Winning Proposals. Hans Tammemagi

will be acquired and become involved with key decision-making. When human beings interact, there is seldom unanimity, so the persuasive skills of the entrepreneur will be continually tested to keep his or her new partners aligned with his or her vision of the company.

      An entrepreneur’s greatest asset is not the widget that has been invented, but rather the ability to sell the widget to the world.

      Although I have been writing proposals for over 20 years, the exhilaration has never diminished. My pulse quickens when an RFP arrives. In a large organization, the process of preparing a proposal is like publishing a newspaper and the proposal preparation area, like a newsroom, is alive with energy. There is organized pandemonium in the battle to assemble the document before the looming and unforgiving deadline. Phones ring, keyboards clatter, and photocopiers hum as you assemble the manuscript and make final revisions in the hope of adding that critical persuasive ingredient. I found it exciting to be part of such a team, and loved the challenge of seeking innovative ways to make the proposal more persuasive than those of our competitors. Once I started my own environmental consulting firm, the team became much smaller — usually just me — but it was just as exhilarating. I loved the challenge of going head-to-head with much larger firms.

      My goal in the following chapters is to not only make you a better proposal writer, but also to instill in you the excitement and thrill of proposal writing.