05:21
Faizan
You've decided to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) from a private company. You've got the RFP paperwork in hand, or maybe you read the requirements on the company's website. Now you're wondering how to get started.
Writing a response to a private sector RFP is no different than writing any other proposal, except that you've been given a bit of help up front by having your potential client spell out their requirements and invite you to submit a proposal (perhaps with some rules to follow as well).
The most important aspect of proposal writing is to tailor your proposal for the people who will read it. You need to be able to put yourself in their position, understand what is important to them, and convince them that you have the solution to their needs. So study the RFP carefully, and if you need to do further research to understand the organization that put out the RFP, do it before you start writing. You want to create a proposal that will impress those particular readers and help them make a decision in your favor.
Next, consider the organizations that are likely to compete with you. Check out their websites and their promotional literature, so you can make sure to pitch your proposal to sound better than theirs.
Then gather all the data for your proposal. Of course you need to respond to the requirements specified in the RFP, but you also need to represent your organization in the very best light. Assemble a list of the similar projects you've worked on and clients you've worked for, as well as any awards, special achievements, or testimonials you want to highlight. Get a write-up of the history of your organization, and determine all the contact information and links you want to share with the proposal readers. Consider all the information you want to include. It's always best to offer as many hard facts and figures and details as possible. You might need website links, photos, illustrations, or blueprints; descriptions and prices for your products and/or services; and so forth. Creating a proposal will go a lot faster if you have all the information you need at hand when you sit down to write.
Then, when you have a plan and you've gathered all the information you want to include, sit down and begin. Start with a cover letter to introduce your proposal and your organization. Then include a title page at the front of your proposal--you might want to add on a table of contents and an executive summary of important points later, but odds are this is all you need for the first proposal section, the introduction.
Writing a response to a private sector RFP is no different than writing any other proposal, except that you've been given a bit of help up front by having your potential client spell out their requirements and invite you to submit a proposal (perhaps with some rules to follow as well).
The most important aspect of proposal writing is to tailor your proposal for the people who will read it. You need to be able to put yourself in their position, understand what is important to them, and convince them that you have the solution to their needs. So study the RFP carefully, and if you need to do further research to understand the organization that put out the RFP, do it before you start writing. You want to create a proposal that will impress those particular readers and help them make a decision in your favor.
Next, consider the organizations that are likely to compete with you. Check out their websites and their promotional literature, so you can make sure to pitch your proposal to sound better than theirs.
Then gather all the data for your proposal. Of course you need to respond to the requirements specified in the RFP, but you also need to represent your organization in the very best light. Assemble a list of the similar projects you've worked on and clients you've worked for, as well as any awards, special achievements, or testimonials you want to highlight. Get a write-up of the history of your organization, and determine all the contact information and links you want to share with the proposal readers. Consider all the information you want to include. It's always best to offer as many hard facts and figures and details as possible. You might need website links, photos, illustrations, or blueprints; descriptions and prices for your products and/or services; and so forth. Creating a proposal will go a lot faster if you have all the information you need at hand when you sit down to write.
Then, when you have a plan and you've gathered all the information you want to include, sit down and begin. Start with a cover letter to introduce your proposal and your organization. Then include a title page at the front of your proposal--you might want to add on a table of contents and an executive summary of important points later, but odds are this is all you need for the first proposal section, the introduction.
Posted in: business
