Proposal Manager – are you tired of wasting time and opportunities with desktop publishing tools?
09.01.2023
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Amo Chauhan
09.01.2023
-5 min
Do you use standard desktop publishing tools to create the most important documents in your company? If that's the case, here's what I know:
Getting the substance of the proposal right is what you and your team want to focus on. In reality, you're forced to spend most of your time...
Are you ready to get rid of these frustrations and regain your time and control?
In this article, you’ll learn why you’re shooting yourself in the foot as a proposal manager by using desktop publishing tools. I’ll show you what to do instead, to make the process much more enjoyable and help you win more business.
Working with clients across various industries for 23 years, I've seen one common thread running through companies that are otherwise very different: Their proposal creation process is a pain because they use standard publishing tools.
Business proposals are often created in the following way: You set up a proposal or bid template in your usual word processing software and use it as a master file. Several copies of the template are made, then they are recopied. Different elements from past proposals are also copied and pasted.
Over time, the document loses its substance, and errors begin to appear. Information such as the company's name and key figures is not updated, for instance.
As the document grows in size, it must be divided into several parts. Various authors don't work on the same document at the same time, making it difficult to keep track of the original content and manage the many different versions (which may be saved in different locations).
As a result, it becomes difficult to track progress due to a fragmented way of working. Most of your time is spent on formatting and other boring, time-consuming content management stuff that doesn't help you accomplish your goals. Fixing one thing will change another.
In the days leading up to the deadline, there will be a great deal of stress and late nights. The end result?
A proposal that does not meet the prospect's expectations and does not represent your brand well.
The purpose of a desktop publishing tool is merely to process text. The tool does let you add some visual elements, like backgrounds, headers, and footers, but it's not built specifically for creating design-heavy business documents.
For most users, it can be hard to create anything but a basic text document. Though you can download a template, editing one in a desktop publishing tool can be a pain, as you've probably experienced.
You and your team can spend hours trying to make the document conform to the company's design manual, but you realize traditional desktop publishing tools aren't made for that.
Using standard desktop publishing tools to write your business proposals is essentially like going out onto the battlefield with antiquated weapons loaded with ammunition that might hit the target but probably won’t.
Your team members become frustrated, and you waste time and money. In today's business world, that alone is so unnecessary. But the worst part is that you miss out on business opportunities – because you fail to showcase your company’s true level of expertise.
In addition, you won't give the impression you care too much about the document by creating it in a desktop publishing tool. Anyone can create such a document, so what makes your proposal stand out?
Your business proposals have to stand out from the competition, perhaps more than ever before. It's hard, but there's a way to get the odds in your favor.
Take advantage of the software solution that international companies – small, medium, and large – use to beat their competitors.
A simple, intuitive tool that…
Most importantly, a guided proposal creation tool allows you to win back your time. You can then spend more time improving the content, making sure it's well written, tailored to the prospect's needs and requirements, and error-free.
You'll also have time to share the content with other stakeholders in your organization. This will help you get valuable feedback and catch mistakes, increasing your chances of winning.
Sending a proposal written with a professional proposal writing tool shows the prospect that 1) you care about them, 2) you have a high professional standard, and 3) you are committed to winning their business.
There is a common complaint I hear from proposal recipients that the proposals they receive are not tailored to their specific needs:
“We're not like other companies, but we get the same documents they get. It makes me think the company behind those proposals doesn't really understand what we need.”
Stop using desktop publishing tools for your business proposals if you want to impress your prospects. Aside from being slow, impractical, frustrating, and not suited to the job, that method will be perceived as a lack of professionalism and care.
Use proposal writing software to help you create clear, concise, and compelling proposals that differentiate you from the competition and convince your prospect, while controlling your brand, message, and time.
Related article: 3 Ways to Produce Better Quality Tender Submissions for Less Cost
Amo Chauhan
Amo has a degree in Applied Chemistry, and 20 years sales experience working in media, adtech and data insight solutions. He enjoys spending time with his children, watching his son play cricket, and cooking with his daughter. He is passionate about powerlifting and most mornings you can find him in a gym lifting heavy weights.