5 Tricks to make Proposal Writing easier
You’re ready to take on a new project, and the client asks you to submit a proposal. The deadline is ticking down and you find yourself overwhelmed staring at a blank document. Even though you know exactly what you’re proposing, creating the content is a struggle.
If you find yourself in this situation, the first step is to give yourself a break because even experienced writers find themselves in this situation from time to time (that’s why “writer’s block” is an expression). Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to make the writing process less painful. Read on to learn how!
Create Master Notes Document
An easy way to overcome the blank document anxiety is to create a document filled with content that you can use for reference. Even if you’ve never submitted a proposal before, you have content that you can pull from as inspiration and a starting point for your proposal. Of course, if you’ve submitted proposals before, then those can help you to get started with the most recent proposal (just make sure you don’t reuse any content specific to a certain client or include the wrong client’s name!).
To create this document, start by seeking out any and all content related to the proposal. Example sources of content may include past proposals, proposal content library, sales presentations, case studies, white papers, your website, blog posts, webinars that you’ve hosted, email content, internal process documents--really anything related to what you’re proposing.
When you find applicable content, paste it into the Notes document. Ideally group related content together, such as company information, solution content, staff information, etc., but if you’re struggling to even create that outline, just paste it without any order. As you go through the related documents, you’ll slowly create a pretty lengthy document that you can use for inspiration.
Tip: Also copy over any graphics or images that might be valuable for your proposal!
Make an Awful First Draft
Once you have inspiration content on-hand, it’s time to create your first draft! This does require going back to a blank document, unfortunately, but an easy first step is to create an outline before you start writing content. If the client didn’t provide a specific format or RFP, you can follow this format.
With the outline created, you can begin filling in content. Keep your notes document open and paste applicable text within the appropriate sections. You can insert all of the notes or pick and choose the content that you want to include. Once you have your notes inserted, start revising the content to speak directly to this client and what you’re proposing. Revising content is always much easier than writing from scratch.
Tip: Create a list of proposal themes that you want to highlight within your proposal. This will help you to revise and tailor the content for this specific proposal.
Create Graphics
If visual elements are easier for you to create than content, focus on creating graphics or finding images to include in your proposal in addition to text. It is best practice to include graphics to make proposals easier to read, and if creating content is not your strength, then this is the perfect way to improve your proposal.
Tip: Include a variety of graphics, images, callouts, and other elements to break up text and make the proposal easier to read.
Block Out All Distractions
This one may seem obvious, but if you’re struggling to write your proposal, the best way to speed up the process is to eliminate any distractions. This means, at a minimum, silencing your phone, turning off email notifications (if possible), going to Do Not Disturb on any chat feature, and closing any windows or applications that you can use as a distraction. If you find your phone particularly distracting, place it out of eyesight or even in the other room so you don’t reach for it.
Noise distractions can be another big issue when creating content. Many writers have a go-to playlist they listen to for writing to eliminate distractions and also increase motivation. Check out this list of writing playlists or create your own background noise on Noisli.
Try out a few different options to see what works best for you. If in doubt, choose a playlist that doesn’t have lyrics, or you may find yourself typing out the song instead of your proposal!
Tip: Even if you’re at home alone, putting on headphones with music can help you focus on writing your proposal. Sometimes no noise at all makes it harder to create your content!
Use the Pomodoro Technique
For days where you just can’t sit still long enough to knock out a proposal, add breaks into the process by using the Pomodoro Technique. With this approach to time management, you set a timer and focus on completing as much as you can within the specified time. When the timer goes off, you take a short break before returning and repeating the process. Start with 25 minutes on and a five minute break. Odds are, once you get started, you’ll find it easier to continue working.
