The cover letter is as critical to any proposal document as the bid itself. Despite this, many experienced bid writers can still flounder when it comes to developing a clean, concise and engaging cover letter to introduce their document to their potential new customer.

Also known as a Letter of Transmittal, the cover letter operates as a small version of your Executive Summary, bringing together the most critical points articulated within your proposal document in order that the named recipient is able to quickly and easily grasp an overview of your proposition, without having to read the full summary.

Despite this, cover letters are usually expected to fill no more than one page, meaning that bid writers are forced to be economical with words, writing succinctly and clearly when they construct this introduction. As proposal evaluators are usually inundated with documents, your cover letter is the first opportunity which you get to really catch their attention and make a statement.

The bid writer will benefit from producing this important document at the end of the proposal writing process, in order that all the ideas involved with the proposition are firmly cemented in the mind, making it much easier to transmit them on to the page clearly and simply.

The cover letter cements all of your primary points, including win themes, financials and the proposition outline, so having the opportunity to stand back and review your solution fully is the best way to get this document drafted quickly and easily.

Your cover letter should have the following attributes:

• Succinct
• Clear
• Engaging
• Brief (no more than a page) Highlight all your key proposal subjects
• Reference your existing relationship with the customer, if applicable.

There is an ideal standard structure for writing your cover letter, which takes in to account the purpose of the document and how it will be reviewed by your client.

The first paragraph should not be used to 'thank' your customer for enabling you to bid – this is tedious and a little pointless as you are not being offered the contract, and there is no need to thank them! Instead, the bid writer should demonstrate an awareness of the issue which your solution will be resolving on the client's behalf.

From there, progress to a short overview of how your company will solve the issue. Highlight any key strengths and unique attributes of your proposed solution. Include the details of the RFP in your cover letter if applicable, to ensure that the page doesn't get separated from your response and is linked to the RFP. Finally, complete the page with a call to action which prompts the recipient to respond. Give contact details for any queries, and open up opportunities for discussion between client and service provider, if required.