What strategies can I take to write a good project proposal document?
So far the way I write them is that I include 3 main sections:
My understanding is that this should be a document that describes in general how you plan to deal with the project. Should I go into as many details as possible so early?
Looking at this from the other side, as someone who has tended to be on the buying rather than the selling side, here's what I want from a proposal:
The proposal should be well structured, perhaps mirroring the 5 points in my answer, and relatively concise. Please don't pad it out with multiple testimonials or elaborate resumes of everyone in the company. Just tell me what I need to know. It should be spell-checked, and grammatically correct. And if you are emailing it to me, don't fill it with elaborate graphics that will clog my mailbox, or use unusual file formats. A simple MS Word document or a PDF file will do nicely!
Good luck with your proposals. And by the way, I have written this answer based on the assumption that you are selling your services to an external customer, but I suggest that the same principles would be equally valid for an internal customer, but with perhaps a different emphasis or weighting applied to the different parts of the document.
A lot depends on the audience.
Figure out who has the biggest say (and its not always the boss) and who WILL read the report.
Then tailor the proposal for them.
You should always cover all the bases anyway just for completeness sake, but figuring out who has the most input in the decision making process and focusing on them tends to work best.
If you are competing, then it is less about the project and your approach and more about why you and your company. Once the approach is described, the language needs to become about benefits to the buying organization and why it is your company that can deliver them. Proof points become important. Ghosting, where you in a professional way degrade your competitors, becomes important.
The proposal outline should mirror the buyers SOW or RFP. that way they can easily map your prop back to their requirements. Since labor is part of the deal, you can also include a summary on key personnel you plan on deploying.
Another important aspect is your past performance. You should list some similar projects you have completed with a brief description as well as contact information for the project customer. That way the person reviewing your proposal can check your "references". If you have previously created something easily accessible such as graphics or a website, it is good to include a link to allow them to see a portfolio of your work.
Here are a few key areas to include in a project charter:
