The very best proposals are those written in a single voice. However, this goal is difficult to reach if multiple proposal writers are involved on the project. The best way to create a proposal in a single voice is to provide writers with (i) content guidelines, and (ii) a sufficiently early deadline that allows an experienced editor enough time to review and edit the proposal. By providing your writers with carefully crafted content guidelines, you will have made the editor's task much easier.

Writing Guidelines The following writing guidelines, and any others your company have developed, should be given to the proposal writing team:

• Writing style is important. Write from a logical outline and use topic and subtopic headings.
  
• Structure the first paragraph in a topic and subtopic manner so that it presents the primary point first. Summarize every chapter and topic with a brief paragraph.
  
• Use trigger words, known facts, statistics and specific reasons to convince the reader of the primary point, e.g., a unique feature, capability, or benefit.
  
• Illustrate as much as possible.
  
• Use appendices for detailed material.
  
• Do not use big words in an attempt to impress your customer. Strive to be concise and brief. Keep paragraphs short and to the point.
  
• Avoid using general adjectives. We suggest you should instead choose descriptive adjectives. For example, consider using phrases such as "a 10-year track record" rather than "an excellent track record." Stress to your writing team that it should endeavor to write in the most clear and concise style as possible. Clear, concise writing has the following characteristics:
  
• It is logically and consistently organized. For example, if one of your writers is attempting to promote your company's comprehension of the proposal's requirements and is tasked with explaining your solutions, the solutions' features, your solutions' benefits, and benefit substantiation, in that order, then have all of your writers present their material in the same order. Give the section writers templates and writing samples.
  
• The narrative should be easy to read and understand. Again, use topic sentences, short paragraphs, and avoid verbose prose. Use simple declarative sentences. Think Hemingway, not Faulkner.

In summary, you should develop a technical proposal that is clear and concise and responsive to the requirements outlined in the RFP. In doing so, you will make the evaluation process much easier.

The Review Process

Proposal reviews are essential to the quality of your company's final proposal. You should have at least two reviews handled by a team of evaluators - one at the second draft stage (we will call this a "Red Team Review") and one at the final draft stage. It is critical that the review doesn't take place at the eleventh hour - just before the proposal goes out the door.

The review team should evaluate the proposal from the customer's perspective. Be brutal and act like an evaluator. Compare everything in the proposal to the requirements in the RFP. Determine whether your solutions and the benefits your business offers are clearly outlined? Is the narrative brief and concise? Highlight those areas in which your review team feels the proposal is deficient and work diligently to correct the problem areas. The extra work may be difference between the proposal that wins the contract and one that is dismissed.

You can be slightly more informal for smaller proposals but the fundamentals are the same. Don't shorten the review process due to a lack of time. If you are short on time and the proposal shows it, consider canning the proposal.

After completing the first draft, the lead writer should ask the following questions:

• Does the proposal effectively demonstrate that our company understands the customer's needs?
  
• Did we clearly and succinctly outline our solutions?
  
• Are the writers on track and writing consistently among their respective sections?
  
• Does the proposal read as a unified whole?
  
• Have we hit on new themes and pertinent solutions?

After the lead writer edits the first draft, the writing team should then prepare a second draft of the proposal. This draft is subject to the most important review of all, the Red Team Review. The Red Team Review is so critical to the process that we will address it as a separate article in next week's installment.