Cards, stuffed animals, chocolates, jewelry … these are all things you can feel free to send over to the editors at the PDC whenever you want.
No?
It was worth a shot.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, people are buying those items in high frequency to show their loved ones how much they care. And while that’s all well and good, there’s a big problem—one that just so happens to tie back into writing!
When it comes to writing proposals, so much focus is on the client. What if we told you there’s someone else equally as important to consider? Who, you ask?
You.
Yeah, you!
Not the client. Not your boss. Not the competition.
You.
Why are you so important? Because, simply, the process begins with you, and its success is more dependent on you than anyone else. You are the person motivating the client to act, dictating the perception or clarity of the proposal through not only how you write but also what you write.
What YOU need to consider
When thinking about authoring a proposal, if you answer “no” to any of these questions, you need to re-examine your approach (which is a nice way of saying, “Don’t do that”):
- Given the constraints on my time, would I read this proposal?
- Is the sentence I just wrote clear enough to be read only once … and without taking a second breath?
- Do I know what the last sentence I just wrote means?
- If someone handed me a document of this size, would I read it?
Imagine yourself as the recipient of whatever you have just produced; if you wouldn’t read it because of the length or the content, then why should or would anyone else?
To borrow a sports metaphor, you are the point guard. Every proposal begins with you and flows through you, with you deciding the direction and pace.
That’s why you are so important. That’s why you matter.
You.
So don’t forget to add some chocolates to your cart for yourself!
Don’t be sad. We’ll be back on the first Monday next month with a new blog post. If you can’t wait that long—whether because you have a topic you’d love us to cover, a question or you simply want to throw your two cents into the pot—we love talkin’ shop, so drop us a line.
