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Writing the Situation and Objectives Slots 157

writers have difficulty writing background sections because they haven’t devel-
oped such a formula. The preceding structure supplies you with that formula.
While not a rule, it provides a guideline regarding what kind of information to
consider and where to place it.
The components also help you make situation speak to other slots in the
proposal. The questions you present relate directly to your stated objectives and
your approach to achieving them. The three components will provide implied
but convincing evidence regarding your qualifications as a problem solver.
Finally, like an overture in a symphony, situation can initiate the themes devel-
oped later, in subsequent slots of the proposal. As a result, your situation slot gets
you and your proposal off to a good start as you begin at the beginning to convince
me of one of your proposal’s major claims: You know my industry; you know me;
you know my organization and its challenges, problems, and opportunities; and
you can address them—maybe not as inexpensively as someone else but better.

CHAPTER 9 REVIEW
Writing the Situation and Objectives Slots

The situation slot has three components that help answer a series of questions, as
summarized in Figure 9.10.

Component Content

1. Story/S 1 ‡ What is the history, the external and internal factors
(including the triggering event), that caused the problem or
opportunity?
‡ What is the problem or opportunity?
‡ What are its effects and “lack of benefits”?
‡ What, if anything, has been done to solve the problem or
realize the opportunity? Has this attempt exacerbated the
situation?
2. Questions ‡ What questions must be answered to address or solve the
prospect’s problem or realize the prospect’s opportunity?
(derived from deliverables)
‡ Transition from Questions Component
3. Closing/S 2
‡ Bridge to methods slot
‡ Engagement objective(s) (expression of S 2 )
‡ Briefly stated benefits

FIG U RE 9 . 1 0 T he thr ee c omponents of the situa tion slo t
FIGURE 9.10 The three components of the situation slot