Writing sales proposals can be tricky, especially when the bid writer is unsure of what competitors will be offering. However, there are a number of techniques that can be used to ensure that your sales document is clear, useful and persuasive to your potential new customer. One of the fallback positions for many bid writers when faced with a challenging writing project is to rely upon obfuscation and 'fluffiness' in an attempt to deflect attention from a lack of substance. We've all done this at some point or another, but this merely serves to frustrate the bud recipient and distract from the overall message.

Instead, try to incorporate the following elements to the sales proposal to obtain a greater degree of clarity in the message being put across to the customer:

• Ways to clarify and simplify sales proposals for bid writers
• By taking the following sections and using them to structure your sales proposal, it's possible for bid writers to concretize their thinking and ensure that their document is compliant, informative and provides all the information which is necessary to convey your ideal solution to your customer.
• Incorporate a sound Service Level Agreement which demonstrates to the recipient how you will respond to certain issues within the proposal on time, to a set agreed standard, and within the allocated budget for the project.
• Include a section on project management. Who will control the overall activities? Who do issues get escalated to? What members of staff are going to carry out the day to day tasks to ensure a positive outcome? What are the risks of the project, and how do you propose to mitigate them? What potential issues do you anticipate occurring, and what plans do you have in place to pre-empt them?
• What does success look like for the client? Outline your blueprint for an outstanding service, and factor in measurable milestones that will demonstrate when you have achieved your goals, or when the project potentially veers off track.
• How will you implement a change control process? What control documents, source code and project materials will you incorporate?
• What resource will be offered to the project? Name them, offer CVs and biographical backgrounds, and show what percentage of each person's time, if applicable, will be dedicated to making the project activities come to fruition on a daily basis.
• Outline the roles and responsibilities of both yourself as service provider and the client, illustrating how each will interact to create a harmonious working relationship.
• Demonstrate through the inclusion of case studies how you have managed to offer a great service to an equivalent specification for previous clients, and include testimonials.