Preface

Section One: Seven Deadly Sins

1:A Good Proposal Is Hard to Find...But It's Worth Looking

2:Recognizing Reality

3:Rushing to the Exit

Section Two: A Primer on Persuasion

4:Understanding Persuasion

5:Winning by a NOSE: The Structure of Persuasion

6:Seven Magic Questions: How To Develop a Client-Centered Message

7:Why the Inuit Hunt Whales and Other Secrets ?of Customer Behavior

8:The Cicero Principle:How to Avoid Talking to Yourself in Print

9:Fluff, Guff, Geek, and Weasel: The Art of Saying What You Mean

10:Weaving Your Web: How to Pull It All Together Right from the Start

Section Three: The Art of the Part: Where to Put Your Effort

11:Letter Proposals

12: The Structure and Key Elements of Formal ?Proposals

13:Writing the Business Case

14:Recommending and Substantiating Your Solution

15:Persuasive Answers to RFP Questions

16:Presenting Evidence and Proving Your Points

17:Gathering and Tailoring Reusable Content

Section Four: How to Manage the Process Without Losing Your Sanity

18:Deal or No Deal?:Qualifying the Opportunity

19:An Overview of the Proposal Development Process

20:The Pursuit of Perfection: ?Editing Your Proposal

21:The Packaging Is Part of the Product

22:Presenting Your Proposal

23:Tracking Your Success

24:Creating a Proposal Center of Excellence

25:Special Challenges

Index