₦airaland Forum

Maycher:
Merlissa, can you gimme one of those your pretty female friends. Two wouldn't be bad sha.

Oliver twist

In today's competitive business environment, your ability to write powerful proposals could mean the life, or death, of your business.

When government agencies and large corporations need to buy products or services from an outside source, they often release what is called a Request for Proposal (RFP), a formal document outlining their needs. To bid for the job, you must submit a proposal, which will explain how your company would meet the client's needs and should convince the client to hire your company, instead of a competitor.


Don't leave your business's success up to chance. Follow these seven steps to write winning proposals:

1. Study the Requirements. Writing a winning proposal begins with a clear understanding of the client's requirements. Read the RFP thoroughly. As you're reading, ask yourself, What are this company's goals? What is my role in achieving these goals? Is the time frame, budget and scope of work reasonable? And if we're awarded the contract, does my company have the time, expertise and resources to complete the project?

Next, decide whether you want to proceed. Preparing this proposal will require a lot of time and effort in research, analysis of the client's needs and writing, and you may decide to wait for a better opportunity.

"Don't send everybody a proposal who asks for one, because researching and writing a proposal is a fairly expensive process," admits Wakefield. "First, decide if you can design a good program for them. Then, look for projects that have some potential for us strategically, contracts that offer continuing relationships and good networking possibilities."

2. Understand the Client. "If you don't understand the client's problem, you certainly can't propose a methodology that is going to solve the problem," says Shervin Freed, coauthor of Writing Winning Business Proposals (McGraw-Hill). "Many times a client or potential client will say, 'This is what we're looking for.' But when you start researching, you find out that isn't what they're looking for at all."

The best way to understand what the client really needs is to talk with them. Ask people in the organization about their concerns, their operating policies and their management philosophy. Discover if any previous attempts have been made to reach the goals outlined in the RFP and why those earlier solutions didn't work. Ask what they like and dislike about dealing with consultants like yourself and what criteria they'll be using to evaluate your proposal.

You'll also want to get some general information about the organization and the industry it's in. Ask questions like these: How long has the company been in business? Who are their major decision makers? What are their main products or services? How is this company better or worse than its competitors? What is the company's financial position?


If you're not able to speak with the organization's employees, do some secondary research. Visit the library or check with colleagues who may have worked for the same organization; it's worth the effort. This research may save you from proposing a tack that has already been tried or is unacceptable to the client for some other reason. You may also discover some underlying issues that weren't addressed in the RFP and need to be considered.

3. Develop a Methodology. Once your client's goals are clearly identified, it's time to develop the steps, or methodology, necessary to reach them. If you're having difficulty with it, use brainstorming sessions.


To ensure that your methodology is practical, analyze its costs and benefits, as well as the time and resources it will require.

4. Evaluate the Solution. You may have developed a brilliant methodology, but if it's unacceptable to your client, you'll need to find an alternative solution. "You have to understand the decision maker's orientation," "You have to know precisely what their background is, and how they look upon this particular project. For example, find out whether the person is financially oriented or operations oriented." You should then describe the benefits of your solution in a way that will receive the most favorable evaluation from the decision maker.

You should also evaluate your solution according to criteria outlined in the RFP. For example, if your proposal is being evaluated on price and completion time, a lengthy, expensive solution is unlikely to win your company the contract.

5. Outshine Your Competitors. Don't forget that a proposal is a sales document, designed to persuade the client to hire your company instead of a competitor. So make certain your proposal reinforces your company's strengths and addresses any potential reservations the client may have about hiring you.

"If your competition is a company that is much larger than yours, then you've got to show your strengths, "Maybe you specialize in the client's field or can focus intensely on solving their problem."

To properly present your strengths, you must know how you stack up against the competition. If you're lucky, the client will divulge your competitors' names, describe what they're like to work with and offer an opinion of your competitor's abilities.

6. Write the Proposal. Now that you've completed the first five steps, most of the work is done. All that's left is assembling the information into a proposal format, so we'll be referring back to the work you completed in the previous steps.

If the RFP specifies the format of your proposal, follow that exactly. If no format is specified, I recommend the following headings be used:

A. Current Situation. Explain the background or problem that motivated the organization to issue an RFP. This section will be compiled from the background information outlined in the RFP, as well as from the research you performed in Step 2.

B. Goals. Clearly explain the goals of your proposal. You formulated these in Step 2, based on the RFP and your understanding of the organization and their problems.

C. Proposed Methodology. Describe each of the recommended steps, developed in Step 3, that will lead the organization to meet their goals.

D. Time and cost. Thoroughly explain the time and cost requirements for each step in the methodology, based on your calculations from Step 3. This section should also specify how you will be billing the client, and when payment will be expected.

E. Qualifications. Fully describe why yours is the best company for this job. This information will be based on your competitive strengths and on the proposal's evaluation criteria, which you developed in Step 5.

F. Benefits. Discuss the many benefits the client will receive by implementing your recommendations. This section is based on the benefits identified in Step 4.

7. Apply the Finishing Touches. Review the proposal carefully to ensure it completely fulfills the requirements set out in the RFP. Make sure the information is arranged logically and that it fully addresses each of the decision maker's concerns. Finally, have someone you trust proofread the proposal to catch spelling and grammatical errors.


Many contracts are awarded solely on the quality of the proposal, so don't let sloppy writing or careless mistakes ruin an otherwise terrific proposal.

"Good writing is symptomatic of your basic abilities," "Poor writing and poor grammar would make me ask, 'How good can these people be if they can't even express themselves intelligently?'"

To make sure that the completed proposal looks as professional as possible, print it on quality paper and have the final copy professionally bound. Then get ready to put your proposed solution into action.


www.facebook.com/tequila.nigeria

Isn't she too old for this??

TrapLORD:
Tell that to the guys who "disturb" you.

I was only explaining why guys do that

I know... was just teasing

falconey:
[color=#990000][/color]

OK o

phellamon:
so wat else do u expect ?

....If u ain't available then mayb d oda chick wld b.....PERIOD!!

Are you tall?

TrapLORD:
LOL. Guys do that cos they believe you've got the power to convince your friend(s) to date them.

Am not a match maker..

falconey:
[color=#990000][/color]

So, which one are you?

TrapLORD:
Guilty!

Your one of those that like to disturb me shey

falconey:
[color=#990000][/color]

Can't you just say "Introduce me to her" why say "give me"

Why do guys like doing this??


Honest answers ooo

jaybossYBNL:
Nice post, thank u....it was useful

Your welcome

MTN tried that stunt for me last year

i called customer service, i went on twitter @MTN180 and i threatened them

immediately the credited my account.



Just go on twitter and rant.. shout if neccesarry

* 11% of people are left handed

* Unless food is mixed with saliva you can't taste it

* You burn more calories sleeping than watching TV

* Household dust is made of dead skin cells

* 56% of typing is completed by your left hand

* You shed a complete layer of skin every 4 weeks

* People who work at night tend to weigh more

* The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year

* It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown

* Fingernails grow faster than toenails

When you take photos for your blog, you want to make sure you have a camera that takes good photos. Digital cameras come in all kinds of price ranges and with tons of different features.

When you take a photograph, the image is saved on a storage card or small hard drive, and many cameras have a nice preview screen that lets you see the results of your photography right away.

When you need your photos, you can remove the storage card from your camera and then insert it into the card reader hooked to your computer, or even into a printer.

You may want to have a removable storage card if you plan to take a lot of pictures because you can easily carry several cards with you, switching them out when you fill one. Some cameras can also connect directly to your computer.

Digital cameras usually come with several quality settings that determine the resolution of your image and the sizes that look good when you print your photograph.

If you choose higher-quality settings, the resolution is higher, and the file sizes are also larger. This means fewer images fit on your storage card, but the resulting photos look better, print more sharply, and can be resized more easily than lower-quality images.

Web images are usually compressed so that the file sizes are reasonable for visitors to download, but taking images at higher-quality settings (which usually means that the resolution is also higher than is needed for the web) gives you more options down the line and better looking photos even after compression.

Today, even relatively inexpensive digital cameras and even some cell phones take high-quality images suitable for use in almost any medium, so the real challenge is to pick a camera that suits your picture-taking style.

Be realistic about how you plan to use the camera and how comfortable you are with it when you look at the options:

Digital SLRs: If you're a professional photographer or a dedicated amateur, you likely want a high-end dSLR camera. But these cameras are quite large, which makes them awkward to carry and use unobtrusively on a day-to-day basis. They can be expensive, too.

Low-end point-and-shoots: If you're a photography amateur, super lightweight cameras can get a lot of admiring glances. But they might lack important features, and their tiny size might also make them hard to use and hold steady.

Midrange: If you're not a professional photographer but want more than just the basics that low-end cameras provide, look for a camera in the midprice range. These cameras come in a range of styles and sizes and with a wide range of features designed for use by completely inexperienced to professional photographers.

Mobile cameras (phone cameras): Almost all cell phones come with cameras built in — convenient, but the photos may not look as wonderful as those taken with higher-end cameras. If you plan to use your phone to take pictures for your blog, keep that in mind when selecting your phone.

After you have an idea about what kind of camera you'd like to purchase, visit a site such as CNET or Digital Photography Review to read reviews of specific cameras in your preferred category. Even if you find the best price online, you should visit a store first to make sure that you feel comfortable handling that particular camera.

2sign:
I think nisibor is dead.

What killed him?

Sola didn’t plan to start this new year this way. She accepts its her fault but Bayo says he can’t continue this way. How can he end the relationship that Sola didn’t know she was in? I mean, Bayo didn’t ask her out neither did he express his intentions to her.

Sola, sitting across the table and tots moving thru her mind with pains in her heart. Sola and Bayo met on social media and they got talking. Bayo, is based in the U.S. and Sola is here in Nigeria trying to make sense with her life. Now time diffrence is a ‘Bitch’ (pardon my french), but she did her best to try and adjust but Bayo wasn’t looking at it this way.

Bayo, loves attention, now most nights Sola won’t sleep because she wanted to be up to Skype with Bayo. Sometimes she would get couple of hours to sleep (and she has to go to work the next day), but she didn’t mind as long as Bayo was happy.

continue here https://merlscorner./2016/01/08/what-went-wrong/

columbus007:
merlissa give me ur pin

Columbus007 Google my pin

columbus007:
can I have it sent to my email,thanks

Have what sent to your email??

I don't understand your grammar ooo

columbus007:
babe if i'am sure ,you deleted me na,on BB

Na it's not me

TonyeBarcanista:
Wow that's so sweet. I was actually about to propose publicly to you. I love that.

I agree with your suggestion but I wouldn't need a best man. Lala is my worst men I can combine the role of Groom and Best man.


I can't wait to finally get married to my love, and my Misspicy.


Can't wait for our wedding day and our wedding night. Our honeymoon. Our first baby

So sweet

First Business Deal nko?

misspicy:
paid?

really? what are friends for

Emmmmm

To get paid

misspicy:
This is nice


let us get married

seun will be our officiating minister,lalasticlala will be your best man,Merlissa will be my bride's maid

what do you think?

How much am I being paid to be your bridesmaid

Misspicy??

obiorathesubtle:
uuh.. Fake your death? Stay fake dead for like a week

Am literally rolling on the floor

obiorathesubtle:
Uuh.. Tell her you're impotent and the doctors said you have mild incumbent gastric cancer level 4.. And you only have 1 year to live on Earth.. She'll totally bail.

And if she doesn't?

Pls be honest

columbus007:
merlissa what happened that you deleted me?

Are you sure that I deleted you

Eyah...

It's not my portion In JESUS Name...