Write for Business - Blog

When you revise and edit a sales proposal, you can't check everything at once. Instead, look at your work one trait at a time.

• Start with your ideas. Make sure - first and foremost - that your proposal is accurate, with triple-checked figures and details. Check that you provided the information your reader most needs.
• Next, check your organization. Does the information follow a logical order and use an approved format for a proposal?
• Make sure your voice is confident and sincere, demonstrating a concern for the reader's needs and a desire to provide the best service or product.
• Then focus on each word, making sure it is as clear as possible. If necessary, define any technical terms that might raise questions in the reader's mind.
• Check your sentences for smoothness and flow, adding transitions where needed.
• Next, check your copy for errors, paying particular attention to punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar.
• Last of all, review your design to make sure you have followed specifications for solicited or unsolicited proposals. Make sure that any graphics are neat, attractive, and properly placed.

Sales proposals generally follow a specific format, but that's no reason your proposal can't stand out as a model of clarity, attractiveness, and readability. The more professional your proposal looks, the more likely it is to be accepted.

You can learn more about sales proposals beginning on page 67 in Business and Sales Correspondence, one of the many helpful business-writing resources from UpWrite Press.

- Joyce Lee

Podcast

Last time we talked about how to handle prewriting of proposals. Once you have your ideas set out, it's time to write your draft, arranging those ideas to make sense and have impact. Here are some tips for drafting the three parts: the opening, the middle, and the closing.

Design the opening to catch your reader's attention and explain the purpose of your proposal. Identify the importance of your product or service and, if possible, include a brief service timeline and cost.

In the middle, present your points in a clear, organized manner. For persuasive writing, it's a good idea to begin with your second-strongest argument and end with your strongest. Supply support materials, including a description of your proposed product or service, and give details as to application, delivery, or service. This is the time to show why your product or service is more desirable than other, similar ones.

Finally, use the closing to emphasize why your reader should use your product or service. Present any additional information that will clinch your argument. Your closing is the last thing your reader will see, and usually the last thing remembered, so make it strong, clear, and to the point.

When you're finished drafting, read through to make sure you've answered any questions your reader might have. You should have included a description of your product, a proposed budget, a schedule for implementation, and your qualifications for the job. Once you're satisfied with the content, go through it again and make any structural revisions. Finally, always proofread for grammar and spelling errors.

You can learn more about writing proposals beginning on page 67 in Business and Sales Correspondence, just one of the many helpful business-writing materials from UpWrite Press.

- Joyce Lee

Podcast

This week, we're beginning a series of articles on using the writing process to create winning proposals. Today, let's look at how you can use prewriting to get your thoughts ready for the page.

First, decide on your purpose for writing. What is your objective? What do you expect your reader to do after reading your proposal? What action is required? Find the right verb to describe this action: Do you want your reader to hire you or your company? Fund your project? Change a current goal?

Second, think about your audience - who will read your proposal? Your target reader will determine the tone you take (formal or conversational) and the words you use. For example, if your audience doesn't understand your trade jargon, you'll have to define certain terms along the way.

Third, gather support for your proposal. Explain why your ideas or service will make your reader's job, career, or life better. It's important to list the potential benefits of your proposal.

Fourth, prepare a defense against any objections your reader might have. Do your best to predict opposing viewpoints, and then counter them.

Once you have considered all of these factors, you are ready to begin writing. Next time, we'll discuss how to organize your ideas into an effective proposal.

You can learn more about writing proposals beginning on page 67 in Business and Sales Correspondence, just one of the many helpful business-writing materials from UpWrite Press.

- Joyce Lee

Podcast

Modifiers add color and interest to your writing, and well-chosen ones can create a precise picture. But if a modifier is placed improperly, it can create more confusion than color. Even if the reader manages to decipher the intent, that effort could have been saved had the writer been more careful. Here is some advice for avoiding misplaced or dangling modifiers in your writing.

The misplaced modifier is a descriptive word or phrase that is placed too far from the word it modifies. For example, consider this sentence:

The lost client's file was finally located.

In this case, it sounds as if the client were lost. To correct the error, simply move the modifier, "lost," closer to the word it modifies, "file."

The client's lost file was finally located.

A dangling modifier is a phrase that appears to modify the wrong word. Here is an example:

Facing the end of the day, the in-box on John's desk looked insurmountable.

Oops! It sounds like the in-box is facing the end of the day. To correct the error, rearrange the sentence so the correct word, "John," is modified by the phrase. Then reword the rest of the sentence as necessary.

Facing the end of the day, John stared at the insurmountable in-box on his desk.

The problems just discussed can be caught and solved with a careful proofreading. Reading your writing aloud is especially helpful, since your ear can find errors that your eye has missed.

You can learn more about modifiers beginning on page 265 in Write for Business: A Compact Guide to Writing and Communicating in the Workplace, just one of the many helpful business writing materials from UpWrite Press.

- Joyce Lee

Podcast

Unparallel construction is a very common stylistic error that is relatively easy to correct. To create parallelism in a sentence, use similar grammatical structures - words, phrases, clauses - to express thoughts that have a similar function. Parallel structure helps your reader to make sense of things. Here are a couple of instances where you should watch for parallel construction.

Use parallel construction for similar items within a sentence. For example, in the sentence Ankur's job includes filing, to fax, and expense accounts, the three job duties are expressed in three different ways. It's an awkward read. You can check for parallel construction by considering each list item separately. Taking our example sentence apart, we have this first thought: Ankur's job includes filing. That works. Next we have Ankur's job includes to fax. That does not work, nor is it grammatically correct. Finally, we have Ankur's job includes expense accounts. Again, the item is structurally different from the first, making the whole sentence difficult to understand. But notice how clear the three ideas become when they are presented in a parallel way: Ankur's job includes filing, faxing, and tracking expenses.

Use the same style for items in headings and lists. Agendas and documents containing section headings and bulleted lists ought to be constructed in a parallel way. Take time to ensure that each item is written in a consistent, grammatical form. For example, a list of goals may present each item beginning with an adjective - lower prices; fewer accidents; happier workers - or beginning with a verb - reduce prices; decrease accidents; improve morale. It doesn't matter which form you use, as long as you use it consistently for all the headings or throughout a list.

Helpful Hint: Read your sentences out loud to check for parallel construction. Often your ear will tell you more than your eye will.

You can learn more about parallel construction on page 264 in Write for Business: A Compact Guide to Writing and Communicating in the Workplace, just one of the many helpful business writing resources from UpWrite Press.

- Joyce Lee

Podcast