GAHZLY

In 2007 I read a fascinating book by Nassim Taleb called The Black Swan. Taleb describes a black swan as a highly improbable event that is unpredictable and carries a massive impact. The 1987 stock market crash was a black swan. So was 9/11. And so were the extraordinary financial and economic events of 2008. So here we are in 2009 having to deal with economic circumstances that most of us would never have predicted a year ago. What can we do to give ourselves an edge in leaner times where several competitors are scrambling for fewer opportunities? In developing proposals, here are four factors to which you might want to pay extra attention. 1. Recognize the client’s issues More than ever we need to know what challenges the client is facing: * What is the reality of their present situation? * What is the state of their specific marketplace? * What steps are they taking to address issues in their marketplace? And how can we, in making a proposal, assist this client in dealing with ...

Proposal Writing – 11 Tips to Writing a Winning Proposal The benefits of winning an important contract can mean more than just additional income for your business. For starters, upon receiving notification that your business has been selected for the project, you can begin to market your achievement. Write an article about it. Publish articles at “IT publications” such as “federal computer week” and “federal computer news” and post on your company website. 1. Point out Requirements Point out requirement abilities, contact them for clarification, do not put your proposal on hold waiting for a response, don’t wait. Get started right away so that you have plenty of time to edit your proposal and deliver it on-time to the correct office. 2. What do they want? Determine what they want and write to that. Read the project requirements and be sure that your proposal is written to meet the requirements. 3. How will you be evaluated? Know how you wi...