Volume 2, Issue 1

Fall, 2004

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Writing An Effective Proposal

By Amanda Glisson

Introduction
I am sitting in my classroom at school where I teach, trying to think of the perfect project for my Writing 5930G Technical Writing class at Georgia Southern University. At the same time, thoughts are running through my head about how much my classroom needs new books and software for Keyboarding. I realized that I needed to write a proposal to the Board of Education to get new books and software for my classroom. I also realized that I was in trouble. I had never written a proposal for anything and I had no idea how to start.

I am writing this article for all of those people who think writing their own proposal is impossible. After reading my article, I hope that you will see that writing an effective proposal can be very easy. First, I am going to outline some of the things you should consider when writing a proposal. I hope this will guide you in writing your own proposal. I have also included a copy of my finished proposal as a sample.

The Purpose of a Proposal
Even though you might not ever need to do a proposal for new books and software, the guidelines for a good proposal are the same no matter what type of proposal you need to write. The most important goal of a proposal is to get your project or suggestions approved. The goal of my proposal is to get new textbooks and software for my keyboarding classroom. The proposal that I will show you is an example of an internal proposal. This means that it is written for someone inside my organization.

The Plan of a Proposal
Before you begin writing any form of technical communication, there are three questions you should consider:

Who is my audience? You need to decide to whom you are writing the proposal. You need to make sure that you think about your audience and what they might already know or not know about your topic.
What do I want my audience to get from my proposal? The overall purpose of the proposal should be to get the readers' approval. Your main purpose should be clearly stated. The readers should not have to figure out what you are requesting in the proposal. The best advice is to state your purpose up front and then fill in details later in the proposal.
How can I make sure my audience understands what I want them to know? You must put yourself in the shoes of your readers. Think about what they want to hear. Think about what they don't want to hear. Get someone else to read your proposal before you submit it. Make sure that his or her reaction is what you expected the reader's reaction to be.

The Style of a Proposal
The basic writing style of a proposal is the same for any type of technical writing. For proposals to be effective try to follow these tips:

State the purpose clearly at the beginning of the proposal.
State the background information the reader will need to understand your proposal.
Use language that everyone can understand.
Use short sentences that are clear and to the point.
Make sure that your ideas are not hidden between unnecessary words.
Make sure that the reader has all the important information needed for the final decision.

The Writing of a Proposal
Now that you know and understand the basics for all types of technical writing, it is time that I show you the specifics for writing an effective proposal.

Proposals will either be accepted or rejected. Obviously, you want your proposal to be accepted. To help make this possible, follow the six steps listed below.

Your proposal should define the problem and state how you plan to solve the problem. Your proposal should assure your readers that you can solve the problem effectively. Everything in the proposal should revolve around the problem and an effective way to solve it.
Do not assume that your readers will believe your solution is the best. The purpose of your proposal is to convince your readers that your solution is the best. You should not be over confident that they will approve of your solution. Do your best to look at the proposal and solution from the reader's point of view.
Your proposal should be researched thoroughly. If possible, you should provide readers with examples and facts. These items usually make your proposal more meaningful and convincing. Try to keep your opinions out of the proposal. Opinions are not facts, and most readers will not support them. The best advice is to research other articles and proposals on your topic. You can always include this information in your own proposal.
Your proposal should prove that your solution works. Make sure that your solution is possible. You should include an analysis of your plan and possible results of your solution. Try a pre-test of your solution to see if it works. You may need to revise your solution before submitting your proposal.
Your proposal should be financially feasible. Think about the finances of the company or person to whom you are writing the proposal. Make sure that they can afford the solution you are proposing. Make sure to explain why your solution would be worth their time and money.
Your finished proposal should look attractive. The finished proposal should be as perfect as you can get it. This includes the overall appearance of the proposal and the content inside the proposal.

The Conclusion of my Article
I hope you have enjoyed reading my article on proposals. I hope that you will be able to use my instructions and my sample as a basic guide for writing your own proposal one day.

Just to let you know, my proposal was approved. I now have a brand new set of Glencoe Keyboarding textbooks & software sitting on the table in my classroom.

This proves that following the guidelines for writing an effective proposal does work. Nicely written proposals are the best way to get your ideas where they need to go. They are also the best way to get your problem addressed and your solution implemented.

Please email me at aglisson@georgiasouthern.edu if you have any questions or thoughts about my proposal or your own proposal

Click here to see my finished proposal.

Click here to see specifics of my proposal.