The Single Most Important Element Of A Winning Proposal

Whether you call yourself a solopreneur, mompreneur, entrepreneur, or small business owner, business development (or securing new clients) is the heart of your business. It’s what keeps the lights on.  And there can be so many moving pieces to proposals. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to focus.  Today, I’m sharing, what, in my experience, is the single most important element to write a winning proposal.

I’ve been writing proposals since 2004 as a proposal writer, manager, and now freelancer for large government contractors, small businesses, and solopreneurs.  I worked with huge teams to write multi-volume proposals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, and I’ve helped solopreneurs pitch for new business. I’ve won many and I’ve lost a few.

Surprisingly, I’ve learned the most from the duds. Writing a winning proposal isn’t a science. It’s an art. There’s no formula. Writing winning proposals for funding is a lesson in deduction and making fact-based assumptions.

The Single Most Important Element Of A Winning Proposal

A comprehensive understanding of your client is the single most important element of a winning proposal.  Let me not downplay the importance of a sound innovative solution. Of course, your solution is definitely a significant factor in writing a winning proposal, but you can’t have a winning solution without a pretty thorough understanding of your client. Am I right?

If you don’t really know your client you’re creating a solution in the dark with every other Lucy, Lacy, or Lydia interested in pitching.

To write a winning proposal, you need to not only respond to your client’s requirements you need to also understand WHY they’ve chosen these requirements in the first place.

A little-known fact about me is that I’ve not only written winning proposals but I’ve also worked on the government side too, creating statements of work (SOWs) and serving on proposal evaluation committees.

So I know, when your client puts something in the SOW, there’s a reason and it’s not always the obvious one.

Understand Thy Client

Think about it. When you write a proposal, not only are you solving a problem for a client that they cannot solve for themselves, you’re also selling the gift of peace of mind.

You’re telling this client, “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”

Now, you probably know what it feels like to hire someone who doesn’t inspire confidence. You think to yourself,

“why did I agree to let this person {fill in the blank}? Just look at them, they have no idea what they’re doing.  Can I fire them before they get started?”

To avoid having your client think those thoughts about you, here’s what you need to know.

You need to give your client PEACE of mind in your proposal. To give your client PEACE, you need to think through my PEACE Method to not only understand your client’s mindset but to use that understanding to create an exclusive value proposition.

The Peace Method To A Winning Proposal

Before you write, you need to understand your client. Follow my PEACE Method to brainstorm your solution.

1.     P = Prerequisite: Why do they need a contractor?

2.     E = Expectation:  What is their objective for you?

3.     A = Acquire + Achieve: What will they now be able to achieve?

4.     C = Crave. Based on what you know, what are the top 5 business goals your client craves?

5.     E = Exclusive Value: What reassurances can you give this client that your solution is the only solution that will meet their stated needs and help them reach their goals?

Write A Proposal That Wins

Here’s the deal. Writing a proposal is ONLY about your client and meeting your client’s needs. It is NEVER about you or your company.

To write a winning proposal, you need to start with your client’s needs. Once you fully understand what gives your client PEACE of mind, you can create a customized solution that not only meets their needs but sets them up to achieve the business goals they crave.

When you can do this, you’ll see your pitches and business proposals win new business more consistently.

What do you want to know about writing proposals that win?  Take this super short survey. It’s one question. Take the survey.