5 Ways to Make Your Proposal More Reviewer Friendly

1.    Write to "how" you will execute the RFP requirements vs. versus "what" you will do.  I can't say that enough. 

 
2.    Take the time to storyboard and do it right. You simply will NOT convey a succinct and compelling story for the source selection board if you don't do this.

3.    Know your reviewer and their Influencers. You are not writing to a source section board you are writing to specific individuals on that board and possibly their influencers.  Tip: Requirements + understanding of bias' = the highest win probability.

4.    What's your secret sauce?  Whatever you choose to call it e.g. differentiators, it's the stuff that makes you stand out in comparison to your competition.  Sprinkle it generously but appropriately throughout your proposal starting with #2 above - your storyboards.

5.    Make your proposal easy to read and evaluate.  
a.    Check your readability level (In Word's grammar check). Ideally you should be at an eighth grade level. Leave enough white space.
b.    Include visually stimulating and easy to understand graphics.
c.    Make sure your graphics have good action captions that are further explaining your capabilities instead of just indicating that, indeed, there is a graphic on this page.
d.    When possible include a compliance and cross-reference matrix, and/or the appropriate Section C, L, and M references.
e.    Avoid passive sentences. (This can also be checked in Word grammar check)

This is NOT hard, we just make it hard by failing to follow the above steps.

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