Proposal Writing Workshop Slides

Proposal Writing Workshop : Proposal Writing Workshop Friday 19th August

What have been taught about writing….is wrong : The goal of a proposal is to persuade --- here is what I want you to conclude, and here’s why Most proposal evaluators don’t want to be there --- here is what I hope you’ll read and here’s the obligatory detail that you’re not going to bother with. A winning proposal is easy to evaluate. Picture the evaluator with a checklist in hand going through your proposal --- check, check, check. State conclusions that reflect the evaluation criteria, and then explain how or why. What have been taught about writing….is wrong

Some basic rules still apply : Who: who will do the work, who will manage the work, who does the customer call if there is a problem, who is responsible for what What: what needs to be done/delivered, what will be required to do it, what can the customer expect, what it will cost Where: where will the work be done, where will it be delivered How: how will be work be done, how will it be deployed, how will it be managed, how will you achieve quality assurance and customer satisfaction, how will risks be mitigated, how long will it take, how will the work benefit the customer When: when will you start, when will key milestones be scheduled, when will the project be complete, when is payment due Why: why have you chosen the approaches and alternatives you have selected, why the customer should select you Some basic rules still apply

The two golden rules : Tell the customer what you are going to do for them. Just make a statement that sums it up, as if you were discussing it with them. Tell them how or why what you are going to do will deliver/ensure/provide/result in what they want The two golden rules

Using graphs rather than words : Get graphic. Think about presentation. If you can replace words with graphics, it is usually better to do so. The more attractive the document, the more likely the customer will put the effort into reading it. Using graphs rather than words

Editing : After you've finished the piece and spell-checked it, give it a rest. Wait as long as you can -- sleep on it, if possible -- before coming back and proofing it for errors you missed the first time. Re-read it at least ten times. Then read it backwards, last sentence to first. Be ruthless. Whittle convoluted thoughts down into the fewest words without losing the meaning. For example, "She received the support of 21 senators among those senators who were present for the vote" becomes, "Twenty-one senators voted for her." Root out passive statements and flip them into active ones. Your Microsoft Word spell checker has a feature that will tell you how many passive sentences are in a document. It even tells you what grade level your piece is written for. Hint: Aim as low as possible - below grade eight if you can. (To activate this feature, check the box beside "show readability statistics" on the Spelling and Grammar options page). Editing

Phrases to avoid : We understand Don’t tell the customer what you understand. Tell them what you will do and how they will benefit. The results will demonstrate that you understand. Even if the customer asks you to show your understanding you should speak in terms of how what you do, provide, or deliver will meet their needs. Understanding should be demonstrated and not claimed. We believe, think, or feel Who cares? The customer doesn’t care what you think. Take whatever you were about to say and turn it into a positive action and state the benefits to the customer. We intend to Either you do it, or you don’t. Who cares what your intentions are? We are devoted to This is just another way of saying you intend to. Our highest priority This like saying it’s your greatest intention. We hope That’s like saying you intend to but you’re not sure you’ll be able to. We desire your business Of course you do! But your proposal should not be about your needs, it should be about the customer’s needs. We are committed Customers don’t want your commitment, they want results. Phrases to avoid

Even more phrases : We are quality focused This is another way of stating your intentions. Instead of focusing on quality, deliver it. We will strive, try, or attempt Customers don’t want you to try, they want you to deliver We will If it is something that you do (in the present tense) then just do it. We would be honored This is just another way of saying how you feel and talking about yourself instead of making it about the customer. We can provide Either you provide it, or you don’t. Our mission is to This is just another way of stating your intention. We value Instead of valuing it, deliver it. State-of-the-art This is overused and not credible. Even more phrases

Getting the message? : Uniquely qualified Prove it. Best of breed/class Prove it. Premier, world class, world-renowned Unproveable. Using it is wasting the evaluators attention. Dedicated to Your dedication is not relevant to whether you have delivered or not. Leading company, leading edge, leading provider, industry leader, pioneers, etc. Overused and not believable. Don’t damage your credibility by using it. Top-quality Is there any other kind? Full service What exactly does that mean and is it credible? Comprehensive solutions As opposed to? Fast growing Your ability to take customers' money quickly is not exactly a selling point to the customer. Trustworthy I don’t know about you, but when I hear a salesperson say that I tend to run away. Customer first This is not believable. Everyone knows there are limits to what you will do for your customers. Don’t strain your credibility. Getting the message?

Grammar Toolkit : The first tool requires just a few settings changes in MS Word. When finished with a draft of a proposal section, you need to follow these seven simple steps: Select Tools at the top of the screen Select Options (inside Tools menu) Click on the Spelling & Grammar tab Check the two bottom boxes under the Grammar heading (Check grammar with spelling and Show readability statistics) Select Grammar & Style under Writing style Click the Settings button Set the "Require" options (I select "always," "inside," and "1"); check all Grammar rules; scroll down and check all Style rules except for the use of first person; and select Ok. Grammar Toolkit

6 Most common mistakes : Mistake #1: Failing to Pass the “So What?” TestWhen the customer reads “we are pleased to submit” or “our company was founded in 19xx,” will he customer say “so what?” Look at everything you have written, and ask whether you would care if you were the customer reading it. If not, rewrite it so that it matters. Mistake #2: Not Saying Why the Customer Should Select YouDoes what you have written clearly articulate why the customer should select you? The evaluator must look at competing proposals and select the best one. Does your proposal say why they should select you? Mistake #3: Not Thinking About What It Will Take to WinDoes the proposal achieve what is necessary to win? Have you even asked yourself that question? What do you have to do or achieve in writing in order to win the proposal? Ask yourself whether the proposal you have written achieves those things. This should be your primary measure of the quality of your proposal. 6 Most common mistakes

6 most common mistakes : Mistake #4: Stating a Universal TruthDoes it state a universal truth before presenting your approach? For example, does it say something like “Quality is absolutely vital to success. Therefore we…” or “According to the Council of Accepted Experts, quality is vital. Our approach…” However, this is not good proposal writing. Instead, you should be showing that your approach delivers what you say is so important. It is much better to say that “Our approach delivers the quality that is vital to success by… Mistake #5: Not Owning the ResultPeople often write in terms of things “happening” instead of saying things like “our approach delivers.” You should take ownership of the results when you work on a project. Instead of “if you select us, we’ll do the work, and you’ll get the results” you should say that “if you select us you will benefit from the results we deliver” or “if you select us the results we deliver will have the following benefits for you…” The benefits to the customer are benefits that you provide. It’s not bragging or ego. Mistake #6: Building to the FinishPeople want their claims to be credible. So they often carefully craft a proof that shows how each item leads up to their conclusion, which they deliver at the end. This is the exact reverse of the way you should write your proposals. People evaluating proposals do not want to have to read or puzzle through the whole thing to figure out what you are saying. Instead, you should tell them the conclusion you want them to reach first, then provide the supporting points that substantiate that conclusion. 6 most common mistakes

Global Brand Rules : To protect the strength and integrity of the logo, a clear space, free of any other visual elements, should be maintained. This includes additions of country/LC names, changing background colors, or adding a shadow. Please respect the dimension of spaces recommended to use with the logo.You are allowed to use the short or long logo according to your design and visual need in the inner pages of the website. The clear space on the right side is 1 unit. The clear space on the left, bottom, and top is 0.5 units. http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewwiki.do?contentid=10067369 Global Brand Rules

Global Brand Rules : We encourage you to respect others copyright and do not steal or appropriate photos, videos and content of of others. In order the avoid possible legal issues with the content you are putting in your website, please follow these recommendations. http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/34836988@N07/sets/ Global Brand Rules

Official Colours : Official Colours

Official Fonts : Official Fonts

AIESEC in Numbers : 1948 The year AIESEC was founded 60.000 members The number of young people who are currently Experiencing AIESEC As of internal data from July, 2011. 110 countries/territories 2,100 universities We are currently present in over 2,100 universities Although we have 730 LC's, many LC's have presence in numerous universities. Given the latest internal data (July, 2011) on number of Universities we have presence on. 470 conferences We run more than 470 conferences each year at national, regional and global level.The biggest AIESEC Conference is the International Congress with more than 600 young people and 200 organizations involved from all around the world. (We are not including local conferences). AIESEC in Numbers

AIESEC in Numbers : 16,000 exchanges We provide unique exchange experiences for over 16,000 youth annually This is given our latest exchange statistics. 4,000 partners We partner with over 4,000 organizations globally These include sponsors, TN takers, other partners, etc. (This number requires to be updated) 20,000 leadership opportunities Each year, over 20,000 leadership opportunities are available Youth around the world engage in all sorts of projects in leading a team of at least three people for more than three months. This number is constantly increasing. 945,000 alumni We have impacted over 945,000 people in society through AIESEC This number is calculated taking into account an average of 15,000 members per year (taking into account low and high years in terms of membership) throughout our existence. 730 LC’s We have 730 LC's This represents how many LC's we have, though we are present on many universities and campuses. AIESEC in Numbers

Slide 19 : Questions?