What's the difference between a proposal that sells and one that fails? Anywhere from $5,000 to $50 million or more. With so much at stake, why is it that proposals rarely receive the time and attention they deserve? Why are they often treated as irritating requests that are held until the last minute?

To win business, companies need a fresh approach to proposal writing, one that contains content that is client-focused, compelling, convincing, concise, and consistent.

The Five Cs are the Keys
Don't underestimate the power of client-focused content. Overused phrases like the following distances the customer: "The BMC Corporation greatly appreciates the opportunity to provide the Meltron Company with professional services to meet their unique needs." Impersonal phraseology will make your proposal blend in with every other proposal the prospect receives. Using boiler-plated material may save time, but it doesn't really do the job. Therefore, to persuade your prospect to buy, it's critical to customize the proposal content, tie your solutions into their needs, and focus on building a relationship through your word choice.

Write in a Compelling manner
Have you ever read a novel in one or two sittings? You couldn't stop turning the pages. Why? Because each chapter led with a hook and ended with a cliffhanger. Similarly, proposals that keep the prospect reading offer interesting material that grabs their attention, and maintains their interest. By truly focusing on the client, clearly identifying the benefits and business impact, and differentiating your products and services, you're setting your proposal up for success.

Convince your prospective customer to choose you
How do you influence and sell people on your ideas? First, you capture their attention, then you explain the idea with enthusiasm and energy, continually focusing on the individuals responses. Unless you're invited to a presentation, you may not have the opportunity to see the prospect's reaction; however, you can imagine it by approaching your document from your prospect's viewpoint.

Ask yourself: How important is this information to them? How would they respond to this message? Are my words captivating and compelling? Effectively persuading a prospect to take a specific action requires walking in their shoes and making sure the proposal is a good fit.

Create Concise content
Inserting tomes of information about your company's background and history, and extraneous details about the top officers translates into BOR-ING. Today's busy decision-makers want information that's clear, concise, and requires a minimum of reading time. That's why its important to get right to the point by deleting repetitive data, organizing and sequencing carefully, and tightening fuzzy writing. Relying on industry jargon and complicated words and phrases will turn off even the most tenacious readers.

Keep the writing Consistent
If six people are working on different sections of the proposal, each person has his or her own style—one may be wordy and academic, another breezy and casual. In any case, a proposal that sounds inconsistent in tone, style, point of view, or design will distract the prospect and come across as unprofessional.

For the best results, either designate one individual to interview the contributors and do all of the actual writing or conduct an initiation meeting where all team members agree on certain guidelines. This will save time by setting expectations up front and ensuring consistency from the proposal's inception.

No matter how large or small the piece of business, the importance of a well-written, professional-looking proposal cannot be overstated. A proposal that focuses on the customer and presents compelling, convincing, and concise information consistently will stand out and win the business.

Michele Simos is principal of Simos Consulting, a communications company that trains individuals and organizations how to write and speak effectively. She is also an nSight training instructor and teaches the following workshops: Fundamentals of Marketing Communications; Writing Coaching; Writing Copy That Sells; and Effective Email.

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