Tim Entwisle on Business Proposals: Why do proposals often fail to win contracts?


Posted December 26, 2019 by madrigalcomm

At a recent international media conference, we had the chance to talk to Tim Entwisle, Director of Madrigal Communications, one of Australia’s most successful tender and proposal writing agencies.
 
Tim has over 30 years of experience in business communications, infrastructure, and project management, and was kind enough to share his approach for effectively writing contract-winning business proposals.

“The focus should always be on understanding and delivering the needs of the client. Many writers fail to realise this and end up drafting a proposal that,although it may comply with the mandatory and non-mandatory criteria,doesn’t address the needs of the client. You must focus on understanding the solution that is needed by the client and accordingly tailor your response to that need”, he said.

Tim also added, “A lot of a client’s business success relies on being able to write convincing business proposals. They are instruments that communicate your capabilities to prospective clients. Therefore, writing business proposals should be given the attention that the potential work stream warrants—if the opportunity is large it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The proposal must be engaging, informative and market your services or offerings in the best possible light”.

He also mentioned some of the common mistakes writers make when writing business proposals.

“I’ve noticed writers that concern themselves with proposal length. An ideal proposal needs to be informative of the product or service. Usually, the clients don’t have the time to go through rambling responses and forage for relevant details. The length of the proposal is not the issue, the structure is much more important—comprehension must be made as easy as possible by signposting information clearly. What I mean is making sure that the document provides high level answers and can point the reader to more detail if they want to seek it out.

Outlining a plan to follow is a useful technique for writing business proposals. Creating a Table of Contents allows you to identify all the necessary information and present it in a logical sequence.

The goal is to create a proposal that’s convincing and reliable and, thereby, gain the prospect’s trust. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to back your claims with valid and clear evidence.”

He further adds, “While the actual written content of a business proposal is the primary concern, don’t make the mistake of overlooking the visual presentation. Clever formatting and graphics can make your proposal stand out”.

Entwisle parts with a final message: “Don’t over-promise. Allow your proposal to be an honest representation of your business’s potential and capabilities”.

Know more visit here: https://madrigal.com.au/tendersproposals/proposal-writing/
-- END ---
Share Facebook Twitter
Print Friendly and PDF DisclaimerReport Abuse
Contact Email [email protected]
Issued By Tim Entwisle
Phone (02) 9016 4589
Business Address 84 Queen Street,Croydon,NSW,2132
Country Australia
Categories Advertising
Tags bid and tender management , technical writer sydney , technical writing , tender writing services , tenders nsw , writing a media release , writing business proposals
Last Updated December 26, 2019