How to Make Better Proposal Templates and Structure Reuse Files
People often assume that because the topic of a proposal is similar to an earlier proposal, that earlier proposal can be easily recycled just by "changing a few words." This is hardly ever true. Working from templates is supposed to save you time because editing is assumed to be easier than writing. But unfortunately, the level of effort required to transform the focus, goals, win strategies, themes, results, keywords, and points of emphasis into another document can easily exceed what it would have taken to write it the way you need it.
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How to Determine Whether Templates Will Help or Hurt Your ProposalsSometimes after you make all the changes needed to customize boilerplate proposal files, it ends up taking longer than it would have to write it in the first place. It sure would be nice to know if that is going to be the case before you start. We have developed a model that shows the factors that determine the extent of the changes needed, so you can determine whether boilerplate is really an option for the type of proposals that you do. How To Prepare Proposal Content For Reuse If your proposal material is a good candidate for reuse, this article walks you through what you should do to prepare for recycling the content.
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Boilerplate Alternative: Proposal CookbooksIf you understand why people seek proposal templates, you can give them something that actually meets their needs better. A Proposal Cookbook can adjust to the idiosyncrasies of RFPs in ways that boilerplate can't. With a Proposal Cookbook, you get a speed boost and a quality boost, without exposing the proposal to the risks of using templates. Faster Than a Proposal Template and More Powerful Than a Proposal Sample People who are looking for proposal templates are balancing their desire to win against their desire to save time. But the truth is often that they don't know what to say and rationalize that a template will help them figure it out quicker, thus saving time. Find out what you can do to provide better inspiration and speed up proposal writing.
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Find out how to get everyone on the same page. Get written standards and directions to expedite the process so that people don't make it up as they go along. Establish clearly defined roles and responsibilities so everyone knows how to work together. Get planning and communication tools so that everyone has the information they need. Also get tools to measure progress, track action items, and provide constant feedback so that everyone knows where they stand. Click here to find out more
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