The Client Proposal: An Overview

The Client Proposal: An Overview2.24.2014

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

This is essentially the cover letter your reading discussed. You’ll need to email your proposal to your client. The email should:

Introduce your group & thank the client for the opportunity. Introduce your idea & how you came up with it. Explain to your client how to understand the proposal (a guide). Be concise and use full block format. Explain to them why this proposal is important (in one short

sentence).

*You will email your proposal to the client and CC me on March 12 by class time.

Parts of the Proposal Title Page Table of Contents *(depends on length of proposal) Abstract Need Statement Project Description Timeline Budget Conclusion

Title Page Include the following:

Proposal title Group members’ names Date (when the proposal was

completed) Graphic/logo, if you can get

one that is not too pixelated.

Need Statement Identify mission of client

intangible!

Explain primary need related to mission Support this with evidence from your research/notes you took

during the client visit.

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

Discuss how the deliverable will be circulated Make your vision coincide with the client’s Consider providing a mock-up

Timeline 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.

If you are proposing something like an internship program, think of any potential costs for the clients.

If you have questions/concerns, save them up so you can email them to the client.

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

Style Remember to use an appropriate tone (neither too formal

nor too conversational) Use a handbook or the web for grammar/spelling concerns Use an effective, persuasive, clear design. I will take

design into account in the grading. Remember that writing is a PROCESS—brainstorm, outline,

revise, proofread!

Design You are responsible for the design reading you did, but here are a few

highlights: Design helps readers visualize information and helps you persuade them. It

can make you look professional or unprofessional. It helps you emphasize key points.

Planning Consider the rhetorical situation Consider your reader’s expectations Determine the form of your document:

How will you lay out the pages? What kind of highlighting devices will you use to create a visible

organization? What kind of font, typeface, and type size will you use? Will you use visual aids? If so, which ones? Why?

Layout

Use highlighting devices to direct the reader’s eye and create emphasis: Use Italics and bold text sparingly to create emphasis.

Compare: When you want to emphasize something, consider

using bold text. When you want to emphasize something,

consider using bold text. Use italics for emphasis or to show irony or humor.

His rent was late for the third straight month. Don't overuse exclamation marks and underlines.

Layout

Use white space to organize information into chunks and guide the reader's eye.

Use ragged right-hand margins Use headings & subheadings – consider using a

different font style or size for these but remain consistent. Make choices consistent with order & emphasis.

Consider using lists Keep them parallel

Reminders Proposals are due on 3.12, but we will be conferencing

on 3.5 & 3.10. Part of your homework on 2.26 will be to work on the

proposals. You may want to talk with your group about portioning out sections. You will have at least half of class on 3.3 to work on the proposal in class.

I will expect more completed proposals by those who conference with me on 3.10. So, choose whether you want me to look at an almost final draft or if you want to be asking me questions along the way.

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.

Review

Review of sample student proposals Take a moment to read to yourself the proposal on our

class website titled Sample Proposal. Then, we’ll discuss it as a class.