It’s frustrating to invest the time, energy and money to develop a formal proposal and then lose  the deal. Here are five ways to increase the chances that your proposal will be a winner.

 Five Approaches to Improving the Odds for Your Proposal

1. Write from the reader’s perspective. Focus your summary on solving their problems, not addressing your capabilities. 
   
   
2. Write in simple, every-day language. Most proposal reviewers are not technical experts, so avoid technical details as much as possible. Rather than using complex terminology, write in a conversational tone. 
   
   
3. Get to the point quickly. From the outset write in short sentences with single ideas. This is your chance to prove that you know how to move quickly to make things happen.
   
   
4. Replace long paragraphs of text with graphs and numbers. Show the ROI of your proposal through graphs and numbers rather than text, text, text.  
   
   
5. Ask for the sale. Wrap up your proposal by defining the next move the prospect should make. Conclude with a call for action.