A good proposal doesn’t just outline what product or service you would like to create or deliver. It does so in such a way that the reader feels it is the only logical choice. Your participants will explore the proposal writing process including the most common types of proposals. The Proposal Writing workshop will take participants through each step of the proposal writing process, from understanding why they are writing a proposal; to gathering information; to writing and proofreading; through to creating the final, professional product.

Course Outline:

Module One: Getting Started
• Icebreaker
• Housekeeping Items
• The Parking Lot
• Workshop Objectives

Module Two: Understanding Proposals
• What is a Proposal?
• The Proposal Writing Process
• Types of Proposals
• About Requests for Proposals

Module Three: Beginning the Proposal Writing Process
• Identifying Your Purpose and Your Audience
• Performing a Needs Analysis
• Writing the Goal Statement

Module Four: Preparing an Outline
• A General Format
• Special Sections
• Creating a Framework
• Getting Down to Details

Module Five: Finding Facts
• Identifying Resources
• Using the Internet as a Resource
• Organizing Your Information

Module Six: Writing Skills (I)
• Spelling and Grammar
• Working with Words
• Constructing Sentences
• Persuasive Writing
• Mastering Voice

Module Seven: Writing Skills (II)
• Creating Paragraphs
• Creating Strong Transitions
• Building to Conclusions

Module Eight: Writing the Proposal
• Educating the Evaluator
• Ghosting the Competition
• Using Illustrations

Module Nine: Checking for Readability
• Checking for Clarity
• Reading for Your Audience
• Using the Readability Index

Module Ten: Proofreading and Editing
• Proofreading Like a Pro
• Editing Techniques
• Checking the Facts
• The Power of Peer Review

Module Eleven: Adding the Final Touches
• Our Top Typesetting Tips
• Achieving a Professional Look and Feel
• Creating the Final Package

Module Twelve: Wrapping Up
• Words from the Wise
• Review of Parking Lot
• Lessons Learned
• Completion of Action Plans and Evaluations