Chapter 23: Proposals
Chapter 23: Proposals
Proposals are used in business, by decision makers, to persuade an audience to take some form of direct action. The writer offers a plan for doing something in detail in an informative manner. By using an effective format and good rhetoric (effective word choice), a proposal can be a company's main source of incoming business.
First, proposal are classified according to their origin: solicited (requested by an employer or client) or unsolicited (not requested). Audience is another classification factor. The proposal can be internal (written for member of the writer's organization) or external (written for other organizations, agencies, or clients). Lastly, proposals, based on intent, may be either planning, research, or sales in content. Occasionally, overlapping may occur with more than one intent involved depending on a given situation.
A planning proposal offers solutions to a specific problem or suggestions for improvement in specific area. They include background information on the problem, a specific solution, a detailed explanation of how to attain the solution, and a recommendation for change. One a need for change has been determined by an employer or client, a planning proposal examines options and settles on a specific course of action to remedy the problem. It contains an in-depth analysis of the needs, benefits, etc., and is highly informative in nature by utilizing specific data that explains the nature of the problem and the supportive data that leads to a specific solution to resolve the issue. It contains concrete material and information that is highly objective, although the opinion of the writer when making a recommendation is certainly subjective. The audience of decision makers should be able to follow the writer through his/her objective analysis, and therefore, arrive at the same conclusion as the writer.
A research proposal requests approval for a specific research project. The approval, given by the author's audience of decision makers, may include authorization, a request for funding or time spent, etc. Most companies, and certainly the government, have their own format for research proposal requests. They range from the informal memo to many pages of formatted questions that the writer answers in a proscribed fashion. Research proposals, regardless of their format, answer the questions about what, why, how, when, and where the project will take place.
A sales proposal is a marketing tool employed by businesses to offer a service or product via the solicited or unsolicited format. The object is, of course, to have the decision maker client, choose your service or product over a competitor's. Persuasion must be effectively performed in a short time, especially if it is an unsolicited proposal. Look at the number of unsolicited sales proposals that appear in our mailbox weekly. If we recognize the envelope as a a unsolicited sales pitch, we usually do not read the material and throw it out. This, by the way, has led to companies resorting to handwriting and gimmicks to motivate the reader to at least open the material. If opened, generally speaking, the company has only several paragraphs or seconds to "hook" the reader, so that the reader continues reading the entire proposal. The proposal must be persuasively effective or again it will be thrown out.
Elements of a persuasive proposal include, first of all, an understanding of the client's needs. Whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited, the writer must have a good working knowledge of the decision maker client. Background work, in the form of research, is necessary to fulfill the client's needs. If unknown, the writer doesn't know if there is a problem, why there is one, and what a feasible solution for the client would be. Next, a decision maker client needs to know immediately what the benefit for them will be if they accept this proposal. The consumer typically adopts the "what's in it for me?" approach early in the reading. If there is no benefit, either implied or stated directly, the client has no reason to pursue the reading of the proposal document. A powerful tool of persuasion, honest and supportable claims will be necessary to persuade the audience of the likelihood of success should he/she adopt your proposal. This proof consists of hard data--facts quotes, statistics, etc.-that indicate a logical venue to success. In today's litigious society, it is crucial that these are correct as they are legally binding in a court of law. Also, appropriate detail to inform the decision maker of specific steps that will be taken to remedy his/her problem is important. It is not enough to generalize and say that the company will fix it. Prospective clients want to know how, what, and when in detail. The processes involved should be concretely described so that the client can see that the writer's solution will work for their specific situation. Other criteria include producing a readable document, accented with visuals for better comprehension, and additional supplements, such as a glossary, should be included for the client's overall comprehension of what the writer is offering. The more diverse an audience, the more diverse the supplements must be so that everyone who reads the document can understand it. It is more than crossing the t's and dotting the i's; it is the blueprint for the work proposal. Decision makers at all levels of management must be persuaded that your solution to their specific problem is the best. To persuade them, supplements that show past successes, a definition of terms, additional photos, etc. are often powerful persuasive tools.
In addition to all of the above, word choice is crucial. The use of an inappropriate, or incorrect, term can have a disastrous result. While a document may be grammatically correct, it may fail as a persuasive tool because of poor word choice. Word choice has to be concrete and positive in nature.
Abstract words are the opposite of concrete words. They cannot be perceived by the senses, and they are general in nature. Examples: " Love" (doesn't exist in a specific physical sense) and "hot" (general). The reader is unclear as to what is meant when encountering abstract words because interpretation of them will vary from individual to individual depending on each of our own experience and perception. In using the word "love", for example, the reader can attach different concepts to the word, as in "I love lobster". Different values or intensity may be assigned as well, as in "It is really hot". No true communication takes place with these words; these words only serve to confuse. Ad advertiser might state that their product will result in "sexy" hair. Exactly what "sexy" hair is will vary from person to person. That is what the advertiser wants as each individual will think if they purchase that product, it will give them their own version of "sexy" hair. If a writer must use abstract words, they should qualify them with concrete words as in "It was very hot; it was 99 degrees."
Denotative words are devoid of implication and say exactly what they mean without inference or innuendo. "Female "would be a good example. No one, except a male, would be upset to be called a "female". However, Connotative words, the opposite of denotative, can also confuse the reader. Connotative words are those which have a hidden, or implied, meaning. What happens when "female" is changed to "bimbo"? As readers, our reactions when reading are controlled by the author's use of these words. For example, in a horror novel, the author might want to introduce the villain of the work immediately as a negative character. So, the author will write, "He staggered toward the baby, snarling amidst globs of greasy hair, surrounding his sallow, pock-marked face." Now, we as readers, just know this person is a villain. The author's choice of words alone convey an implication to us and, in turn, we respond. Conversely, the author could write, "The sweet waif with the golden hair and cherubic cheeks lay angelically in his cradle." In this case, we respond to the author's word choice by categorizing the infant as the hero or positive/good figure. When writing persuasive proposals, therefore, there should be great concern on utilizing words to produce a positive response.
Summary of Key Points 