Best Practices for Managing Proposals

How I landed a new client with a killer proposal: When I first started freelancing, I had no idea that I had to send out proposals. Let alone what a proposal entailed. Now I’m landing clients thanks to loads of research and doing courses like Eman Ismail’s Like a Boss. A proposal is all about creating a document that sells you. If you’re winging it (like I was) or relying on your natural charm, let me save you some time (and potential lost clients). 𝟭. 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 You’re not just listing services. You’re selling yourself and addressing every potential objection before it even comes up. Think of it as your highlight reel: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗢 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮: • 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻: What’s the client struggling with? • 𝗔𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Why does it matter? • 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How you’ll fix it. • 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲: What success looks like. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: • Introduction (brief but punchy: who are you and why should they care?) • Project scope (clear deliverables = no future headaches) • Your process (show them you’ve got a plan) • Client expectations (set boundaries kindly, but firmly) • Timeline (when you’ll deliver, and when they need to deliver their part) • Pricing and options (tiers and upsells. Make it hard for them to say no) • Guarantees (if you offer one, flaunt it) • Next steps (e.g., “Sign here, pay the invoice, and we’re off!”) 𝟮. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Even if you’ve already had a great chat with the client, write the proposal assuming they’ll forward it to someone who knows nothing about you. This keeps it simple, clear, and persuasive for any decision-maker. • Sprinkle in testimonials or a mini case study for credibility. • Offer 2-3 pricing tiers so their options are between you, you, and you. • Build a reusable template you can tweak for future proposals. Efficiency is your friend. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 A good proposal doesn’t just sell, it also creates urgency. Keep the momentum going with these steps: • 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆: Tell your prospect when they’ll receive the proposal and stick to it. • 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: I recommend 7 days. Mention it in the proposal and your follow-ups. Urgency drives action. • 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆: As the expiry date nears, send polite but confident reminders, such as: “Hey, just a heads-up, this offer expires in two days!” • 𝗝𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹: Clarify any in-depth questions on a call to avoid playing email tag. A killer proposal is part strategy, part psychology, and part presentation. Once you nail all three, you’ll be landing the kind of clients you’re actually excited to work with. 

If you are still using linear proposal development methodologies in 2025 you are going to lose to organizations using PPD. What is Parallel Proposal Development? Parallel Proposal Development is a modern approach to creating business proposals that borrows concepts from agile and lean methodologies, which are commonly used in software development and manufacturing. Unlike traditional, sequential proposal development processes that were developed in in the 1970s and are still prevalent today, Parallel Proposal Development involves working on multiple aspects of a proposal simultaneously rather than in a strict order. This methodology allows teams to be more responsive to changes, gather continuous feedback, and adapt their proposals in real-time. The six ongoing streams of activity in Parallel Proposal Development are: 1. Continuous Market Analytics: Instead of performing market analysis as a one-off task, this stream focuses on continuously gathering and analyzing market data to inform all stages of the proposal development process. This allows the proposal to remain relevant and aligned with market trends and customer needs. 2. Iterative Market Positioning: This activity involves constantly refining the company's market position based on ongoing market analytics and competitive intelligence. It ensures that the proposal highlights the company's strengths and differentiators in the context of the current market landscape. 3. Dynamic Opportunity Evaluation: Opportunities are continuously assessed for their viability, strategic fit, and potential return on investment. This dynamic evaluation allows for quick adjustments in strategy and focus, ensuring that resources are allocated to the most promising opportunities. 4. Agile Proposal Development Methodology: Borrowing from the principles of agile development, this stream emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iteration. Proposal elements are developed concurrently, and changes can be integrated quickly based on feedback and evolving requirements. 5. Lean Writing and Review Cycles: In this stream, the writing and review process is streamlined to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. The emphasis is on delivering value to the customer with clear, concise, and focused content. Regular reviews and revisions are conducted in short cycles to ensure high quality and relevance of the proposal content. 6. On-Going Learning: The focus here is on learning from each proposal development cycle to improve future processes. Lessons learned are captured and shared across the organization, fostering a culture of continuous improvement. AutogenAI's software is built to support and enhance Parallel Proposal Development.

Proposals to do work for a company would be more successful if the company bidding on them viewed them as akin to marriage proposals. Hang with me on this. Goal 1: When one proposes, one hopes (I assume) that the person to whom they're proposing will stay with them long-term. The same should be true of a client; as we all know, it's much less expensive to keep current clients than obtain new ones. Goal 2: Ensure the person to whom you're proposing thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. Goal 3: Show (not tell) that person how much you care. Let's unpack these goals. Goal 1: How do you ensure someone stays with you long-term? Solution: Focus on their issues, instead of focusing on yourself and/or your organization.   In terms of proposals, I've seen thousands fail, often because the focus is wrong. Let's be honest: people care about themselves, not you or your organization. The truth: Nobody cares about you and your organization. What can you do or say that will put the focus on the reader? >> Goal 2: Ensure the person to whom you're proposing thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. This may sound contradictory to goal 1, but hear me out: I can make you believe that I'm greatest thing since sliced bread IF and only IF I focus on your issues AND how I can solve them. Solution: Present your solution as a partner in terms of providing a solution, rather than as a vendor or someone who's primary goal is to get them to buy.   If you start with a memoir, your proposal's going in the trash.   >> Goal 3: Show, don't tell.   Yes, you can tell your beloved you cherish them, you love them, blah, blah, blah. But showing them is a different story. Whether it's flowers for no reason, cleaning the house or doing the laundry without being asked, that's showing. Yet, many proposals simply list off achievements without showing *WHY* the information matters. Consider this: "We saved Company X $15,000." Here's the issue: maybe $15,000 is a lot to that company or maybe it's not. What did the $15,000 savings allow them to do? Could they reallocate the money to more profitable endeavors?   And while it might look impressive, it's not enough.   >> Solution: Be specific and provide the "why" it matters.   What will resonate instead is detail: - What steps did you take to solve the problem? - How does that relate to your potential client's situation? - What does that say about your problem-solving process?   If you've researched your potential client, you should have a good sense of the details they'll care about. Make sure you include them.   The common thread among these 3 problems:   Your proposal isn't meeting your reader's needs –   Which is no way to win their confidence.   Or their business.   P.S. What's the hardest part of writing proposals for you?   Tell me in the comments – I bet I can help.

Boost your confidence in proposal writing with Lohfeld Consulting’s 25-point checklist of best practices. A well-crafted proposal communicates your values and distinguishes you from competitors. Inspired by Lohfeld Consulting’s expertise, this checklist offers actionable steps to refine your proposal writing skills and enhance your chances of winning bids. #1 Plan Your Writing #2 Verify Compliance #3 Design Your Response #4 Plan for a Strong Conclusion #5 Focus on Your Client #6 Emphasize Responsiveness #7 Demonstrate Your Value Proposition #8 Craft High-Scoring Sections #9 Focus on Strengths, Not Just Features #10 Tell Compelling Stories #11 Incorporate Risk Management Strategies #12 Offer Innovative Ideas #13 Highlight Team Expertise #14 Integrate Quality Measures #15 Include Relevant Past Performance or Proof Points #16 Use Testimonials and Endorsements #17 Anticipate Questions and Objections #18 Seek Feedback and Revise #19 Use Clear and Concise Language #20 Use Active Voice #21 Maintain a Consistent Tone #22 Edit and Proofread Thoroughly #23 Optimize for Digital Submission #24 Use AI as Appropriate #25 Check with Writers Frequently By integrating these techniques into your proposal writing process, you can create submissions that are clear, compelling, and strategically aligned with client needs. Implementing these best practices will help you to produce winning proposals that stand out in a crowded field. Remember, each proposal is an opportunity to showcase your expertise and value, unlocking success in the competitive world of government contracting.