1、Creating Effective ProposalsProposal Writing-Guidelines and HintsC O N S U L T I N GRe-using MaterialReusable Material-text or graphics from previous proposals that address similar requirementsDont throw boilerplate together and call it a sectionClients/evaluators know when theyre reading generic te
2、xt,and resent it!Thoroughly review and modify any text or graphics you reuseTailor the material to the client and the RFPCommonly reused material-qualifications,client profiles,resumes,statistics,capabilities,graphicsAlways dangerous to reuse technical solutions/approaches Proposal ToneBegin sentenc
3、es with the clients concernShow understanding and empathy of that concern -prove that you know the client(names,sites,systems)Respond to that concernBe direct,confident and assertive,but not arrogantGuard against too many paragraphs beginning:“KPMG understands.”or“KPMG recognizes.”Substantiate claim
4、s with statistics and examplesSuperlatives are generally bad(cant be substantiated)Mix the use of“we”and“KPMG”throughoutProposal Tone ExamplesProper Example:“Over the past several years,the University of Massachusetts,Amherst has initiated a broad review of its administrative systems,resulting in th
5、e selection of the PeopleSoft Student Administration System.“Based on your RFP,we recognize that UMass desires specificassistance related to the business process redesign of your student services,and fit-gap analyses for these improved processes.”Improper Example:“KPMG is the global leader in every
6、meaningful and quantifiable way.”(!)Proposal TenseUse“active”voice-the actor comes before the verbAvoid“passive”voice-no actor,vague,unresponsiveCorrect:“KPMG will develop the system.”Incorrect:“The system will be developed.”Follow the“true tense”rule,whether past,present,or futureCorrect:“The curre
7、nt system interfaces with.”“The future system will increase access”Incorrect:“The future system interfaces with”Bullet ListsBreak up lengthy narrativeChange a sentence that lists many items to a bullet listAvoid switching tense,voice,or tone within the listUse parallel wording to start each bullet(t
8、he same kind of word -verb,noun,adjective,etc.)Capitalize the first word of each bullet in the listIntroduce bullet list with a colon,then separate each bullet with either a semi-colon or nothing Example of a consistent bullet list:“The NASA system will provide the following benefits:Increased respo
9、nse time Improved customer service Immediate data access”GraphicsAnother great way to break up continuous textMuch easier to read and reviewDepict processes,flows,activities better than textCan be tables,matrices,or full-scale foldoutsServe many purposes such as:Staffing:names,skills,years of experi
10、ence,org.chartsQualifications:statistics,dates,projects,numbersWork plan:tasks,hours,staff assignedTechnical:diagrams,architectures,system designsTraining:course structure,methodologyRFP requirements compliance checklistGrammar and PunctuationInsert a comma after each element in a series of more tha
11、n two elements,and in numbers of 1,000 or moreUse two spaces:between numbers and title of section headingsafter periods and colonsUse one space after commas and semicolonsReference other sections of the proposal when appropriate,as such:In section 4.3,“Potential Problems,”we discuss our risk managem
12、ent policies.Follow Word ConventionsRefer to“convention word list”established by Proposal Coordinator Helps different writers/sections sound consistentEases final editing somewhat(search/replace list)When in doubt,defer to RFP/client usagePrime examples:project vs.engagementclient/server vs.client-s
13、erverUNIX vs.Unixdatabase vs.data basework plan vs.workplanRun spell check EVERY time you exit a file!Additional Language GuidelinesAvoid using superlatives(“all,every,never”)KPMG Legal also frowns on itUse“exceeds the requirements”sparinglyif we really do,we should explain how and whyAvoid the ambi
14、guous“etc.”at the end of a seriesUse words for numbers less than 10Use numbers when referring to time,money,distance,or percentageAvoid“i.e.”and“e.g.”-use“for example”Avoid“via”-use“through”or“using”Know difference between“its”and“its”“KPMG staff”is singular,“personnel”are plural;“datum”is singular,
15、“data”are plural“Support,Provide and Ensure”Most overused words in proposalsUsed so much they can begin to lose their meaning Some suggested alternatives:advocate,affirm,aid,approve,assist,confirm,control,convey,demonstrate,develop,direct,effect,enable,encourage,enhance,establish,execute,facilitate,
16、favor,improve,lead to,maintain,manage,monitor,obtain,offer,perform,promote,result in,strengthen,verifyVersions and RevisionsUse MS Word“Comments”feature for notes to the reviewer or yourself(outstanding issues,holes)Have reviewers use MS Word“Revisions”feature on soft-copy edits so you can see the c
17、hanges made to your textAlways maintain a copy(and backup copy)of the most recent version of your documentdifferent versions floating around cause nightmaresuse version numbering conventions When revising text,have the RFP/OFS handySummaryRe-read the RFP/OFS requirements and evaluation criteriaThink
18、 before you start writingUse outlines and graphics to organize thoughtsCustomize the text to the client-use specific examplesUse bullets and tables for clarityLook for graphics opportunities to break up a lot of narrativeBalance content:client need vs.KPMG capabilityAvoid chestbeating-do more paragraphs begin with the clients name than KPMG?They should.Every writer needs and editorAny Questions?Carl Rosenblatt BDST Manager,Public Services Tysons Tower 703 747-6508演讲完毕，谢谢观看！
