Page 283 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

274 Appendix D

Introductory Paragraphs
Introductory Paragraphs
Situation: This was the problem or opportunity.
Situation: This was the problem or opportunity.
Objectives: Given that problem or opportunity, these are the objectives we
Objectives: Given that problem or opportunity, these are the objectives we
achieved.
achieved.
Methods: To achieve those objectives, these were the methods we used.
Methods: To achieve those objectives, these were the methods we used.
Recommendation: As a result of these
Recommendation: As a result of these
Recommendation X methods, we recommend X for reasons A, B,
methods, we recommend X for reasons A, B,
Recommendation X
C, & D.
C, & D.
Body
Body
A A B B C C D D Paragraphs:
Paragraphs:
The logical
The logical
structure that
structure that
supports the
supports the
recommendation
recommendation
Concluding Paragraphs: Restatement of the recommendation + persuasive
Concluding Paragraphs: Restatement of the recommendation + persuasive
summary of benefits
summary of benefits
orms the bod
tion r
of the document
y
, the logic tr
ee f
epor
t
ommenda
.
6

FIGURE D.6 In a recommendation report, the logic tree forms the body of the document
FIGURE
D
ec
n a r
I

or presentation.
or presentation.
provided. Therefore, you still have buyers, not of your proposed future service
(because that’s been performed) but of the ideas generated by that service hav-
ing been performed. As in proposal situations, these buyers play different buying
roles in evaluating your report, and they will perceive different benefits based in
part on their different roles. These buyers also will have hot buttons, and they
will use various criteria to evaluate your recommendation. You might even have
competition, in the form of alternative initiatives being recommended by others
in your organization: These initiatives might be competing for the same funding
you are seeking. In short, in preparing your report, you should find helpful the
same concepts and some of the same worksheet cells that are so useful in com-
pleting a proposal. There is no magic in writing effective reports. The key is a
logical structure that answers the overriding question.