Powerful proposals : how to give your business the winning edge / David G. Pugh and Terry R. Bacon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pugh, David G. (David George), 1944-

Contributor:

Bacon, Terry R.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Business writing.

Proposal writing in business.

Physical Description:

xv, 254 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st edition

Other Title:

How to give your buisness the winning edge.

Place of Publication:

New York : American Management Association, c2005.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

text file

Summary:

How does a company constantly win more business than its rivals? A key factor is the ability to create proposals that outshine those from even the strongest competitors. Powerful Proposals helps businesses maximize the selling power of their proposals, with proven strategies for going beyond "this is what we do" documents in favor of customer-centered offers that highlight the tangible benefits your company offers. This powerful process offers tools and techniques that will let any firm: * assess their "winner or loser" proposal status and take proactive steps to become a winner * address the ""Big Four"" questions that a proposal must answer to be successful * create "A+" proposals in less time with less wasted effort via a simple, repeatable process * neutralize the issue of price when the firm is not the low-price provider Powerful Proposals takes readers step by step through designing executive summaries, writing themes, and generating the text. There is also valuable information on strategy, graphics, callouts, and other visual elements.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Power of the A+ Proposal

The Proposal: The Make or Break Move

How to Put the ''Power'' into Your Proposals

Be Compliant: Powerful Proposals Give Customers What They Request

Be Responsive: Powerful Proposals Address Customers' Needs, Key Issues, Values, and Goals

What Proposals Reveal About You

Six Key Elements of High-Quality Proposals

1. Boilerplate

2. Customer Focus

3. Creative Page Design

4. Compelling Story

5. Executive Summary

6. Ease of Evaluation

Evaluating Proposals: The Best and the Worst

Challenges for Readers

Chapter 2: A Simple Notion: A Proposal Must Sell, Not Just Tell

The DNA of Proposals: How Organizations Buy Products and Services

Purpose

Audience

Organization

Reader Intent

How Buying Decisions Are Made

They Won't Buy, Unless You Sell

Powerful Proposals: Simple, Clear, and Precise

Four Compelling Questions Every Proposal Must Answer

Question 1: Why Us?

Question 2: Why Not Them?

Question 3: So What?

Question 4: How So?

Chapter 3: Getting Your Message Across: Technical Proposals for Every Reader

The Competitive Advantage: Reader-Friendly Proposals That Sell

Compete by Communicating

Know Your Audience

Overcome Differences

Designing the Proposal

Two Messages, One Proposal

Double-Exposure Techniques

Chapter 4: Selling the Benefits: Customer-Oriented Proposals

Why Steak Without Sizzle Is Not Enough

Customer-Oriented Proposals

Who Are the Buyers?

What Buyers Look For

The ''Me'' Proposal

Reading the Customer's Mind: The ''You'' Proposal

Five Essential Components of a Customer-Focused Proposal

Uncover and Respond to the Customer's Underlying Need.

Address All of the Requirements and Requests

Mirror the RFP

Emphasize Benefits, Especially Intangible Ones

Develop an Effective Proposal Strategy

Chapter 5: What It Takes to Win: Credibility, Acceptability, and Preference

Establishing Credibility

The Right Experience

The Right Solution

The Right Technology

The Right Team

Establishing Acceptability

Negotiable Terms

Competitive Price

Conducive Political Environment

Creating Preference

The Right Relationships

A Compelling Story

Winning Behaviors

Chapter 6: Winning Executive Summaries: Your Most Powerful Selling Tool

The State of the Art: High-Tech Summaries

A Powerful Executive Summary: Focus on the Benefits

Preparing to Create an Executive Summary

Develop Your Win Strategy

Build a Compelling Story Line

The GIFBP Matrix

How to Design an Executive Summary with Impact

Brochure Format: Your Best Sales Tool

Issues-Driven Executive Summary

Ad-Style Executive Summary

Four-Page Executive Summary

Product-Emulation Executive Summary

Customer-Empathy Executive Summary

Living Executive Summary: An Evolving Sales Tool

The Five Steps

Executive Summary Quality Check

Chapter 7: Timing Is Everything: Positioning to Win

How to Position Your Company to Be a Key Player

Begin Early: Build Relationships, Develop Influence, and Win the Customer

Creating a Companywide ''Can-Do'' Attitude

Chapter 8: Proposal Management: The Art of Containing Chaos

Front-Loading the Effort: Plan and Design

Freezing the Offer

Planning for and Conducting a Superior Kickoff Meeting

Solidify the Team

Lay the Foundation: Proposal Planning

Establish Credibility: The Process

A Failed Kickoff: Danger Ahead.

Revising for Quality: The Final Touches

Chapter 9: Getting It Written, Getting It Right: Guide to Creating Compelling Proposals

The Seven-Step Section Development Process

Step 1: Determine the Content

Step 2: Organize the Content

Step 3: Develop the Themes

Step 4. Develop the Visuals

Step 5: Develop the Proofs

Step 6: Create a Mock-Up

Step 7: Draft the Section

Chapter 10: The Review Process: Making Sure the Power Is in the Proposal

The Role of Reviews in the Proposal Process

Themes and Visuals: The Contributions of the Pink Team

Pink Team Objectives

Pink Team Process

Applying the Pink Team Review to the Final Draft

Does It Have What It Takes: The Red Team Review

Who Is Needed: Selecting Team Members

Red Team Objectives

Red Team Process

Long-Term Benefits

Chapter 11: Learning Forward: Win or Lose Protocols for Continuous Improvement

Administering the Protocols

Client Interview

Internal Review

Lessons Learned

Improvement/Implementation Plan

Appendix A: The Ultimate Weapon: Maximize Proposal Effectiveness with Techies Who Can Sell

Appendix B: Models of Issue-Driven and Ad-Style Executive Summaries

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

About the Authors.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9786611126841

9781281126849

1281126845

9780814428498

0814428495

OCLC:

929146386