Dear RFP Dude

Dear RFP Dude*,

I saw your information on LinkedIn and thought I might ask you a question. I am a new proposal writer at a law firm in Atlanta and I don't know what to do. I was given this job because of my general marketing background but I do not know anything about proposals. What should I do? Can you help me get started? Thanks - Proposals Really Are Chaos!

Yes. Yes, I can help.

1. The first thing you should do is get yourself a copy of Persuasive Business Proposals by Tom Sant. This is the proposal writers religious text.
   
2. Next, take a deep breath, imagine yourself as a calm and hard working as possible. Whatever you do to keep yourself in a positive mood, keep doing it. Whatever you do that puts you in a bad mood, avoid it. You will need to stay positive at all times! Read Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Gold Book of Yes Attitude!


3. Stay curious and read as much - about your firm, the business and things in general - as possible.
   
4. Always ask "So What." You will work with many people that will want to add something about the depth and breadth of this or that but you need to keep asking "So What," "Why is this important?" Oh, and strike depth and breadth from every document you see!
   
5. Remember, regardless of who said it or who thinks the opposite, less is more in most things and it certainly is in proposal writing. Keep it short, keep it to as little as possible. Long documents go to the bottom of the pile just like long books and long emails.
   
6. Lastly, I would attend this session on Wednesday:
   
   How to Write Winning Legal Proposals
   Jan. 30, 2008. LMA Webinar Series.
   Event Type: Online
   Date: Jan 30, 2008 - Jan 30, 2008
   Hosted By: LMA International
   Cost: Full Member: $99 Associate Member: $149 Non-Member: $199
   
   In today's legal environment it's almost impossible to close business without a powerful sales proposal. Prospective clients want proof that your firm represents their best option. This presentation covers the seven questions you must answer to develop a client-centered sales message every time, then shows you how to structure that message to win more business. Step-by-step you will learn how to create winning proposals that cause the decision maker to say "Yes!" In this session you will learn how to:

• Create client-centered proposals


• Develop a compelling value proposition


• Focus on the decision-maker’s hot buttons
  
  Click here to download a registration form in lieu of online registration.January 30, 2008
  11:00 am PST
  1:00 pm CST2:00 pm EST
  
  About the Presenter:Dr. Tom Sant Founder and Board Member, Sant Corporation
  For more than 30 years, Dr. Tom Sant has provided thought leadership and innovation to the field of proposal writing. He is the author of Persuasive Business Proposals, now in its second edition and available in Russian and Korean as well as English. The most widely used book on proposal writing in the world, Persuasive Business Proposals revolutionized the way companies and individuals handle the task of writing proposals. His new book, The Giants of Sales, traces the development of modern sales methods, relating them to the psychological principles that make them work.
  
  Sant retired from active management of The Sant Corporation in 2003, but he remains a member of the board of directors and continues to support the company by speaking, handling occasional consulting and training assignments, and contributing to the strategic direction of the company. He was named one of the Top Ten Sales Trainers in the World in 2005 by Selling Power magazine, and was named one of the first Fellows of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals in recognition of his lifetime contributions to the profession. Sant received his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from UCLA and taught at the University of Cincinnati for four years.
  
  Click here to Register
  Add event to calendar: vCal (Windows, Linux) iCal (Mac OS X)

Good luck!

*OK, so the original note said, "Dear Jeff." Dear RFP Dude sounds so much more interesting, no?