Successful Proposal Section Checklist
By Dan Safford

A couple of years ago, a client of mine asked for a checklist for a good proposal section. Because a lot of people have asked me for one since, I figured I might as well publish it. So, here it is.

Note: This is a pretty generic list. It cannot address whether the content of the section is accurate. That's up to the proposal manager, the section writer and the reviewer. But it is a good start. I will publish an article on how to kick-start proposal writing sections in upcoming newsletters.

Responsiveness to the solicitation documents and/or specified customer requirements. Does the proposal answer the mail?

• Does the section meet all the requirements called out in the RFP (SOW, spec, etc.)?
• Does it meet the evaluation criteria called out in the RFP?
• Does it follow the organization required by the RFP?

Persuasiveness of the proposal. Does the proposal make a clear case for selecting us over any other competitor?

• Does the proposal section demonstrate that we understand the customer's problem?
  
• Does the proposal section present a solution that clearly resolves that problem?
  
• Does the proposal section demonstrate that we are technically competent?
  
• Does the proposal section reinforce a clear theme or main message?
  
• Does the proposal section cite clear benefits of the approach to the customer? Are these benefits clearly called out?
  
• Does the proposal section draw a clear distinction between us and the competitors?
  
• Does the proposal section make it clear why no other competitor should be selected?

Readability of the proposal. Is the proposal easy to read and can the client find the information important to making a decision?

• Is the proposal easy to read by a non-specialist (limited use of jargon and jargon well defined)?
  
• Are the sentences short (15 words avg.)?
  
• Are the paragraphs short? (No more than four sentences?)
  
• Is active voice used more than passive voice (We will do this work, vs. This work will be done)?
  
• Have we used small words (use) rather than large words (utilize)?
  
• Is there ample white space?
  
• Is there a variety of graphical elements (bullets, tables, photos, drawings, call-out boxes, etc.)? Are they used in a pleasing way?
  
• Is it organized well for easy scoring?
  
• Is it "skimmable", that is, easy for someone who is just skimming through it to pick out what's important?

That should do it. Feel free to edit this and customize it to your business. Having a checklist is a great way to make sure you cover all your bases and improve your proposal hit rate.

If you'd like more tips, strategies and examples for how you can write better proposal, I welcome you to order and download my new book: How to Write Winning Proposals: An Expert Guide to Planning, Writing and Managing Proposals that Win!

For help with your proposal needs, calls at 888.404.9373, or click here to email me.