Writing Business Bids and Proposals For Dummies

著者名：Cobb, Neil/Divine, Charlie

For Dummies（2016/05/31発売）

• 言語：ENG
• ISBN：9781119174325
• eISBN：9781119174332

Description

Acquire the necessary skills to win business through proposals, bids, tenders, and presentations—this hands-on guide is your partner for success

You have in your hands the collected knowledge and skills of the professional proposal writer. Proposal writing is a profession — a growing and increasingly important one and an essential part of a broader group of business development professionals who plan and execute strategies for businesses who want to obtain new customers. Proposal writers have a professional organization — the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) — and their best practices are the foundation for this book.

Proposal writing is a skill you can learn, practice, and master; you can even go through a professional certification process to prove your mastery. Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies is your no-nonsense guide to finding out what professional proposal writers know and for applying it to your own business.

If you're a small- to medium-size business owner, a first-time proposal writer in a medium-size company, or a sales representative, you know that a written proposal (printed or electronic) is still a common, personal, and effective way to win business. Written in plain English, Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies will help you to:

• Know the difference between reactive proposals (the RFP or request for proposal) and proactive proposals
• Focus on the customer by going beyond their requirements to address their true needs
• Know your competition through research and analysis
• Write persuasively to develop a winning business proposal
• Plan and use a repeatable proposal process
• Incorporate a lessons learned aspect to your proposal process
• Use tools and templates to accelerate your proposals
• Motivate and lead your proposal team to ensure they're on the same page
• Use graphics to enhance your proposals
• Learn ways to automate your proposal development process
• And a whole lot more

Additionally, you'll gain access to ten templates for building a proposal, find out ten common misconceptions about bids and proposals, and add a compiled list of online resources to your toolset. Grab a copy of Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies to start sharpening your proposal writing skillset.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1: Understanding Proposal Development 7

CHAPTER 1: Introducing Bids and Proposals 9

CHAPTER 2: Understanding Different Types of Proposals 25

Part 2: Focusing on Your Customer 53

CHAPTER 3: Building Customer Relationships 55

CHAPTER 4: Giving Your Customers What They Ask For (And More) 77

CHAPTER 5: Sizing Up Your Competition 103

Part 3: Planning Your Approach 123

CHAPTER 6: Developing Your Proposal Process 125

CHAPTER 7: Setting Yourself Apart From Your Competitors 155

CHAPTER 8: Keeping Your Proposal on Track 169

Part 4: Creating Your Proposal 193

CHAPTER 9: Developing Your Proposal 195

CHAPTER 10: Applying the Principles of Good Writing: Structuring Your Argument 221

CHAPTER 11: Making Your Proposals Look Good 251

CHAPTER 12: Getting Your Proposal Out the Door 275

Part 5: Taking Your Proposal to the Next Level 297

CHAPTER 13: Using Tools and Templates to Accelerate Your Proposals 299

CHAPTER 14: Leading Proposal Teams Effectively 323

CHAPTER 15: Making Each Proposal Better than the Last 345

Part 6: The Part of Tens 363

CHAPTER 16: Ten Templates for Building Your Proposal 365

CHAPTER 17: Ten Common Misconceptions about Bids and Proposals 371

Appendix: Online Resources 379

Index 383