Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts - Paperback

by Tom Sant (Author)

Most people find proposal writing to be tedious and time-consuming--and their documents show it, but proposal writing is about more than checking off boxes on a list of requirements.

Writing a winning proposal is vital to getting a 'yes' on your next bid. That's why Tom Sant, a proposal consultant for Global 500 companies and the creator of widely used proposal automation systems, has spent his career providing hands-on guidance for crafting powerful proposals and RFPs.

In Persuasive Business Proposals, he shares the same insights with you--teaching you what a good proposal is not and explaining the value of a proposal as an important and effective sales tool for driving business. You'll learn how to:

• attract prospects' attention and speak to their needs;
• ask essential questions for qualifying opportunities;
• "power up" cover letters and executive summaries;
• overcome "value paranoia";
• incorporate proof into a proposal;
• and write winning renewal contracts.

With clear instructions as well as before-and-after samples, the third edition of Persuasive Business Proposals takes you step-by-step through a highly effective process for writing customized packages that capture new business.

Back Jacket

Writing effective proposals is a vital skill for winning business in today's economy. Now in a revised third edition packed with up-to-the-minute information and strategies, Persuasive Business Proposals provides you with powerful methods for crafting compelling messages and winning proposals that speak to your prospects' needs and establish your firm's strategic value. With clear instructions as well as before-and-after samples, this classic, bestselling guide shows you how to:

- Organize your content in the most persuasive way possible. - Develop and deliver individually tailored, client-focused messages every time. - Structure letters and formal proposals to present a winning value proposition that positions your firm as the ideal solution to clients' needs. - Follow up your proposal submission, analyze the client's decision, and incorporate lessons learned to take better advantage of future opportunities. Taking you step-by-step through a highly effective process for writing the kind of customized packages that capture new business, the third edition includes all-new ways to "power up" cover letters and executive summaries; advice for overcoming "value paranoia"; essential questions for qualifying opportunities; guidelines for incorporating proof into a proposal; tips for winning renewal contracts; and much more. You'll learn how to boost the clarity of your writing, edit your proposal for optimal impact, and avoid the traps that can undermine even the strongest proposals. And you'll learn effective strategies for dealing with automated procurement systems. Your business has a lot to offer and it's time to make sure your potential customers and clients know it! Packed with new information and invaluable strategies, this is the one guide you need to maximize the effectiveness of your proposals--and win more contracts. TOM SANT is a well-known sales and proposal consultant, whose clients range from small entrepreneurial operations to Global 500 companies, including General Electric, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, and Accenture. He is the creator of the world's most widely used proposal automation systems, ProposalMaster and RFPMaster. He lives in San Luis Obispo, California.

Author Biography

TOM SANT is a renowned proposal consultant, whose clients range from small entrepreneurial operations to Global 500 companies, including General Electric, Microsoft, Lucent, and Accenture. He is the creator of the world's most widely used proposal automation systems, ProposalMaster and RFPMaster.