Proposals
Guidelines
Give the overall scope of the proposal, specific recommendation, and total cost up front.
Choose the detail arrangement most appropriate for your particular subject. Generally, that means stating criteria, features, or options first. (Don’t assume your reader knows the criteria for weighing details.) Then show how each product, machine, service, person, or company meets the criteria you’ve established. Such an arrangement lets your reader “keep score” more easily and also ensures more equal comparisons than otherwise. You may find, however, any number of other suitable arrangements—geographical, costliness, advantages vs. disadvantages. Whatever arrangement you choose, move from most to least significant points and do not mix pros and cons in any category. Separate the pros from the cons, the benefits from the disadvantages, the acceptable from the unacceptable.
Weigh and interpret facts and details. Is a specific detail beneficial? Harmful? To be expected? Indicative of a trend? Competitive? Questionable? Why? Don’t simply state a fact and expect your reader to decide if that fact is desirable or undesirable, important or unimportant, acceptable or unacceptable.
Don’t equate the quality of your proposal with the length of the recommendation or the money involved; there’s no correlation.
When possible, break down total cost so the reader can “play” with the figures, omitting or increasing specific options to fit any budget limitations.
Identify subjective statements as such. Add clarifying comments such as “in my opinion,” “according to experts in the field,” “this fact suggests,” or “due to claims of past clients.”
Add authority. Can you gather more facts? Interview experts or clients? Survey staff preferences and needs? Give case studies? Produce figures from past years or from other companies?
Suggest how the proposal be implemented. Mention individuals or departments to handle specifics and, if appropriate, suggest a target date for implementation.
Email This Page!