Point-by-Point, Question/Answer, and Narrative Proposals. What’s the difference?
Everyone has a different approach to creating proposals. If you’ve heard the terms point-by-point, narrative, or question & answer but don’t know where to begin, then read on to learn more.
Point-by-Point
Point-by-point proposals are common when responding to RFPs. In this type of proposal, you respond to each requirement outlined within the RFP. For example, if the Scope of Work has fifteen bullet points of requirements, you would take those bullet points, paste them into your response, and describe how you meet the requirement directly beneath.
It is common to italicize or change the color of the requirement text to make it clear what content is your response and what is from the RFP.
Question & Answer
Question and answer proposals are also common for RFPs. Many times, RFPs will detail specific questions that you must address in your proposal. Similar to point-by-point proposals, you will copy the questions from the RFP and paste them into your response, often italicized or a different color. From there, you will respond below each question with your answer.
Tip: When following a question/answer format, if it is a yes or no question, always start your answer with “yes” or “no”.
Narrative
Narrative proposals are most common when there is no RFP or if the RFP doesn’t specifically outline requirements or questions. In this type of proposal, you create your own format and content flows according to the story you want to tell, rather than the RFP’s specific requirements. This type of format gives you the most flexibility, but it is not recommended if there was a format provided in the RFP.
Takeaway
While these are three common types of proposals, most organizations use a combination of each rather than sticking to just one format. There is no right or wrong way to format your proposal, as long as it still meets the requirements of any applicable RFP or other submission documents.