6 Easy Steps to a Persuasive Project Proposal
A great business idea is just the beginning of a project. And every great project begins with an even greater project proposal.
The goal of a project proposal is to present your idea to your target audience in a way that makes it impossible for them to turn you down.
If you’re unsure how to achieve this, don’t worry — we’ve broken down the whole writing process into 6 palatable steps to help you craft a perfectly persuasive project proposal.
*This article is the abridged, adapted version of the post originally published on the Plaky Blog. Find more tips and tricks on writing a compelling project proposal here: https://plaky.com/blog/project-proposal/
What is a project proposal?
A project proposal is a document that outlines critical details about the project — most importantly, its goals, timeline, and budget.
Namely, this document serves as a kind of advertisement for a potential project, aiming to capture the attention of stakeholders and investors.
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Now that we know what exactly a project proposal is, it’s time to cover all the steps you need to take if you want to write a persuasive project proposal.
6 steps for writing a compelling project proposal
A detailed project proposal should contain all the information necessary to clarify every phase of the project.
We have prepared the 6 steps you should follow when writing a proposal to make this process easier for you:
So, let’s elaborate on each of these steps.
Step #1: Write an executive summary
As a relatively short part of the proposal, an executive summary should provide potential investors and stakeholders with essential information about your project.
This part should be powerful enough to persuade the reader to keep reading. That’s why it should briefly (but effectively) summarize:
However, you don’t have to worry about going into too much detail, as you’ll get a chance to elaborate on all these points later in the proposal.
Step #2: Describe the project background
In this step, briefly explain what problem the project will solve.
While clarifying your solutions, you should demonstrate your expertise in the field in a few words. For instance, you can reference some of your past projects that solved a particular problem.
It would be nice if you mentioned some data concerning the problem your project is addressing too. Statistics and various metrics always come in handy.
However, don’t overwhelm your readers — keep in mind this part should be up to 3 paragraphs long.
Step #3: Present a solution
This is the part where you’re expected to go into detail.
First, you should write your vision statement for the project. Then, cover the schedule, including the most important project milestones.
This part should also include the details about how you would delegate the tasks. So, state what responsibilities and roles each project team member would have.
Step #4: State the project deliverables
In this step, you need to thoroughly describe the project deliverables — the final products of the project.
However, that’s not all. Apart from the deliverables, you should mention the final objective of the project. This will help your investors and stakeholders visualize the results and get the whole picture.
Also, this is the part where you should cover the entire project timeline — project tasks, their due dates, task duration, task dependencies, and milestones.
Another great tip is to include S.M.A.R.T. goals and show how they relate to the project deliverables.
Lastly, you should cover potential risks — such as time crunch or lack of clarity — and offer risk management strategies.
Step #5: Request the necessary resources
Finally, it’s time to go over the project budget.
This means you need to determine the overall sum you need for the project and then break the budget down into these 2 categories:
Step #6: Write the conclusion
This is your last chance to win over your reader. So, be persuasive when summarizing everything you have written so far.
To make your proposal seem more convincing and feasible, add visual elements — charts, tables, reports, etc.
Still, be concise and to the point. The last thing you need is a long-winded conclusion. You win your stakeholders over with data, not a sheer number of words.
Plan and manage your projects using only one app — Plaky
Writing a project proposal doesn’t have to be a drag if you use the right project management software — like Plaky.
Plaky is a real lifesaver for project managers, as it allows you to both plan and manage all your projects.
Namely, Plaky offers a powerful yet simple way to present your project in the best light to your stakeholders and gain their approval.
And the best part is — once your project gets approved, you won’t need another app to manage all the tasks. Plaky’s got your back!
Not only does Plaky enable you to monitor your projects from start to finish, but it also allows you to effectively collaborate.
You can store all project-related documents in one place — in the Files section — which will save you precious time while searching for different documents and data.
What’s more, the task comments sections in Plaky enable real-time communication, so you don’t have to waste your time switching from one app to another just to share updates with your colleagues.
Oh, and if you’re in a time crunch and need an instant solution for your project proposal, we’ve got a pleasant surprise — a ready-made template that you just need to fill in with your data and you’re good to go!
Download our project proposal template.
Get things done without switching back and forth between different apps! Sign up for Plaky now!