How a Content Library Will Save You Time & Money
There are three main approaches to creating proposals. The first one is to write from scratch every time, which can be time consuming, frustrating, and inefficient. The second approach is to copy and paste from past proposals. This is more efficient but leaves room for error and repeated mistakes. The last, and best option, is to use a content library to save time and avoid mistakes. Let’s take a look at how you can implement this in your business.
What is a proposal content library?
A proposal content library is where you store all of your most common content that can be repeatedly used for proposals. The content library should be the most up-to-date source of content and contain all of your key content pieces as well as your proposal template. Content can be saved in a shared folder with your team, in your proposal software, or even within your proposal template.
Why use a proposal content library?
Nearly every large company that creates a lot of (winning) proposals uses a content library of some sort. This is because it creates a streamlined process where all sellers or writers access the same information, which they then update for the customer’s specific goal and challenges. Having prewritten popular content also allows more time for customization while on a deadline, which results in proposals that better speak to the buyer.
What content should be included in the content library?
The content library should include your most common content. Whether you respond to RFPs or create less formal proposals, there are likely 5-10 key sections of content that you include in almost every proposal. Those are the pieces to include in your content library.
The most common content library sections include:
Company overview
Company history
Team overview
Team bios & resumes
Project approach
Technical overviews
Customer support process
Transition plan
Scope of Work
Executive Summary
Cover Letter
Template
The final list of content will vary for each company. Those will more solutions will have more content whereas smaller companies might have a pretty short list.
Creating Your Own Content Library
To create your own content library, search through past proposals to identify your most common proposal content. Use that as a starting point to then finalize the list of content to go in your library.
Once you have the list, create the content. Write it as if you are speaking to a specific customer. You can use placeholders, such as CLIENT or BUYER where you would typically insert the customer name. You want the content to feel personalized, not like generic marketing material.
After the content is confirmed final, save it in a location where it can be accessed by anyone who might create a proposal. If you have a template (which you should), save the template there as well. This will make it easy to create a new proposal without having to copy and paste from old ones.
If you find that you are still going back to look at previous proposals, then it’s a sign that your content library is missing key content. Add that content to your content list and draft it as needed. Make sure you check in every six months to ensure the information is still up to date.
With your new content library, you will find you spend less time writing content or searching for what you included in previous proposals.