The Client Proposal: An OverviewOctober 9, 2013

The importance of workplace writing skills

Survey of 120 major American corporations employing nearly 8 million people found that: Half the companies stated they take writing into account

before hiring For thought: In what ways can you prove you have

strong writing skills?

2/3 of salaried employees in these corporations have some level of writing responsibility

Half of the companies take writing abilities into account during promotion decisions.

Importance of workplace writing (cont’d)

62% report writing formal reports

“good writing is taken as a given in today’s professional work”

“good writing is a sign of good thinking. Writing that is persuasive, logical, and orderly is impressive. Writing that’s not careful can be a signal of unclear thinking.

“Business writing generally calls for clarity, brevity, accuracy, and an appropriate level of detail for documenting.”

The Proposal: Email of Transmittal

You’ll need to email your proposal to your client The email should:

Explain to your client how to understand the proposal (a guide) Politely request feedback within one week Be concise and use full block format Explain to them why this proposal is important (in one short

sentence)

Parts of the Proposal Title Page Table of Contents *(depends on length of proposal) Abstract Need Statement Project Description Plan & Progress Checks Budget

Title Page Include the following:

Proposal title Group member’s names Date (when the proposal was

completed) Graphic/logo

Need Statement Identify mission of client

intangible!

Explain primary need related to mission Support this with evidence from your research

Project Description Describe your vision for the deliverable

Explain why the deliverable will meet the client’s need Be SPECIFIC

Support your vision and claims with data from the interview, sample documents you collected, etc.

Explain what you will do in class and outside of class to complete the deliverable

emphasize the target audience for the deliverable and how this will appeal to that audience

Make your vision coincide with the client’s

Plan & Progress Checks This is your Step-by-Step plan for HOW you will

produce the deliverable Provide a written explanation and a visual (we will look

at examples in class) You will need to research what software programs you

can use to produce these deliverables, if applicable, and you can include the time you’ll put into learning that program into your timeline.

Budget The budget details the resource expenditures OF YOUR

CLIENT based on your proposed deliverable Your person hours are counted for (class credit and

experience) But, you need to consider time, materials, maintenance,

etc. *I will provide a separate handout in class about budgets.*

YOU are NOT expected to spend money on this project. Clients are aware that you will provide them an electronic (and perhaps one print copy) version of the deliverable. It is up to them to pay for printing costs, etc., if they choose to use your deliverable.

Tips for Budgets JUSTIFY your numbers!

For example, if you quote $30 for printer ink, what TYPE of printer ink are did you get a quote for, and where did you get the quote from (Office Depot online, etc.

• Think through the whole process For example, if you’re creating a brochure, who’s going to fold

100 copies of the brochure?• Provide recommendations for products based on your research

and discussion with client

Style Remember to use an appropriate tone (neither too formal

nor too conversational) Use the back of your textbook for any

grammatical/punctuation/spelling concerns Use an effective, clear design Remember that writing is a PROCESS—brainstorm, outline,

revise, proofread!

Reminders Once you submit the proposal, you will politely ask for a

response within one week You will be required to revise the proposal and resubmit

it within one week if revisions are to be made; otherwise, you can start your deliverable!

CC me on all correspondence between your group, between your group and clients, etc. I need to stay in the loop.

Proposals are due on October 23, but we will be conferencing on October 21

The Client ProposalHoning In

The Needs Statement

Identifies the intangible mission of the client (i.e., the client wants to promote the organization so they can make $)

Explains the primary need related to the mission (but keeps this brief)

Sample needs statement

"Breast cancer kills. But statistics prove that regular check-ups catch most breast cancer in the early stages, reducing the likelihood of death. Thus, the United Breast Cancer Foundation’s program to encourage preventive check-ups will reduce the risk of death due to breast cancer. However, only 25% of Tucson’s population is aware that the UBCF provides this program. The program needs additional marketing and outreach procedures in place to inform Tucsonans about its benefits. A well-constructed brochure explaining the program will help promote the foundation and ultimately save lives.”

Practice!Get in a group with people who you haven’t yet worked with. Write a needs statement based on the following information:

 Your client is Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Tucson. They’re having trouble getting funding, and they want you to produce a flyer advertising an event they’re organizing—their 5th annual golf tournament. All proceeds will go to the organization. In your interview, your client mentioned not only that they’re having trouble getting funding but that people don’t seem to understand the purpose or mission of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Your client thinks that if people knew more about the organization, they’d be more willing to donate money. The organization cannot provide the necessary materials, space, advertising, etc., to keep itself afloat if they don’t receive at least $10,000 in donations this year.