over two thousand times. A huge thank you goes out to everybody who downloaded and read the book! Of […]
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