12 Key Traits of Successful Proposal Writers
Over the past decade I have met countless proposal professionals. Most have a love/hate relationship with proposals – a love of putting together a winning proposal and a hatred of the constant deadlines, red tape, and stress that comes with working on projects with so much money on the line.
Many people stick with it though because once you get the hang of it, proposal writing can actually become fun.
If you’re waiting for that day to happen, or you’re hoping to hire a proposal writer who sticks around, below are a list of the most common traits I’ve encountered in successful proposal writers, and tips on how to develop these traits on your own.
They like writing (and often reading).
This one might seem obvious, but in order to be a successful proposal writer, you often need to actually like writing. When I’m in a group of proposal writers, it doesn’t take long for conversation to turn to favorite books, writing strategies, or even a heated debate about the Oxford comma (and yes, I’m pro-Oxford comma because I’m not a monster).
If you want to write proposals that persuades buyers, it’s important to understand what type of writing engages you as a reader and start to incorporate that into your proposals. I like to save interesting words and phrases, practice writing the same sentence five different ways, and also read all types of writing, from fiction to nonfiction. The more you interact with and analyze writing, the more your proposals will improve.
Suggested Reading:
5 Books to Help You Write Proposals
They tend to be perfectionists.
Perfectionism has its pros and cons, but when we’re talking about responding to RFPs, having that extra neuroticism can be the difference between a compliant, winning proposal and one that’s tossed without being opened.
Most proposal experts read the fine print (even when not required). They also notice when an image isn’t aligned, there’s a random typo, or if the cover page has a slight smudge. This tendency to be Type A runs rampant across proposal teams. Everyone reads the rules of the RFP, makes every effort to comply, and scoffs when a competitor forgets something as simple as using blue ink instead of black. Feel free to let your inner perfectionist run wild when working on proposals.
Don’t worry, we also know how to have fun (see the Oxford comma debate above).
Suggested reading:
My Biggest Proposal Horror Story (and how to avoid the same mistake)
They are good project managers.
Out of all the forms of professional writing, proposal writing might require the strongest project management skills. When you’re working on an RFP, the customer establishes the deadline, the questions to answer, how they will score the proposal, and even sometimes the maximum page length. Proposal managers have to juggle all of these components, plus manage team members, outside companies (if partnering or subcontracting), develop the strategy, and ensure the proposal goes out the door without missing a key piece. It’s a lot to manage, and nearly impossible to do without good organization.
To improve your project management, take time at the beginning to map out everything required, develop a clear project schedule, and follow it without deviation. You’ll start to see trends where projects fall off track and can plan mitigation strategies at the very beginning of an RFP instead of scrambling near the end.
Note: Some companies split the proposal role into proposal writers, managers, and designers. Other companies expect one person to fill all of these roles. Both options have pros and cons, but anyone who’s been in this field long enough has likely had to do all of these at some point.
Suggested reading:
Why I Use Excel to Manage RFP Responses
They have a clear time management system that works.
When you have to manage all of the pieces of an RFP by the deadline, time management becomes essential. Most proposal writers know exactly how long it will take them to write a section, roughly how long the team will need to review it, and the amount of time needed for revisions. Including a time buffer of a day or two is essential just in case an unforeseen consequence arises.
Because of this close time planning, any proposal writer will closely manage their time to hit those deadlines. A common practice is to block off chunks of time to have “heads down” writing time. Other writers will batch their meetings into one or two days so they have entire days open to work on content. Whatever the approach, having good time management is critical to meet RFP deadlines while creating good content.
Suggested Reading:
Stuck with Writer's Block? How to Overcome It.
They know what’s possible by the deadline, and what isn’t.
Continuing in the time/project management theme, one of the most essential proposal writing skills is being able to look at an RFP and quickly determine if it is possible to create a well crafted, winning response on time. This skill allows proposal writers to manage their time and focus on only the best opportunities rather than bouncing between too many proposals and not crafting sound content for any of them.
Suggested reading:
Get everything you need to manage winning proposals with the RFP Management Bundle!
They are willing to push for what’s best for the proposal, even if it goes against popular opinion or will take more time.
The most successful proposal writers are willing to fight for the best proposal, even if it makes the project harder or challenges leadership. There have been many times where team members have pushed to include information in a proposal that either contradicts other information, doesn’t align with our strategy, or is just fluff material that won’t score more points. The best proposal writers recognize when this is happening and fight to revise or remove content to keep the proposal clear and to the point.
Suggested reading:
How you should NOT start your proposal
They know winning is in the revision.
Like any type of writing, proposal writing requires multiple drafts to create the best possible content. This means the first line you write, or even your boilerplate, will likely be tweaked by the final draft. The only way to create a good, winning proposal story is to review your entire proposal with a fresh set of eyes, add in transitions and explanations, and confirm your overall proposal reflects your win themes and strategy. It’s hard to get this right on the first draft, but the more you revise, the stronger it will become.
Suggested reading:
Two Writing Techniques that Persuade Buyers
They take breaks between deadlines to avoid burnout (and guard this time carefully).
With the constant, tight deadlines of RFPs, taking frequent breaks is essential to not burn out. The most successful proposal writers recognize this, and they schedule in time off or downtime between big projects to recover and refill their creative energy before diving into the next RFP. The most successful proposal teams also recognize this, and leadership encourages their team to leave early, take time off, or work on easy projects between big RFPs. (Managers, take note!)
Suggested reading:
Writing Advice from Fiction Authors to Improve Your Proposals
They like to win and seek to understand why they lost.
The goal with any proposal is to win a new project or contract, and the best proposal writers love to win. They like the strategy of the proposal process and how they can use their writing to make it happen. When they lose, these proposal writers schedule debriefs with the customer and their internal team to figure out how to do better next time. They strive to have a high win rate, take ownership of their piece of the sales process, and push everyone to create a better proposal.
Suggested reading:
Your Proposals Aren't Winning? This might be why.
They enjoy combining multiple voices into a final document.
Proposals are often collaborative, with team members across the company (and sometimes outside of it) writing different sections. The proposal writer has to take all of these different voices and create a final, cohesive document that reads like it’s coming from one person. Top proposal writers love this writing challenge, and they are able to adapt their voice for each company to ensure it best represents the organization.
Suggested reading:
21 Overused Words & Phrases to Avoid in Your Proposal
They ask for clarity and double and triple check everything.
Proposal writers know that clear writing is easier to understand, but they also know they can’t write a clear proposal if they don’t understand. Whether it’s clarifying a question with the customer or asking for more detail from an internal stakeholder, proposal writers aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t understand. Can you explain?” This skill allows them to create clearer content that connects the solution with the customer’s needs and ultimately compels them to purchase.
Suggested reading:
Questions to Ask During Your Proposal Kickoff Meeting
They know how to translate customer insights into persuasive content.
Arguably the most important trait of successful proposal writers is using customer insights to create persuasive proposals. Top proposal writers understand that buyers want to read a proposal that’s as focused on their specific needs as possible. They don’t have time to sort through any extra content when making a decision. Winning proposals tap into this, and use any customer knowledge to craft a proposal that speaks to their specific needs.
Suggested reading:
4 Questions to Ask to Determine Your Key Differentiators
Next Steps for Successful Proposals
If you’re in the proposal space and want to develop any of the traits above, make sure you check out our courses and corporate training!
For leaders looking to bring in top proposal writers to your team, explore our Hiring & Onboarding services where we help you identify the best talent and then onboard them to your team.