Business writing

Business 100W Business Communications

Lecture 10:

Writing Proposals

Reasons for Writing Proposals

Reasons: Attract contracts

Obtain research money Change in-house procedures

Fund new facilities Argue for product or policy revisions

Determine Requirements for Your Proposal

Determine Who Will Evaluate Your Proposal

Create an Outline for Your Proposal

Overview

Provide background information

Consider key questions

Define your approach

Problem Analysis

What caused the problem?

Who suffers from its effects?

What measures have failed in an effort to deal with it?

What is the current scale of the problem?

What will be its future scale?

Proposal Specifics

Are your methods proven? By whom?

What personnel will be involved?

What is their training?

What time schedule have you established?

What are the major checkpoints?

What significant indications of progress

will you look for? When?

Consider:

How will you measure success?

Consider:

Will your research results be observable?

Consider:

Will your research results be preservable?

Consider:

Will your research results be repeatable?

Consider:

Budget

Outline the costs of your proposed work

In the past, “padding” was part of the process

Padded budgets are now discouraged

Avoid underbudgeting

Milton the bat says:

Never begin or end with a budget!

Conclude by explaining your willingness to help

your readers.

How it looks

Proposal Competes in:

What it says

Revise and Polish

Use the most attractive, proportionately spaced font

Use heavy bond white paper

Use strict margins on all sides of the page

Decide whether or not you should bind the proposal

5 ways to create a professional look

Make sure photocopies are comparable to originals

Use topic headings and indented material to show

off your information

Never bury crucial information in appendixes

or footnotes

Proposals are the primary means by which

businesses ask for work (or money)

The Form Proposal/Contract

Business Plans

7 questions to answer

What is the key information that I need to know about your business plan?

What products or services will your business produce or provide?

How will you sell your products or services?

What is the basic idea of your business?

7 questions to answer

How will you organize and manage your business?

How will your company’s finances be handled?

What do you want from me (your reader)?

Key Information

Basic Idea

Products and Services

Marketing and Sales

data

Back up your assertions with:

demographic information

other supporting evidence

Company Finances

Include how much money you are seeking from investors and in what installments

Describe the investors’ degree of liability and terms of financial participation in profits

Give specifics of the business:

One venture capital firm over a period months...

received 1,200 business plans

firm selected only 45 for serious interest

14 were eventually funded

This is controversial

Note:

Questioning the Adaptability of Sales Messages

Spam is particularly ill received

Note:

Questioning the Adaptability of Sales Messages

Many of the sales messages are unethical

Note:

Questioning the Adaptability of Sales Messages

There is now opt-in email marketing

Note:

Questioning the Adaptability of Sales Messages

Preparing to write a sales message

Determining their make- up

Gaining Attention

Direct Mail

Email

Holding Attention in the Opening

Building a Persuasive Case

First you present a need

Rational appeal will rely on factual information

Character-based will rely on the perceived ethics of the spokesperson

Writing for sales differs from other writing

Emotional appeals will rely on readers’ senses

Stressing the You-Viewpoint

Milton says:

Include all necessary information

Driving for the Sale

This is the natural and expected conclusion

Urge immediate action, or you may lose the sale

Recall the main appeal

The drive action should be specific and clear

Adding a Postscript

To urge the reader to act

To invite attention to other enclosures

To suggest the reader pass along the sales message

To emphasize the major appeal

Offering Name Removal to Email Readers

Companies must:

Good News Messages:

build goodwill keep old customers

win new customers

Milton says:

Readers look forward to hearing “yes”

You many not always be able to respond to every order with a special letter, but you should

still try!

Format for Yes Letter

Deliver the “yes” message as soon as possible in the letter

Keep the “yes” message simple

At the last meeting of the loan committee, your application no. 4705 for a construction loan in the amount of $170,000 was approved, provided that you acquire and maintain fire

insurance in the amount of the loan on the construction project.

Bad Example:

We’re pleased to approve your construction loan for $170,000.

Good Example:

especially in contractual matters

questions of credit

explain the exact commitment you are making

Be specific:

To protect your project and our investment, we require that you

acquire and maintain fire insurance for the amount of the loan.

Example:

Sell your company’s service, product, image, or

relationship

Our construction loan department offers an inexpensive voucher plan by

which you can keep track of construction expenses and

subcontracted work.

Example:

We look forward to a solid partnership with you in the development of the

Seven Seas resort. Consider our participation, we ask, in future projects.

Example:

Since 2006 you have been the kind of client we consider a company friend.

We all will do our best to maintain our high level of service to you.

Example:

Milton says: Begin the yes letter to

an order by stating exactly what you are

saying “yes” to.

In the next paragraph, explain any:

conditions

delays

product specifications

shipping or billing information

Conclude with a statement of appreciation