Our team has been writing, reviewing, editing and collaborating on a number of proposals ranging from IT, Security, Janitorial, Training and Consulting services. Here are five of the most common proposal writing errors we are seeing:
- Writer or proposal writing team does not read the entire RFP, since it looks similar to something they just read or wrote. This is how little details are missed.
- Writer or team does not provide solutions or responses to the RFP request; instead they speak of their own internal processes, solutions and marketing jargon.
- Cutting/Pasting/Spacing and Formatting Issues – the end result is sloppy and inconsistent work where nothing seems to make sense; this reflects poorly on your company.
- Resumes/Samples and attachments are poor quality copies of copies, different shades, sizes, fonts; again leading to a poor reflection of your company.
- The team does not follow instructions regarding packaging, page limits, recycling, labeling and signatures.
An RFP response may be the first and only opportunity you have to represent your firm, and to that end it should reflect your company’s commitment to quality and excellence. Take your time and do it right.
