Birgit Kuester December 27, 2021 Proposal
Some proposal writers know their field forward, backward, and sideways but are unable to express themselves well in print. If that is your situation, ask for help in writing your proposal. It is always better to collaborate with a competent writer than to risk losing the assignment.
Obstructions and distractions. It`s not unusual for differing opinions and disagreements-sometimes even confrontations-to surface during proposal presentations. Known or unknown to you may be someone in your audience who previously presented or sponsored a similar proposal that was rejected. There may be congenital naysayers who distrust innovation or change of any kind. There may be one or two persons who adopt a show-me! attitude and refuse to believe that an idea worth listening to could ever come from (pick one) an insider, outsider, field representative, corporate staff person, woman, man, engineer, marketing specialist, or...fill in the blank.
Be aware that there may be a hidden audience whom you never see or even know about who reads your proposal after you have made your presentation; the CFO or comptroller who ultimately approves all invoices might be an example. Will that person(s) understand every point it contains without hearing you explain, "What that really means is this..."? Also remember that portions of the text may be read aloud. If a member of your audience asks, "What is our duty here where it says...," he or she should be able to read the passage smoothly without stumbling over a series of stilted phrases or hard-to-pronounce words or sounds.
As you lay out your plan, try to keep in mind a couple of questions that your audience may not ask but will certainly be thinking: "What can we expect as a minimum outcome of your work?" and "What steps will you follow, and how will we know you (and we) are on target?"
In the first case, try to vary your presentation style somewhat from the initial meeting. Some of the previous group may be present, and if you run through your proposal the same way you did the first time, you may sound canned and flat. A fresh approach is much more likely to hold the interest of everyone in the room.
Keeping the group together is sometimes difficult but always necessary. Just one person who insists upon leafing through the pages and making off-the-point comments and observations can quickly disrupt the flow of your presentation. You might ask him or her to make notes of items for clarification so that you can address each one at the conclusion of your presentation.
Most Popular
Archive
Recent Post
Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyContactCopyrightAbout
© 2022 Ucamn. All rights reserved | All materials © their respective copyright holders.