Proposal writing is both an art and a science. The science is establishing a highly structured business process to assure a well organized proposal document that is completely compliant with all of the requirements stated the Request for Proposal (RFP). A tight organization structure assures proposal clarity and makes the document easy to read and understand. Federal proposal evaluators will score proposals that are easy to evaluate higher and clarity and conciseness begin with the proposal outline.

The science part of the proposal writing process is fundamental to writing successful proposals but does not assure a win. The artistic aspect of proposal is critical to a winning score assuming that your proposal is well organized. It is hard to imagine that writing dry technical and management plan content is creative but it is. Most companies have only a few (and sometimes none) proposal artists. The rare creative quality of great proposal writers is driven by intellect and a sense of how to sell ideas. Proposal artists:

• Present what the customer wants and understands as a solution to their problem
• Know what to stress and highlight to feature the company and its capabilities
• Present content that instills customer confidence and reduces their sense of risk
• Stress solution benefits

Compensate and support the rare proposal artists in your organization; they are worth their weight in contact dollars.