Writing Winning Sales Proposals & Bids

Duration: 1 day

Writing effective proposals to tight deadlines takes a lot of skill.  If you have to produce sales proposals or bids under pressure, this course is for you.

Objectives:  By the end of the course you will be able to:

Write in a style that motivates your client to buy
Identify the most suitable structure for your bid proposal
Write an Executive Summary
Look at different ways to protray a sales message
Develop confidence in writing a winning proposal bid

Course Content

Developing the concept
Having a clear message
Using a story board to develop your strategy

Analysing your reader
Distinguishing the different types of reader for your bid document
Dealing with a mixed audience
Meeting the expectations of each reader

Gathering information
Finding your information
Managing the process of gathering information

Designing your structure
Understanding the different ways you can structure your bid
Using mind maps and an outline to structure and sequence your material
Presenting adequate information to support your ideas
Creating an Executive Summary

Developing your writing style
Common pitfalls in bid writing
Principles of clear writing
The best style for your proposal

Drafting your proposal
The importance of the correct mindset for writing a winning bid
Putting it all together
How to avoid getting side tracked when writing your draft

Designing your illustrations
Why use illustrations
When to use illustrations in a proposal
Where to place illustrations
Establishing a consistent style for illustrations

Editing your proposal
How to polish your text
Checking that your writing style is consistent
Using headings, lists and tables
How to make it easy to read

Getting it right
Getting the most out of spelling and grammar checkers
Achieving maximum impact
Handling version control of the documents
Using templates to create a consistent layout
How to proof your own work

Please bring a bid proposal with you to develop throughout the day.