The drudgery of proposal writing

I don’t know about you, but writing business proposals to clients is painful work, albeit necessary. It takes enormous amounts of time. You don’t get paid to do it, but it’s an expected part of the new business development process. I know some consultants who charge fees to write business proposals for their prospective clients. They understand and are confident that the content in their proposals creates immediate value for their prospective clients. Someday, I hope to be that bold; but until then, I will try to simplify the proposal-writing process.

Getting into the proposal-writing groove

Writing business proposals requires a different kind of energy and focus. You must pull yourself out of the regular minute-by-minute distractions of the work day so that you can think and concentrate for longer periods of time. It’s a real discipline and sometimes it takes me a few days to “get into the groove.” Once I’m there, magic can happen. I actually enjoy the process.

Writing proposals together

In the past month, I have collaborated on two written business proposals to major clients by partnering with women in my referral network. There is no better way to get to know each other quickly and to see if you are compatible than to co-author something. You have to quickly mesh your different styles, different expertise, and sometimes differing agendas. Your proposal needs to synthesize so that you have one message, one voice to the client. It’s not an easy task, especially if you are working remotely. But it can be done and can offer surprising benefits to you and the client.

It’s like a three-legged race

Collaborating on a joint proposal reminds me of entering a three-legged race. Sounds like a great idea, until the whistle blows and you have to move together as one unit. You are likely to stumble and may fall down and embarrass yourself.  But if you keep your sense of humor and are willing to finish the race, things generally work out just fine.

Watch this 30-second video of high school students who figured out how to move quickly as one. What do you notice about what they do right?

Lessons that can be applied to your joint business proposals

1. One voice. The boys in this video are dressed alike. They look like they are on the same team. Your joint proposal should have the same kind of look, tone and feel. It should not be confusing with multiple brands, letterheads or separate acronyms. Your joint proposal should appear to “sing from the same hymnal.”

2. A well-coordinated effort. If you look closely, you’ll see that these boys not only have their inside ankles tied together, but they are holding each other at the shoulders. This allows them to move more smoothly, as one unit.

When writing your joint proposals, you too will need to be “tied to the hip.” This can be uncomfortable at first, especially if you are used to a certain amount of independence and have different ways of getting things done. You may find it helpful to assign different parts of the proposal to each other (e.g., you create the appendix and I’ll work on the cover letter, you work on the budget summary table, I’ll do a little more research in…). Create a timeline so that you both know when things are due in order to meet the client’s schedule expectations.

It is useful to use Google Drive or GoogleDocs or other software or applications that allow you to simultaneously work on documents at the same time and/or share your working drafts back and forth in a confidential “cloud” environment.

3. Teamwork. When your partner falls down, you stop and help him back up. Whether it’s at the beginning of the race, the middle or after the finish line. In joint proposal writing as in a three-legged race, no one gets left behind. Your victory (or your loss) is a shared one.

 Your Networking Goal for the Week

As you are networking with different people, keep your eyes and ears open for joint business opportunities. Perhaps you can combine your expertise to create greater value for a mutual client or prospect. If so, have an exploratory discussion about pitching that client with a joint business proposal.

First and foremost, make sure that your combined efforts will bring greater value to the client. Make sure that your values and integrity are also well aligned with your potential new partner, even if it is just on single project.

Before you jump right in, make sure you understand the nature and quality of the other person’s work. Be honest about what you can bring to the table.

Outline carefully what it will look like to work together on a joint project. Who will do what? How will you price your services? How will you share revenue? Who will assume what responsibilities? You may want or need to seek council from a business attorney to ensure your new working arrangement is sound. You don’t want any surprises for you, your new partner or the client.

Effective networking creates mutually-beneficial relationships and new opportunities for people. Perhaps there is someone in your professional network that you’d be willing to partner in a three-legged race for new business?