Page 23 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

14 Writing Winning Business Proposals

calling these elements slots rather than sections because in any given proposal it
is possible that:

◉ No slot could be used as a section heading. That’s the case if you don’t use
headings in your document or if your headings are different from the slot
names. The situation slot could be called “Background” or “Business Issues”
or “Our Understanding of Your Situation.” The methods slot could be named
“Approach” or “Methodology” or “Study Strategy.”
◉ Two or more slots could be combined into one section. You could combine
situation and objectives into one section. Or objectives and methods.
◉ One slot could be split into two or more sections. methods could be divided
among “Approach,” “Workplan,” and “Deliverables.” qualifications could
be split among “Project Organization,” “Qualifications,” “References,” and
“Résumés.”

All Slots Should Be Filled or Accounted For

Every proposal you write or present contains six slots, but these slots are not nec-
essarily organized into corresponding sections or presented in predetermined or
fixed order. Nevertheless, whether they are combined, split, or not named at all,
each slot should be filled or accounted for. On some occasions, you don’t have
to fill slots in the proposal document or presentation because they’ve already
been “filled” in prior discussions with me, your potential client, and therefore
accounted for during the proposal process. We all know that proposal develop-
ment itself is often only one part of the selling process, and actions, good or bad,
that occur before the actual document is submitted affect the proposal’s content,
organization, tone, and the like.
If before you submit the proposal you have already convinced me that you
thoroughly understand my problem or opportunity, you’ve already filled much of
the situation slot and may not need to fill it (or fill it very much) in the proposal.
If you and your team previously have done a good deal of commendable work for
me, you’ve filled much of the qualifications slot, and loading the document with
résumés and references may be not only unnecessary but strategically unwise
and perhaps even annoying. Remember, there are no rules, only strategies. And
effective strategies are driven by the specifics of the situation, by the context of
the selling process.

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