What are some of the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid when writing and presenting a proposal?

Not understanding the audience, not adapting the proposal to their objectives, goals, difficulties, preferences, and experience with the industry, company, and solutions, and not employing proper tone, language, and format are common proposal blunders.

Get your story right based on the audience that your are selling to and based on the product you are marketing. Think the story through till the very end (= reporting). Selling display ads to SMBs might work because they expect tons of clicks like from Meta & Google. But presenting them with 0.1% CTR at the end of the campaign will lead to zero return business. Instead get the story right from the beginning - putting their state of knowledge first: show them average click rates in the industry, explain why the smartest people on the internet still do display ads because it is not about clicks but attention. Show them how you will measure that and perform for them on that metric. Then you will have a common understanding and metric.

One common pitfall when writing a proposal is failing to tailor it to the client’s specific needs. Avoid using generic language or templates—ensure the proposal addresses the unique challenges and goals of the client. Another mistake is overloading the proposal with jargon or excessive detail, which can confuse the client. Keep it clear, concise, and focused on value. In presentations, a key error is not engaging the audience—talk with the client, not at them. Make it interactive by asking questions and addressing concerns. Lastly, neglecting to highlight measurable outcomes or success metrics can make your proposal less compelling. Always emphasize ROI and deliverables.

Have a key consumer benefit slide. It will help you articulate precisely what you are offering and what you are trying to solve for the client. It will also set the flow for the rest of the presentation and keep the client invested. A few other points that I can think of is conducting thorough research to understand the client's specific needs and challenges; avoiding generic templates and using in-depth, tailored proposals to suit individual clients; Avoiding commitments that cannot be realistically fulfilled and following up after presenting the proposal.

1. Audience awareness: Understand who your audience is and tailor your proposal to their needs, interests, and level of understanding. 2. Clear objectives: Clearly define the goals and objectives of your proposal to avoid confusion and ensure alignment with the audience's expectations. 3. Concise and focused content: Keep your proposal concise and focused, avoiding unnecessary details or information that may distract from your main points. 4. Clarity in communication: Use clear and straightforward language to convey your ideas and avoid confusion or misunderstanding. 5. Proofreading and editing: Thoroughly proofread and edit your proposal to correct any errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling.

Common pitfalls in proposal writing include unclear objectives lack of research and poor structure. Avoid jargon overloading with information and neglecting the audience’s needs. To know your audience research their background priorities and expectations. Tailor your content and presentation style to resonate with their interests and concerns.

Common proposal mistakes include not identifying objectives, not communicating clearly, and not distinguishing oneself from competition. Objectives structure the proposal, focus on essential material, and match audience goals.

In too many proposals that I've seen over the years, the seller's deck is ALL ABOUT THEM. How great the company is, strengths drilled in depth, company history...but with very few points on solving a problem the customer may have. A proposal's sole purpose: Show how you can help the customer, not about how great your company is. If the type of questions come up...have support materials at the ready

Antes de começar a escrever sua proposta, defina claramente seus objetivos. O que você quer alcançar? Como vai medir o sucesso? Se você não sabe onde quer chegar, qualquer caminho parece bom – e é aí que as coisas desandam. Um estudo da McKinsey revela que 70% das estratégias falham devido à falta de clareza nos objetivos. Então, estabeleça suas principais mensagens e argumentos, sustente-os com evidências, e mostre claramente sua vantagem competitiva. Lembre-se: uma proposta bem estruturada e focada é o que separa vencedores de perdedores.

Common pitfalls when writing and presenting a proposal include unclear objectives lack of focus and overloading with unnecessary details. To avoid this clearly define your objectives by outlining what you want to achieve. Ensure your goals are specific, measurable, and aligned with your audience's needs and expectations.

Quando se trata de escrever uma proposta, seguir as práticas recomendadas é essencial. Um estilo de escrita claro, conciso e profissional é o mínimo. Use uma estrutura lógica: introdução, corpo e conclusão. Títulos, subtítulos, marcadores e gráficos são seus amigos – use-os para organizar suas ideias. Segundo a Xerox, 80% dos compradores B2B dizem que a clareza e a organização de uma proposta afetam suas decisões. Revise tudo para evitar erros de gramática e formatação, e sempre siga as especificações do cliente. Lembre-se, uma proposta bem feita não deixa espaço para dúvidas – só para o "sim" do cliente.

When practicing make a video of your presentation so you can study your delivery and key points that you really want to stick with your audience. I recommend 3-5 recorded practice presentations. Now go be spectacular!

I think one of the most common mistakes in offers is using too much jargon, especially when pitching a relatively new ad format or placement. The naming of KPIs is often channel-specific (f.e. LTR - Listen Through Rate in digital audio advertising) and client may just does not know all of them yet. A good idea is to add a glossary as an annex to the offer or on the last slide of your presentation to make sure you and your client have same understanding. For ROI measurement KPIs it is also worth explaining the methodology.

Before finalizing, get feedback from a trusted colleague to ensure clarity. After presenting, follow up to address questions, clarify points, or provide additional information if needed.

More often than not, clients make decisions based on the total value (tangible + intangible benefits) they perceive in a proposal. Many advertising proposals get thrown out because the salespersons don't clearly communicate the benefits to the clients. Sometimes the benefits are hidden within the proposal description, or written vaguely, left for the clients to assume. In either case, the proposal is more likely to fail than to succeed. Thus, always include an entitlements section in the proposal that clearly outlines the main values and benefits the client can expect if they accept the proposal. This will help the clients and their management to make an informed decision and increase the likelihood of success.