Writing An Effective Proposal: Christopher A. Brya

Writing an Effective
Proposal
How To Write Proposals That Get Accepted
Christopher A. Brya
Solavista Consulting Group, Inc.

•Los Angeles •Scottsdale •New York
Writing Effective Proposals 2
Copyright  2000 Christopher A. Brya. All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Brya, Christopher 1969-
Writing an Effective Proposal: How to Write Proposals That Get
Accepted/ Christopher Brya.
p.cm.
ISBN 1-88888-888-1
1. Business consultants—Handbooks, manuals, etc.
2. Consultants—Marketing—Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Printed in the United States of America.
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NOTE: This free course on proposal writing is

excerpted from “How You Can Earn A Great Fortune
Through Consulting” which can be found at:
http://www.solavista.com/book1.htm
How This Course Was Written—And Why.
This is a course on how to write effective proposals.

Notice I said ‘course’ and not book. Books are passive
instruments. My goal in writing this is to make this an
active enterprise that gets you excited and motivated to
improve your business success. Most business books are
read, digested and put on the shelf. My aim in writing this
course was not to create another book that you’d read and
then store away next to “Who Moved My Cheese” and “The
One Minute Manager.” Both great books by the way, but
not what I am intending for you.
My intention is to provide you with the materials you

need to get more business through proper and strategic
proposal creation. When I started writing this course, it was
because I found no product on the market like it. A hands
on “how to” style course that allowed me to actively use it
like a business plan of sorts. I realized that I’ve been using
these same techniques for myself to make a fortune so why
not put it together in a course and show you how to do the
same. How I wish a course such as this had been presented
to me back in when I started my practice! What a priceless
gift that would have been.
I wrote this based on my own trials and tribulations as

well as those of close colleagues who went through similar
struggles and are reaping the successes today. I’ve used this
course in my own practice. So here it is. I hope you profit
from it.
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In preparation for writing this course, I read everything

that I could find on the subject of consulting, marketing,
advertising, relationship-building and consulting
psychology. I garnered the best information from each and
tested these theories in my own practice. So in a sense, this
course grew from practice and knowledge. It developed
from my own consulting “lab.”
If by the time you have finished this course and you are
not getting more proposals accepted, building stronger
more meaningful and profitable relationships with your
clients, then I shall consider this course a failure. If you are
like most people however and actively use the information
contained herein to win business and build relationships,
you will become as successful and financially secure as you
want to be.
Herbert Spencer said, “The great aim of education is not

knowledge, but action.” And this is an action course.
Christopher A. Brya
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Chapter One: What is a Proposal Anyway?

A proposal is simply an offer of ideas, concepts or

actions extended to one party from another. If you ask
someone to play golf with you this Saturday, that is a
proposal. If you offer to take your wife or husband out
to dinner after the opera, that is a proposal. If you
suggest to your prospective client that you can alleviate
their productivity problems through a six-month
engagement for $250,000, that, too, is a proposal.
For business proposals, it’s important to understand

that they are not inanimate objects that are tossed into
the business situation at some point in your deal.
Proposals, when they exist, are merely tangible
summations of the ideas being agreed upon.
In the business world, proposals are actually based on

collective agreement between you and your buyer
about what is to be accomplished, how it will happen,
when it will happen, where it will happen, who is
accountable for its occurring, and most importantly,
the degree to which you both know it has happened.
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DEFINITION: Written proposals are formalized

arrangements of ideas and actions for consideration
and acceptance by the prospective client.
In the business-to-business world, proposals should be

summations, not explorations. By that I mean a written
proposal should merely summarize the collective
agreement previously established and provide the
prospect the opportunity to review them in writing,
select options available, verify payment terms and
formally accept the relationship. Written proposals are
static. They do some things well, but cannot do a lot of
things.
Proposals can and should do the following:
• State the business outcomes of the project.

• Explain how progress will be measured.
• Establish joint accountabilities.
• State the intended start and stop dates.
• Provide the methods used.
• Explain options available to the prospect.
• Relate the value to the client.
• Detail the payment terms and arrangements
• Serve as a guide to the project.
• Establish boundaries to avoid “scope creep”.
• Protect you and your client.
• Offer reasonable assurances and guarantees.
Proposals cannot and should not do the following:
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• Intend to “sell” the interventions being

prescribed.
• Create a relationship with the client.
• Act as a marketing document or credential for
your firm.
• Validate the proposed intervention
• Make a sale to a buyer you’ve never met (This is
why RFP’s are bad business)
• Serve as a negotiating document
• Protect you at the expense of your client (and
vice versa)
• Position approaches as to be unmeasurable and
unenforceable.
Timing Is Everything
The worst thing you can do with a proposal is to create

and submit it too early in the project’s life cycle. A
typical project life cycle is as follows:
Obtain Lead
First Contact
Meetings/Discussions
Relationship Established (trust built)
Collective Agreement on Outcomes
Proposal Summarizes Agreements
Project Launch!
In your discussions with the buyer, you may arrive at

the following:
Establish objectives
Determine measures
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Lay out the timetable

Describe the methodology
Establish accountabilities
Etc, etc.
This is the “Collective Agreement” stage. Note that

you can only find these out through discussion, and
probably over several meetings (although not always
necessary). Second, they can only be gained with the
true buyer of your services. He or she is the one who is
responsible for the outcomes and whose budget is at
stake! Third, there is seldom the need to do an
extensive “need analysis” to obtain this information.
There will always be further information required—
that’s what part of your interventions are for—but for
the purposes of acquiring the information for a good
proposal, that information is usually in the possession of
the buyer. Your job is to know what to ask.
The purpose of this collective agreement stage, then, is

to enable you to create a proposal which summarizes
those key points already on the table and agreed upon
through your interactions with the buyer. At NO time
did the collective agreement stage attempt to reveal or
explain fees! All prospects are interested in fees, and
most firms are too eager to provide them. If you’ve been
successful in achieving collective agreement on project
outcomes and support features PRIOR to the proposal, the
fees will be a non-issue. That’s correct: If you present a
proposal which summarizes what is already agreed
upon, the fees you quote will receive far less scrutiny
since the focus has been shifted by you from ‘cost’ to ‘value’.
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You’ve Got Three Possible Outcomes, and Two of

Them Aren’t Good
Your prospect might view your project this way:
Clear Costs = Vague Benefits
A prospect should view your project this way:
Fixed Investment = Substantial &

Significant Benefits!
Your proposal only has three possible outcomes:
1. Rejection: No way, no how. The proposal is

not acceptable and the client is not inclined to
continue discussions or amend it in any way.
2. Alteration: The proposal has mixed benefits
and value to the prospect, but the prospect is
willing to discuss it or counter-propose or seek
other changes. Those changes almost always
will involve adding value for the same fee,
lowering fees for existing value, or both.
3. Acceptance: The prospect accepts the proposal,
often choosing from among options that you’ve
provided within the context of the proposal.
Because of this, it’s important not to throw the

proposal out there unless you’re reasonably assured of
outcome #3. There is no way to get from situations #1
and #2 to get to #3, so the need to carefully gain
collective agreement prior to submitting anything in
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writing is essential. Without doing so, you’re simply

rushing into outcomes #1 and #2.
Chapter Two: Five Steps to Ensure Success

Proposals are not accepted or rejected on the basis of a

document the buyer reads. They are almost always
accepted or rejected based on the prior discussions,
agreements, and relationships that were formed
leading up to the submission of the proposal. So before
we actually target the proper construction of a
proposal, we need to focus on the preparatory work
that will tend to guarantee a warm, loving reception of
your proposal!
The Five Steps to Master BEFORE Creating a

Proposal:
1. Determining whom the economic buyer is and

how to reach that person.
2. Developing a relationship with the economic
buyer.
3. Establishing outcome-based objectives.
4. Establishing measures of success.
5. Assessing value of the endeavor.
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Step One: Determining who the economic buyer is
Many people in an organization pose or are seen as

“buyers”. The trouble is, very few are. Almost anyone
in an organization can say ‘no’. Very few people, the
people who hold the power, can say ‘yes’. It is the ‘yes’
people that we want to find. They are the economic
buyers. Most professional services firms confuse titles
and positions with economic buyers. Submitting a
great proposal to a non-economic buyer or non-
decision maker is like putting gas in a car without an
engine.
There are many types of “buyers” that you might come

across. Here is the typical lot:
• Economic Buyer: This is the person you want to

deal with. It is his/her butt on the line and their
budget that is funding it. They can sign a check
that clears the bank. They need no other
approval and can work independently with you.
In large companies, there are many of these. In
smaller companies, it may be the CEO who
makes all decisions.
• Feasibility Buyer: This is usually a screener
whose job it is to find companies or people to
help with a project. They might be VP’s,
secretaries, or a committee. Committees are
almost always feasibility buyers. They almost
always have no budget and never decide; they
recommend. Don’t waste time with committees.
(Another reason why RFP’s are horrible
business.)
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• Implementation Buyer: Sometimes a meeting

planner or event coordinator, someone whose
job is to have everyone focused on a theme or
purpose. They are easy to find, but cannot buy.
They also recommend, but do so in order to save
budgets and get rewarded for doing so.
• Pretend Buyer: This is anyone from your
prospect’s organization that agrees to meet with
you. Many times, firms think it’s easier to “get
in the door with somebody” and do so with
anyone who opens it and then going about
finding the people with the money to spend.
Again, these people can say ‘no’ but not ‘yes’
and are usually low-level people in the
organization. Actually, economic buyers are not
impressed with firms that hang-around with
lower-level people.
So, economic buyers are your choice. They are the ones
with:
1. The budget.
2. The responsibility for the results.
3. The willingness to invest in #1 to get #2.
Again, they may be vice presidents, directors of

marketing, c-level executives or managers. Titles
matter little in large organizations.
Questions to ask to find out if you’re truly dealing with

the economic buyer:
• Whose budget will support this project?
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• Ultimately, who will make the final decision?

• So, if you and I reach agreement on how to
tackle this issue, we can shake hands and begin,
is that correct? (If the person blinks, hesitates,
stutters, mumbles or stares at you blankly, you
still need to search for the economic buyer!)
The moral of the story: You cannot afford to waste

precious time and energy on people who can’t say yes,
and many companies spend too much time investing
and nurturing these pointless relationships.
Step Two: Developing a relationship with the

economic buyer.
So you’ve reached the economic buyer. The proposal is

still a long way off. The immediate concern for you is
to develop a relationship with the buyer. The
relationship with the buyer should be peer-level and a
mutually trusting interaction in which you and the
buyer are comfortable being candid and sincerely
believe that the other will act in the other’s best
interest.
The buyer must believe you, your capabilities and your

sincere willingness to provide real value and outcomes
in their business. You have to believe that the buyer is
being honest with you and will provide you the
support—as partners in this together—throughout the
relationship.
Key skill to master:
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1. Listening: Actively listen to the prospect’s

problems and concerns. Most companies are too
prone to offer their prospect a barrage of their
strengths, features, background, history and
SAT scores in a panic that they will not be
seeing that person again soon. Of course, if you
act that way, you won’t be. Rather than talk,
you have to listen, but listen in such a way that
you are actively engaged in the conversation.
This means paraphrasing, summarizing and
repeating the core issues being told to you.
2. Provide insights, not solutions: After you’ve
listened, DO NOT attempt to solve the
prospect’s problems. Nothing is simple in
business and it’s presumptuous to assume that
you can suggest relevant solutions after 45
minutes that the client couldn’t come up with in
45 days of trying. However, it is appropriate to
begin offer insights. These might include:
similar situations you’ve seen or read about,
personal experiences in similar issues, books or
articles which are relevant to the problem, some
reactions to what the client is doing well.
What you want the prospect to say after you’ve

suggested an idea or approach: ‘you know, we haven’t
looked at it quite that way before.” You only get that
from listening and providing insight.
Step Three: How to Establish Outcome-Based

Objectives:
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The most important ingredient for any successful

intervention, and consequently, for any proposal
leading to such an intervention, is agreement on business-
based outcomes. There are two elements here: The
objectives must impact the business of the buyer (ROI,
market share, productivity, safety, repute, etc.), and
they must be outputs, not inputs. Your methodology is
simply your means to the end. Those ends are what
constitute the buyers needs, not the methods you use to
reach them.
Example of inputs vs. outputs:
Run sales training sessions vs. Improve sales closing

rates
Conduct focus groups on morale vs. Improve

communication laterally
Interview former customers vs. Reduce attrition rates
Audit recruitment process evaluation vs. Increase

retention of new hires
Implement mass-media ad campaign vs. Increase

market share
You get the idea. The early death for most proposals
comes because they are focused too much on
methodology, prompting the prospect to ask if there
are less expensive ways of doing it, and prompting
others to point out that “we’ve already done that.” By
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focusing on outcomes, the proposal prompts the buyer

to focus on key business (and emotional) needs that he
or she adamantly needs corrected or improved. The
methodology becomes far less important because the results
(output) take center stage.
Questions to ask to develop outcome based business

objectives:
• How would conditions improve as a result of

this project?
• Ideally, what would you like to achieve?
• What would be the difference in the
organization if we were successful?
• What is the impact you seek on ROI, ROE, ROS,
and ROA?
• What is the market
share/profitability/productivity improvement
expected?
Note that these questions are results-driven and not

activity-driven (e.g. “Would a focus group be
acceptable given your needs?) which circumvent your
efforts.
Step Four: How to establish measure of success?
“If you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist and isn’t

important” is probably a little too harsh. But I do
know that if you can’t measure progress toward
meeting the client’s objectives, then your proposal has
no foundation.
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Some of your clients will call this “metrics” or

“measurement devices” or other terms. What they call
it isn’t important. What you’re asking the client is
“how would you know it if you fell over it?”
Objectives are useless if you can’t tell whether or not
they are being achieved.
After gaining agreement with the buyer on the

outcomes desired, it’s time to ask how progress toward
them should be measured. There are only three
answers to that question:
1. The client says that there are existing

measurement devices that can be used.
2. The client asks that you suggest some
measurement devices.
3. The client says that no one has thought about
that.
The #2 and #3 answers are good for you because it

allows you to add value to your proposal by
suggesting methods and techniques that measure
results uniquely for the client.
The #1 response also provides opportunity because

you can review those existing metrics to determine that
they will effectively measure progress toward the
objectives that have been established.
Questions to ask to establish measures of success:
• How will you know we’ve accomplished this

objective?
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• How will the environment/culture/structure be

improved?
• How frequently do we need to assess progress,
and how?
• Who will be accountable for determining
progress, and how will they do so?
• What is acceptable improvement and what is
ideal improvement?
Some measures are strictly objective (profit

improvement, increase in sales, decrease in costs, etc.),
and some are subjective (improved brand image, better
collaboration, improved morale). The important thing
isn’t to nail down every objective to some definable metric,
but rather to agree on how it will be measured and who will
do the measuring.
Step Five: How to determine the value of the project
Most professional service firms adopt the motto:

“Under-promise and over-deliver” and then bill by the
hour for their services. This is complete malarkey.
Wouldn’t “delivering fantastic results for your client
and getting handsomely paid for it” result in a more
equitable relationship for you? If you bill by the hour
or the day, you’re ripping yourself and your clients off.
What you need to understand about billing for value is

that they are the fairest arrangement for your clients! If
they feel that any time the deal with you that there is a
“meter running” and need to get approval to discuss
options, expansion or details with you, they’re losing
out.
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Consequently, if you bill eighty hours of work at $100

per hour for a total of $8000 while providing your
client with $250,000 in value for the project, you’re
darn near slave labor.
In establishing fees, that are proper investments for the

buyer and fair profit for you, you must start at the other
end—the output end of the equation. You must establish
that value of the project in the perception of the buyer who
will write the check prior to determining what the proper
fee levels are.
Rejected proposals regarding fees are seldom the result

of proper or improper fit against the objectives to be
accomplished. They are usually the result of
misinterpretations of the buyer—the fee does not seem
to represent a logical investment in terms of the
ultimate value, because the value is seen in the input
side—methodologies and deliverables, rather than in
the business outcomes.
The good news is that you control this dynamic with

the buyer. The bad news is that you control this
dynamic with the buyer.
Project value is based on two major issues: First, what

is the value of the business outcomes (as expressed in
the objectives) to the buyer? Second, what is the
unique value that you bring to the partnership?
Questions to establish value with the buyer?
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• What would be the impact if you did nothing at

all?
• What if this project failed?
• How will this affect performance?
• What is this costing you annually?
• What would be the effect on
productivity/profitability/market share?
• How will this affect
image/morale/safety/repute?
• What is the impact on ROI, ROA, ROE, and
ROS?
Questions to ask yourself:
• Why me? Can any company do this or do I have

special skills?
• Why now? Is the timing urgent or sensitive?
• Why in this manner? Do I have key methods
that are important now?
• What is unique about our relationship? Does
the buyer have special trust in me?
• What is my differentiating ‘value-added’?
By combining the buyer’s assessment of project value

with your assessment of your personal value, you’re in
a position to formulate options and fee ranges in your
written proposal.
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Chapter Three: How to Structure a Proposal

Most proposals I’ve seen are too long because they

have so much extra BS. The primary cause is that those
documents are being used as sales tools—
explorations—rather than confirmation of collective
agreement—summations.
In my experience, almost any project that reaches this

point in the process described in the previous chapter
can be summarized in about 2 ½ pages. You might
need 2 or 4, but that’s about it. Proposals longer than
that fall into one of these landmines:
• Information Overload: The firm is attempting

to impress the client with data and gain
credibility through volume. Sometimes, this
verbiage is in place of tangible objectives that
have been developed.
• Verbal Overload: Less is ALWAYS more when

you’re trying to obtain a buyer’s quick approval.
Some companies are so impressed with their
own expertise, rather than with the buyer’s
needs, that they believe they must discourse on
everything they ever learned from as far back as
their freshman year in English 101.
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• Credibility Gap: When the relationship and

trust required for the project’s acceptance have
not been previously gained, companies often
wrongly believe that extended resumes,
biographies, testimonial letters, and other
honorifics will kill the day in the proposal. Keep
your ego in check. No buyer cares what you’ve
previously accomplished; the buyer only cares
about his or her immediate business needs.
Period.
• The Legal Eagle: The boilerplate language

about “being held harmless” and “interest will
be added if unpaid” and “the party of the first
gives the party of the second” mumbo-jumbo
usually means that there have been too many
lawyers involved. The definition of “too many”
being just one. If you couldn’t do business on a
handshake, you probably haven’t established a
relationship. Boilerplate language on your part
will take your proposal directly to their legal
department. And it will die a quick death.
• Preoccupation with Size: Many companies

seem to believe that “size does count”.
Therefore, they bulk up their proposals with
graphs, reference works, diagrams, articles,
project maps and anything else they can find to
stuff between the covers to get it to 20 pages! If
you are worried about the size of your staff or
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your firm (or actually the lack thereof) deal with

it on your time or with your psychologist. The
client requires quality not quantity, and excess
quantity will always undercut quality.
The Eight Components of a Great Proposal
Here is the outline for a proposal that avoids the

landmines above, focuses on prior collective
agreement, provides and orderly and logical flow and
allows for options that can dramatically increase your
fee ranges. We’ll discuss each of the areas in detail
below.
1. Situation Summary
2. Objectives
3. Measures of Success
4. Value
5. Methodologies and Options
6. Timing and Accountabilities
7. Terms and Conditions
8. Acceptance
SITUATION SUMMARY:
Proposals should start off with a brief description of the

current situation. This serves two purposes:
1. The situation summary lays the groundwork for

everything that follows, since it describes the
problem to be solved or the situation to be
improved.
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2. It is a restatement of the collective agreement

gained earlier, so the proposal can begin on an
acknowledged point of agreement. This is a huge
psychological advantage.
The situation summary is NOT a description of the

organization or a book report on its business practices
and activities. You and the client already know what
they do. It is rather, a concise synopsis of why you and
the client are considering the partnership being
proposed.
The situation appraisal should be the first thing that

the reader sees, should occupy the top fourth to top
half of the first page, and should result in the readers
figuratively or literally nodding their heads in
agreement as they move on to the objectives for the
project.
Case Study: Dell Computer Company has asked for a

proposal to create an organized and systematic
approach to recruitment, retention and development in
their marketing departments because the company is
concerned with overstaffing, turnover, misallocation of
talent, and a lack of alignment between some jobs and
corporate goals.
Situation Summary: Dell Case Study
The company’s recruiting and job placement efforts are

currently deemed by senior management to be
uncoordinated, overly expensive compared to other
firms, and not correlated with success or lack of success
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on the job. There is certainty that the system can be

streamlined and improved, both in terms of return on
investment and candidate attraction, retention and
ultimate performance. No such study or analysis has
been conducted in anyone’s memory.
When the organization is able to assign accountability

for identification of job needs, candidates, and proper
alignment, it will be able to avoid “reinventing the
wheel” each time it seeks to fill a position. In addition,
positions will no longer be automatically filled without
an analysis of job need, proper credentials, experience,
and reason for the incumbent’s departure being
performed first. This improvement in hiring and
placement has implications for cost control and
performance for every operation in the company.
*Note that the situation summary can be easily

accommodated in two paragraphs. Most business issues can
be, so long as you confine yourself to a brief description of
the major problem or improvement articulated by the buyer
in prior conversations.
OBJECTIVES:
As stated earlier, objectives should be business

outcomes. They are not interventions, not tasks, not
company intentions, and not anything that hasn’t
already been discussed and agreed upon during the
collective agreement phase. And, they should pass the
“so what?” test. If any proposed objective can be
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stalled and require re-explanation after being

challenged with “so what?” it simply isn’t strong
enough.
Objectives should be as general as the client and you

are comfortable allowing. The more specific they are,
the more often external variable that you cannot
control and impact the outcome. “Increasing sales over
the current year’s total” is a very general objective, but,
“increasing sales by 11% over this year’s total” is a very
specific one. The preferred way to state it would be
“maximize sales percentage increase over prior year.”
Objectives should also be limited in number. Why

limited? Because any project with 25 objectives will
not be successful. When everything is a priority, then
nothing is a priority. Most successful engagements
have between 3 to 6 objectives. Anything over six is an
extremely ambitious endeavor.
Finally, use bullet points to list the objectives. They’re

much easier to focus on than a narrative and enable the
client to have a short list to convey to others.
Objectives: Dell Case Study
-Increase long-term retention of all new hires.

-Reduce costs through elimination of unnecessary
vacated positions.
-Improve the return on our hiring investment using
objective measurements.
-Reduce recruiting costs company-wide.
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-Improve productivity by aligning candidate skills

with actual job demands.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS:
Once you’ve established the business outcomes, you

can now ask, “How will we know our progress, and
how will we know when we achieved the objectives?”
These are important because they will demonstrate
when the project is completed.
Measures of Success: Dell Case Study
-No new hires depart within the first 90 days stating

that “the job isn’t what was explained to me”
(Currently this happens 3-4 times per year in exit
interviews.)
-Recruiting and hiring costs decline in the following

measured areas: new hire turnover within the first
year; remedial training requests for new hires who
should have come on board fully qualified; and work
absences of all kinds for new hires during their first
year.
-Reduction in number of titled positions over the next

year due to attrition and analysis that justifies
eliminating the job.
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-Focus group and survey results of employees after one

year and two years of employment indicate happiness
with the position and validate that recruitment, hiring,
and orientation were consistent and supportive of their
needs.
Note that these measures can be significantly different,

depending on what’s important to the buyer, what
metrics may already exist, and any new metrics that
the two of you decide are appropriate.
All organizations have standard measures in place to

evaluate their daily efficiency: sales, profit, response
time, inventory, lost job time, equipment down time,
market share, etc. There are also the not so easily
quantifiable measures that every buyer can cite:
teamwork is better, conflict reduced, performance is
enhanced, etc.
DEFINITION: Measuring doesn’t have to be done

with rocket precision. It simply has to be done
sufficiently to inform the buyer and you that progress
is being made. As long as you know who is doing the
measuring and you agree that it’s a valid measure, you
have your metric.
VALUE:
At this point, I advise that you reaffirm the value to the

client organization that was established during the
collective agreement phase. Remember that both
clearly quantifiable criteria and subjective, qualitative
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criteria are acceptable, as long as you agree on who will

be the determinant.
Quantifiable Examples:
• A sales increase of at least 5% within current

cost parameters would provide a pre-tax, net
profit of about $750,000
• Reducing the time you spend playing “referee”
because your subordinates are not acting as a
team would represent a savings of about 20% of
you time to spend on strategic issues, which you
estimate at about $200,000.
Subjective Examples:
• An improvement in our desk clerks’ courtesy

and handling of common complaints would
generate far better word-of-mouth and
consequent repeat business that we have ever
enjoyed before.
• Reducing the stress level on the senior
management team by implementing a planning
process that doesn’t immediately put us “in the
hole” on January 1 would be simply invaluable.
Value: Dell Case Study
-An improvement of the organization’s image in the

marketplace would tremendously improve our ability
to attract, hire, and retain top-flight talent.
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-Reducing turnover of professional hires below current

levels during the first year of employment would cut
training, hiring, absence, litigation, severance, and
related costs by $45,000 per hire. (You estimate that
this figure could be reduced conservatively by a total of
200 hires company-wide, representing $9,000,000 in
potential savings on this aspect alone.)
-Achieving a coordinated approach to the marketplace

and avoiding our current duplication of effort would
save us approximately $250,000 a year at current rates.
-Focusing management time and effort on business

objectives and strategic goals, avoiding the “failure
work” now demanded by replacing people too often or
performing the work required of unfilled positions.
-Elimination of jobs before they are “mindlessly” filled

as soon as they are vacated, through an analysis of job
need. You foresee the elimination of about 5% of
vacated jobs over the next two years if this were done
systematically, representing a savings through this
attrition of approximately $1,700,000, representing
salaries, fringe benefits, and recruiting costs saved.
Notice that we are reiterating to the collective

agreement we achieved through our discussions with
the client. The proposal up to this point, is simply
summarizing our collective agreement. Nowhere does
the formal step of “acceptance” or “fees” appear. This
is how it should be. These are simply the assumptive
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steps following the key points of objectives, measures

and value.
METHODOLOGIES AND OPTIONS:
This is the place where we pull our Dale Carnegie

theory out and provide the client with the ability to say
“yes” to us in multiple ways.
We will explain to the client the various methodologies

employed, and the range of value options to the buyer.
Note: This is a key psychological in your client’s mind

having him or her say “how should I do business with
you” rather than “should I do business with you?”
You can significantly influence that dynamic in the
proposal by providing your client with value options.
Methodologies:
These are the techniques employed to gain progress

toward the objectives. They may be highly informal
and generic, such as interviews, focus groups,
observations of company operations, and so forth.
They may be formal, specific and proprietary,
including a distinct strategic model, an off-site team-
building program and psychometric test, etc.
Options:
These are different routes available to the client to meet

the same objectives. If your objective is to travel from
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LA to San Francisco, the options are car, plane or a bus

ride. Each will achieve the objective: getting you to SF.
But each carry pros/cons and differing levels of
investment.
Note that options are not phases. They are not

sequences of events. Each option stands alone. Any
option, minimally, can meet the client’s objective (like
arriving in SF). The critical difference among options is
that the buyer can determine how much benefit he or
she chooses to seek in return for various investments.
The buyer is making an ROI decision in the midst of
the proposal.
Since we want options to be assessed on value first,

they are presented without fees in this section.
Psychologically, when presented with three or more
options, buyers seldom choose the least valuable
(which is also the least expensive) even though it
would minimally meet their objectives. This is
because:
1. No one is comfortable choosing the least value

among options.
2. Value, if presented well, will overcome
objections.
3. Ego is involved.
Here are some options for our Dell example:
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Methodologies and Options: Dell Case Study:
Option One:
-We will review and analyze the recruiting process

now in place, retain the key effective commonalities,
and introduce techniques that include behavioral
interviewing, computer-assisted candidate elicitation,
outsourced reference checks, and a “pre-employment
offer orientation” to ensure high-quality, well-
informed candidates. We will recommend the job
positions which should require interviewers, and
educate those people in the system and techniques
being implemented. We will work with HR to
centralize the quantitative aspects (i.e. reference checks,
medical histories), while ensuring the qualitative
aspects (i.e. skill fit, behavioral compatibility with the
culture) remain in the local hiring unit. Finally, we will
implement a system that enables every department
manager who has a vacancy to analyze the existing job
requirements, the future job requirements, and to
assess whether that job should be filled as it exists,
merged with other jobs, or eliminated.
Option Two:
In addition to option one interventions, we will

educate the HR department and/or internal consulting
teams in the skills necessary to support internal clients
in the process of job analysis, candidate attraction and
interviewing, and new-hire assimilation. These
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internal resources may be utilized on an “as needed”

basis (reactively) or as an ongoing initiative
(proactively) to continually improve the system. This
will aid in the goal of making this overall improvement
an ongoing process rather that a one time event. In this
way, you may choose to conduct job analyses of
existing positions even though they are not vacant, and
determine how to reassign personnel from those
positions deemed no longer necessary in their current
form. This would result in additional savings in terms
of both eliminated, obsolete jobs and the ability to
reassign existing talent to new positions rather than
higher new people.
Option Three:
In addition to either option one or two, we will conduct

a semiannual audit every two years. On those four
occasions we will examine, longitudinally, the
effectiveness of job elimination, new hire retention, and
hew hire effectiveness. We will also recommend ways
to continue to improve your internal job analyses from
our ongoing client experiences. Our report to you will
include measures that you consider to more accurately
gauge your own success in key areas.
TIMING AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Timing and accountabilities simply indicate when you

expect to start, when you expect to be finished and
spells out the nature of the partnership. Be sure to
always include calendar dates so that there is no
ambiguity.
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Timing and Accountabilities: Dell Case Study
Timing:
Barring unforeseen scheduling problems, we are

prepared to begin this project on November 1. We
anticipate that it will be completed no later than July 1
and, depending on our ability to rapidly schedule key
meetings and activities, as early as June 1. In the event
either of us encounters unanticipated problems, we
will work together to resolve them as quickly as
possible, and we commit to inform you of any such
problems as soon as they occur.
Accountabilities:
We agree to conduct all interviews, observations, and

other duties, and we will constitute the sole “filter” and
professional contact for your people. If classroom
education is desired among the options, we will
provide the instructors and materials, subject to your
prior review. We will keep you apprised of ongoing
progress on a weekly basis, and of crises or unexpected
events on an immediate basis. We will maintain full
errors and omissions (malpractice) coverage, and will
sign non-disclosure agreements as you may require.
We will agree not to work with direct competitors for
one year without your prior approval.
You agree to provide access to all key personnel and

information required to conduct and complete this
project. You will return our calls, inquiries, and
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requests for approvals within 24 hours. You will

provide all on-site and off-site logistical support,
including classrooms if needed, meeting rooms,
scheduling resources, and related help. You agree to
pay the fees stipulated within the time frames
described, and to reimburse expenses upon their
submission. You will inform us immediately of any
internal changes which may affect successful
completion of this project.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
This details the fees and how they are to be paid. This
is probably the first time your client has seen the actual
fees relevant to each option. It’s important they appear
here after the original collective agreement has been
reiterated through earlier parts of the proposal and
after options have been explained and reviewed for
their relative merits.
Terms and conditions usually include:
• Fees for each option.

• Payment terms and timing
• Expenses included and excluded and how they
are reimbursed.
• Any guarantees you wish to make
• Any demands you wish to make (e.g. non-
cancellation)
• Any discount options
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Terms and Conditions: Dell Case Study
For this project:
Option 1: $74,000
Option 2: $93,000
Option 3, added to either 1 or 2: $37,000
We require a 50% deposit on signing, with the balance

due in 60 days. Alternatively, you may allow yourself
a 10% professional discount if you elect to pay the
entire fee at the time of signing.
Expenses will be billed monthly as actually accrued,

and reimbursement is due upon presentation of our
invoice. Reasonable travel expenses will include hotel,
coach class airfare, rental car, taxis, tips, and meals. All
other expenses, such as fax, courier, phone,
duplication, administrative work, etc., are included in
our fees.
Our work is guaranteed. If we do not meet the

mutually agreed upon objectives within the time
frames specified, we will continue to work on the
project at no additional fee until they are met. If we are
unable to meet them within a reasonable time after that
determination, we will refund your full fee. In return,
this project is non-cancelable for any reason. Payments
are due as specified. However, you may elect to re-
schedule this project at any time without penalty,
subject to mutually agreeable future dates.
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ACCEPTANCE:
It’s good to get a signature while you can, so include

that provision at the end of your proposal document.
Acceptance: Dell Case Study
This proposal is accepted and forms an agreement

between Dell Computer Company, Inc (you) and
Solavista Consulting Group, Inc (we/us/I) as
represented by Christopher Brya.
For Solavista Consulting Group, Inc.

Christopher Brya, President
Date: October 1, 2000
For Dell Computer Company, Inc.

Name/Title
Date:
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Chapter Four: Presenting the Proposal

Here are the 10 Golden Rules of Presenting a Proposal:
1. Get it there fast.

2. Make sure it is error free.
3. Ensure a faithful rendition of the collective
agreement.
4. Keep it relatively brief.
5. Provide multiple copies.
6. Sign it in the acceptance segment.
7. Place it in a presentation folder or other
appropriate package.
8. Enclose something of value.
9. Use hard copy, not e-mail or fax.
10. Provide a brief cover letter.
Get it there fast.
Don’t beat around the bush. Since your proposal is a

summation of collective agreement, get it to your buyer
as soon as possible. That means a FedEx package
preferably next-business day, but certainly within 48
hours. The longer you wait, the more things (you
cannot control) can go wrong. Strike while the iron is
hot.
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It’s very powerful to say, “Ill have the proposal on

your desk tomorrow morning”. Very often, speed
determines acceptance. You may not like that fact, but
that’s just the way it is. And in this day and age, where
we can get anything practically at a moment’s notice,
there is no excuse for you “taking your time”.
Don’t forget that your client is seeing your options and

fees for the first time. This is another reason why it’s so
important to get this to your client while they still
understand the value and while collective agreement is
still fresh in their minds.
Make sure it is error free.
This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s not. The best
way to ensure that your proposal is error free is to have
2 other people read it. Some of the usual suspects that
plague proposals are:
• Spelling errors. Don’t be fooled with spell

checkers. They rarely work well and cannot
differentiate between the correct forms of write
and right (which may be spelled correctly, but
are incorrect uses.) Their, there and there are
commonly misused. Be sure to get the spelling
correct.
• Grammar and punctuation errors. I seen buyers

reject proposals because the firm did not spell
their business name correctly. Make sure you
know how and when to use quotes, periods,
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semicolons etc. There are no exceptions. Maybe

your prospect isn’t this fussy? Do you want to
take that chance when you can absolutely avoid
it?
• Buyer’s name, rank and serial number.

ALWAYS get the prospect’s business card at
some point during your meetings with them. If
you can’t get their name, title and company
right, can they expect you to get the project
right?
• Technical jargon. Each company has its own
language, acronyms, and in-house jargon. Just
because you hear them use it doesn’t mean you
know what they mean by it. “Docs” and “docs”
might mean “doctors” or “documents” if you
are working with a health care client for
example.
• Sloppy formatting. Ensure that your “look” and

“feel” of the proposal is consistent throughout.
Make sure you use fonts that are easy to read
and logical.
Words to the wise: You never know what turns off a

buyer. You do know that errors and sloppiness are
likely suspects, so why run the risk? After months of
building a relationship, do you want to ruin it in one
day?
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Ensure a faithful rendition of the collective

agreement.
Interweave into your situation summary, objectives,

measures and value statements with expressions such
as:
• As you recall…
• Your point about…
• Per your suggestion…
• As we discussed…
• In our meeting on the 12th…
• We had agreed that…
• You specified that…
You get the idea. You want to constantly remind the

buyer that all of this has been agreed upon. The
method behind this madness is that the prospect
should be in a fine frame of agreement by the time he
or she gets to the key juncture: the options and fees
you are presenting in light of that prior agreement.
Ensuring faithful renditions of the collective agreement

will take all of your correspondence with your
prospect. In preparing your proposal, religiously
consult:
• Notes taken during meetings.

• Notes made during telephone or conference
calls.
• All prospect correspondence, in either direction.
• All background materials provided by the
prospect.
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• Your memory of any and all related matters.

• Material you’ve gathered from other sources.
Words to the wise: Even though you might not believe

it, the buyer is dealing with a lot more pressing issues
than merely your proposed project. Reminding the
buyer of your “history” isn’t hounding, but rather
good reporting.
Keep it relatively brief.
We stated that earlier: a fine proposal rarely needs to

be longer than 2 to 4 pages. The buyer doesn’t have all
that much time, and it’s much simpler to approve
something that can be digested in a few minutes than
something that takes all day, four other people, a
potential committee and a “run by” legal.
Enough said?
Provide multiple copies.
The buyer needs a minimum of two copies: one for the

company, and one to return (presumably signed) to
you. You may need more copies if there is ample
reason to provide copies to:
• The buyer’s boss

• Interested (and important) subordinates
• Concerned colleagues
• Working copies to hand out as needed
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My habit is to indicate that two copies will be

provided, but that I can send as many as required. As
such, copies of your proposal should always be
“originals” off your computer and not off your copy
machine.
Another habit of mine is not to send the proposal to

anyone other than the buyer personally. It’s the
buyer’s choice to whom to send copies, not mine. But I
want to provide them in case they are needed so I can
avoid the phone call that says, “Could you provide
three more originals so that we can get this processed
correctly.” As we stated in rule #1, get it there fast so
they can move quickly.
Sign it in the acceptance agreement.
It makes no sense to have a proposal that must be

followed by a contract. That two-step dance only
creates more delay, and leaves you vulnerable to the
issues relating to “getting it there fast.” Use your
proposal as a contract.
Some consultants and companies submit an unsigned

proposal. They want the prospect to sign and return it,
at which point they will execute it and provide the
completed copy to the client. The rationale for this is
that you don’t want to sign a form that may be
changed by the other party before he or she signs. (I
receive contracts like this from publishers, agents, etc.)
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The problem with that strategy is twofold: First, it

implies that you don’t trust the buyer, especially after
building the relationship and ostensibly, after have
secured collective agreement. Second, it delays the
consummation of the agreement still further while the
proposal is returned to you and the sent—once again—
to the client.
Sign the proposal (on every copy) prior to sending it

via FedEx. If the client wants to make small
corrections, allow for them through the initialing of the
changes in the margins, once agreed to by phone. You
can also mention this in your cover letter
Lastly, be willing to start work immediately, prior to

the signing of the proposal. Many clients will say that
their chain of command will require a week to process
the proposal, but there’s an opportunity to begin the
project immediately while certain people are in town,
or a crisis needs resolution. Accept eagerly. You must
trust your economic buyer implicitly. And vice versa.
Place it in a presentation folder or other appropriate

package.
Don’t send the proposal (and attendant copies) by

themselves in the FedEx package. They should always
be sealed in an envelope, addressed to your buyer,
with “confidential” prominently displayed. It’s up to
the buyer whether a secretary or assistant can open a
confidential envelope, but it’s incumbent upon you to
ensure that the warning is in place. After all, the
proposal involves the investment of funds in a project
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that might be threatening to some people. Marking the

inside envelope “personal and confidential” is not
overdoing it.
I prefer a presentation folder of some kind, with your

cover letter on one side and the proposal copies on the
other. You may already be using presentation folders
for your media kit, inquiry responses, leave behinds
and other publicity needs. If you don’t, or use a very
generic one, it’s a good investment to have some
printed on good stock with large inside pockets to hold
thick documents. You can have these embossed with
your company logo at a minimum cost, yet they
convey a highly professional image and tell the
prospect that it’s not an “off the shelf” item. Make no
mistake: Every piece of your literature and packaging
that is seen by the client will convey an image of
professionalism (or lack thereof) no matter how
insignificant it may seem.
Enclose something of value.
No, this doesn’t mean a bribe. I’ve found it to be

highly effective to enclose something with the
proposal. I usually use some idea or request I’ve
picked up from the buyer during my conversations,
and have added a note that it would be an appropriate
enclosure when it’s time to submit the proposal.
The philosophy is simple. You want to continue the

sequence of trust, sharing, and value generation that
has been established during prior conversations and
interactions. Appropriate enclosures might include:
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• A book or article you’ve written that has been

cited earlier.
• A book or article by someone else that is
relevant to the project.
• An example of non-confidential findings from
other firms.
• A seminar or convention announcement of
interest.
• An industry report.
• A software review or recommendation (but not
the software itself.)
Your cover letter can refer to the fact that you’ve also
enclosed an item which you thought would be of
interest, which you had promised earlier or which just
came to your attention. After all, this is not just about a
proposal. It’s about a relationship.
Use hard copy, not e-mail or fax.
In some cases, a prospect will indicate that there’s an

urgency to get a proposal in front of someone rapidly,
or that the buyer is about to leave on a trip and would
like to take your proposal along for review.
Sometimes, a prospect will say, “fax me your proposal”
or will send an e-mail with an invitation to respond by
e-mail.
There is seldom a situation that arises that overnight

deliver doesn’t cover. However, if you MUST send
your proposal by fax or e-mail, follow it up with hard
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copy shipped via courier. Don’t resort to regular US

mail simply because you’ve faxed or e-mailed it prior.
Hard copy looks better. It can be more readily handed

to others in a professional form. E-mail will often lose
formatting and will always lose the effectiveness of
your logo and look. (Although if you send your
proposal as a PDF attachment, you can eliminate some
of that lost luster.) Faxes are often hard to read and
sometimes lose significant detail. Faxes and e-mail are
also notoriously unsecure.
So, in 90% of the cases, hard copy by FedEx will do

fine. For the other 10%, if there is a true need to deliver
by fax or e-mail, do so, but follow up with overnight
hard copy. Also, you cannot send along something of
value in an effective way with fax or e-mail.
Provide a brief cover letter.
The cover letter should be s single page. It should refer

to the proposal, the fact that it’s expected, any other
enclosures (value) you’ve provided, and any details
that you want to convey, including any items from the
first nine rules. Here is a sample:
March 3, 2000
Mr. Dave Smith

Vice President, Marketing Operations
Global Worldwide, Inc.
Box 5000
Los Angeles, CA 90210
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Dear Dave,
I’ve enclosed the proposal we’ve discussed. You’ll find

that it summarizes the points raised in our meetings of
January 4 and 15th, particularly the objectives,
measures of success, and value of attaining those
objectives.
In reviewing our tentative plans, I developed three

options which may be of interest. Any of them can
meet the objectives, but some provide for additional
value, and I wanted you to be able to make as flexible
an investment/return decision as possible. I’m
prepared to work on whichever option you prefer.
If there are minor alterations required to the proposal,

feel free to make them and initial them on the copy you
return. Should you have any uncertainties about
changes, feel free to give me a call at any time. In fact,
I’m prepared to begin the project based on your verbal
“handshake” should you want to get started prior to
the paperwork being processed. Simply indicate which
option you’ve chosen, and I can be on site to begin the
initial planning meeting as early as Monday of next
week.
I’ve also enclosed a survey report from the Global

Marketing Council on lessons learned on the market
penetration into Asia. I requested this for you some
time ago and it’s finally arrived. I marked a chart on
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page six that seems especially pertinent to your

marketing strategy regarding Singapore.
Thanks so much for considering me for this project. If I

don’t hear from you prior, I’ll call on Friday to ensure
that you’ve received this and to respond to any
questions. I’m looking forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Christopher A. Brya
President
CB/aw
Enclosures
Note the presumptive closing at the end. It never

hurts. One more suggestion: Enclose a self-addressed,
paid envelope of appropriate size, or a courier air bill
from you account. I often do this with invoices. It can
prompt a speedier return, and it always ensures that
nothing is lost in the mail.
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Chapter Five: How You Should Follow-Up

Ah, the agony begins. How long to do you wait before

demanding to know why the buyer hasn’t sent you the
first check yet? Do you confidently call a few days
later, or do you wait, aloof and professional, as though
all of you other projects were consuming your time?
When to follow up.
The perfect follow up is a planned one, which removes

all the doubts about timing and also manages the
buyer’s expectations. There are three ways to
accomplish this:
1. In the discussions leading up to the actual

creation of the proposal, mention that your habit
is to give the buyer a day or two to review the
details and options, and then to call to respond
to any questions and/or to actually begin the
project. When you are actually ready to prepare
the proposal, mention to the buyer the exact
time he or she will be receiving it, and check for
a good follow up date. “I’ll be sending this via
courier so that it arrives on your desk Friday
morning. I’d like to call you between 10 and 12
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on Tuesday to discuss your reaction. Does that

fit your schedule?” If it doesn’t, find out what a
good time would be. Two key points: First, you
want a phone call (or personal visit), not e-mail
or voice mail. Secondly, you want to initiate it
(as opposed to the buyer) to ensure positive
contact.
2. Mention your intent in your cover letter. Let the

buyer know that you’ll be following up at a
specified time and date. Leave nothing to
chance. This lets you say that you are “calling as
agreed.”
3. Do both 1 and 2. If you constantly reinforce the

fact that your normal policy is to submit a
proposal rapidly after the collective agreement,
then follow up promptly for reaction, and then
be prepared to launch the actual project, you
will create the proper expectations, and one
hope, behaviors on the part of the buyer.
What to do when an appearance is required
Sometimes the buyer will say, “We need to discuss this

in person, and I’d like to get some other people in on
it.”
This is good news/bad news. The good news is, they

are willing to entertain your proposal further and
allow you to close the deal. The bad news is that the
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proposal itself wasn’t sufficient and you probably did

not have as solid collective agreement with your buyer.
Some rules for a personal appearance follow-up:
1. Always accept. Don’t try to close the deal on the

phone.
2. Arrange it as quickly as possible.
3. Ensure that the buyer will be there personally.
4. Find out who else, if anyone, will be there.
5. Ask candidly if there are any objections that you
should know about in order to make the best
use of everyone’s time. Don’t wait for an
ambush. Prepare your fight accordingly.
6. Test the status. Ask if you reach agreement at
that meeting, they would be willing to proceed.
Or you could ask, “What will you and I have to
accomplish at that meeting in order to begin the
project?”
As a rule, the more responsive the buyer is in response

to the last point, the better your chances. The more
vague the buyer sounds, the more trouble awaiting
you.
Take one item off the table right now: fees. If the
buyer says your fees are too high, DO NOT OFFER TO
LOWER FEES. If you do, that tactic will lose the
business immediately (“Hmm, how low can he go?”) or
will gain you business you hate and that is not
profitable.
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Instead, offer to reduce value. That’s right. All buyers

want to reduce fees, but they seldom want to reduce
value. Keep focusing the buyer on results, not on
buyer investment.
What if there objections to the proposal that don’t

include fees? No matter what the objection, make the
resistance a part of the solution. Tell the buyer that the
objection makes sense and ask what they would
recommend to overcome it. Assure them that there are
always objections (poor timing, other projects, etc.),
and that the timing is never perfect. Nevertheless,
successful projects are launched every day in far worse
scenarios that this one and we’re all intelligent people
here, so let’s work out the best resolution we can while
we’re here together.
The final step in follow up meetings is to summarize

the agreements you’ve collectively reached, and then
use this assumptive statement: “Can we work from the
current proposal with some modifications initialed by
you, or would you prefer an entirely new document?
I’m prepared to begin immediately, so what would
make the most sense to move us along?”
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Chapter Six: You Get Rejected. Now What?

Even in the greatest scenarios, you don’t get the

business. That’s not a failure, but the start of a new
opportunity.
First, find out the only important piece of information

for the moment: Why? You can’t do anything
effectively until you learn the reason for your non-
acceptance. The causes usually range among:
1. A legitimate, competing proposal was accepted.
2. Your proposal was flawed in some way.
3. Despite value, you were deemed as too

expensive.
4. The project was canceled or postponed.
5. The prospect decided to do it internally
6. You weren’t dealing with the true buyer.
7. There was an internal reorganization.
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8. Someone talked the buyer out of using you.
9. Poor profits put a freeze on all expenditures.
10. The problem disappeared.
11. Low revenues diminished the problem’s

priority.
12. A scandal occurs in the company.
13. The organization was sold, merged or divests.
14. New technology eliminates the problem.
15. Some combination of the above.
I’ve heard every one of these reasons. The main reason

you want to find out why they did not choose you is so
you can correct (what is in your power) the issue the
next time with another buyer.
We all get rejected. It comes with the turf. But

rejection isn’t the final bell. You’ve only lost the battle,
not the war. The good news is that you’ve met the
buyer, established a relationship, and know where
he/she lives. Now you can mount the counter-
offensive:
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• Never walk away angry. The failure to

consummate the deal is not your fault or the
buyer’s fault. It’s not about fault. It’s about
cause. Take your setback gracefully, thank the
buyer for all of the support and interest he or
she has demonstrated along the way, say
something nice about them and ensure the
buyer that you believe they’ll do a fine job.
VERY important: Ask permission to stay in
touch. This vague request is rarely denied, but
its acceptance creates the legitimacy to do the
following:
1. Ask for the cause of your not being

chosen. Tell the buyer that we all learn
best with honest feedback. Ask what you
could have done better. Don’t settle for
generic statements. This is your chance
to improve, ask where (precisely) what
areas you need improvement. Take
notes. Let them know you’re taking notes
and thank them for that important
feedback.
2. Make an offer to be of informal assistance

if the buyer needs anything during the
project. At that juncture, provide your
card and brochure or media kit again for
future reference. (Most companies will
throw out your stuff if you didn’t get the
job.)
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3. Mail something, virtually anything of

value, to the buyer 30 days later, and bi-
monthly there after. Let the buyer know
there are no hard feelings, and that you
have his or her interests in mind on a
regular basis.
4. Call the buyer about 90-120 days after

your rejection and ask any or all of the
following: Has the material you’ve been
sending been appropriate? Should you
alter the content in any fashion? How has
the project progressed?
5. If you can meet with the buyer “while

you’re in the neighborhood,” do so.
Bring the buyer up to date on anything
you’ve been doing that is relevant to the
buyer’s needs.
You can always gain future business if you keep in

touch. Not for promoting yourself, but taking a
proactive approach into the buyer’s situation and
lending assistance or information as needed.
Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach, once said that

his teams had never lost a football game, although
occasionally, they had run out of time before they
could win it. You have all the time in the world if
you’re consistent, professional, low-key and oriented in
helping your relationship. Continue to treat everyone
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with respect and support. When you show someone

that your respect and relationship was for the person,
not the position or the ability to buy something from
you, you can create enduring ties.
One final comment…
While I have strong ideas about the matters in

proposals, they are also very flexible. I don’t demand
that a buyer go through all my steps if they say, “let’s
do it.” I never oversell, over-orchestrate or over-
manage.
Please take my advice in this book to improve your

condition. But do so intelligently. You might use all of
my concepts, or just a few. Violate my advice
whenever and wherever you see fit where you think
doing so will get you the business you desire. There
are a lot of approaches in this business. I’ve given you
only mine based on my own success.
That’s my proposal to you. I hope you’ll accept.
Christopher A. Brya
President & CEO
Solavista Consulting Group, Inc.

Solavista.com

PS: You can visit my web site

http://www.solavista.com to receive related products,
subscribe to my newsletter and/or contact me directly.
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Writing an Effective

Solavista Consulting Group, Inc.

Copyright  2000 Christopher A. Brya. All rights reserved.

Published by Ventana Publishing Inc.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Printed in the United States of America.

NOTE: This free course on proposal writing is

How This Course Was Written—And Why.

This is a course on how to write effective proposals.

My intention is to provide you with the materials you

I wrote this based on my own trials and tribulations as

In preparation for writing this course, I read everything

Herbert Spencer said, “The great aim of education is not

Chapter One: What is a Proposal Anyway?

NOTE: This free course on proposal writing is

A proposal is simply an offer of ideas, concepts or

For business proposals, it’s important to understand

In the business world, proposals are actually based on

DEFINITION: Written proposals are formalized

In the business-to-business world, proposals should be

Proposals can and should do the following:

• State the business outcomes of the project.

Proposals cannot and should not do the following:

• Intend to “sell” the interventions being

The worst thing you can do with a proposal is to create

In your discussions with the buyer, you may arrive at

Lay out the timetable

This is the “Collective Agreement” stage. Note that

The purpose of this collective agreement stage, then, is

You’ve Got Three Possible Outcomes, and Two of

Your prospect might view your project this way:

Clear Costs = Vague Benefits

A prospect should view your project this way:

Fixed Investment = Substantial &

Your proposal only has three possible outcomes:

1. Rejection: No way, no how. The proposal is

Because of this, it’s important not to throw the

writing is essential. Without doing so, you’re simply

Chapter Two: Five Steps to Ensure Success

NOTE: This free course on proposal writing is

Proposals are not accepted or rejected on the basis of a

The Five Steps to Master BEFORE Creating a

1. Determining whom the economic buyer is and

Step One: Determining who the economic buyer is

Many people in an organization pose or are seen as

There are many types of “buyers” that you might come

• Economic Buyer: This is the person you want to

• Implementation Buyer: Sometimes a meeting

Again, they may be vice presidents, directors of

Questions to ask to find out if you’re truly dealing with

• Whose budget will support this project?

• Ultimately, who will make the final decision?

The moral of the story: You cannot afford to waste

Step Two: Developing a relationship with the

So you’ve reached the economic buyer. The proposal is