Learn how to plan and write proposals that win more business.

Proposal Writing Course

Available for groups as a self-paced online course, instructor-led virtual or instructor-led onsite training, and for individuals as a self-paced online course.

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Learn exactly how we structure this course to help you or your team quickly become a better proposal writer in weeks.

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This course will teach you the most efficient process to plan and organize a business proposal. It also explains how to hone language and tone to make your service, product, or solution more compelling to the client.

This is a practicum course. You will learn how to plan and write an actual work proposal with instructor review and guidance at incremental steps in the process.

The self-paced course also includes a live one-on-one coaching session to review your final proposal and ensure future proposals are strong. Instructor-led courses include exercises linked to the proposals you write.  

INDIVIDUALS

$895

Online self-paced course available for individuals. Sign up today and learn how to become a better proposal writer.

Enroll now

GROUPS

Online self-paced courses and instructor-led virtual and onsite training can all be customized to match your needs. Group discounts apply.

Customize for Groups

Participants in our Proposal Writing Course will be able to:

  • Employ an efficient process for planning and organizing information and ideas.

  • Discern what most matters to your potential client and articulate the specific value you offer that client.

  • Persuasively document the competence, skill, and solutions your company offers.

  • Express clear deliverables and present fees favorably.

  • Write with engaging, succinct, and correct language.

  • Close more business.

Who is this course for?

This course is a great fit for you or your organization if you or your team:

  • Write new business proposals or respond to RFPs.
  • Are responsible for sales or marketing.
  • Are new to writing proposals.
  • Want to elevate the skills of experienced proposal writers.
  • Needs to save time and frustration when writing proposals.
  • Write proposals collaboratively and need to streamline that process.
  • Review proposals before submission.

The online self-paced course is divided into twelve lessons. Each lesson progressively improves a different facet of your proposal writing skills, with instructor review and coaching. At the end of the course, you will be able to plan, draft, edit, and evaluate proposals with skill and efficiency.

This is a practicum course — participants plan and write their own actual work proposal during the course, with instructor guidance, so the training is highly pragmatic, relevant, and immediately applied to work. 

Our Sales Writing Course teaches how to write all other documents in the sales writing process more effectively.

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Course Certificate

After completing the course, you will earn a personalized certificate. You can display your certificate in the certification section of your LinkedIn profile, download it to print, or mention it in your résumé.
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Individual written feedback and live coaching for every student

To truly improve your proposal writing skills, you need both course instruction and feedback on your actual proposal writing.

During the online self-paced course, you will apply what you are learning in sequential writing tasks that build to a final actual proposal. After submitting each exercise, you will receive both subjective and objective feedback from your instructor that also resolves your specific blocks that impede your proposal writing.

The online course concludes with a live coaching session to review your final proposal and identify additional writing improvements.

Objective feedback:

  • Is the proposal based fully on reader need and perspective?
  • Does the reader have all information needed to achieve the objective of the proposal?
  • Is the proposal logically organized?

Subjective feedback:

  • Is your tone too blunt or too timid?
  • Are your word choices clear, strong, and persuasive?
  • Can you cut any unnecessary words?
  • Are there any grammar errors?

Instructor-led group feedback

Onsite training, shown on the left, is highly interactive, with many individual, peer, and group activities where participants will receive feedback.

Groups work together to deconstruct proposals, break down individual writing concerns, plan an upcoming proposal, and more.

After onsite training concludes, participants can submit a recent proposal to receive even more personalized feedback from their instructor.

Instructor-led virtual interaction

Virtual training also allows for highly engaging instruction, exercises, and discussion.

Learners complete activities in breakout rooms, break down documents individually, and are encouraged to participate in lively conversations and ask questions.

After virtual training concludes, participants can submit a recent document to receive even more individual feedback from their instructor on their actual writing.

Learn more about our instructor-led training.

Our clients' feedback

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I write highly technical proposals. This course helped me tremendously to organize and express technical solutions to our non-technical clients so they clearly understand our benefits.

Technical Project Manager
Broadridge
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My sales team is closing more business because our proposals better present the value we offer our clients instead of just the facts of our services. Huge improvement in persuasion and productivity.

VP of Sales
TransUnion
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We now know how to frame our RFP responses on the client's needs, and not so much about our company. Close rates are up.

Manager
Camis
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My writing skills are strong, but I got a major benefit from understanding a proven process that I can follow for each proposal I write.

Proposals Project Engineer
Fujitsu Network Communications
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In this comprehensive proposal writing course you will learn:


  • Learn the optimal proposal writing process so you can write more effective proposals faster.
  • Effectively discern the client's needs and interests.
  • Learn to craft language that cuts through information overload, so your proposal is crisp and readily understood.
  • Research, plan, draft, and edit proposals with confidence.
  • Win more business for your company.

 

What is included in this course?

This proposal writing training is split into several detailed sections.

Getting Started

An Introduction and Self-Assessment

Review the objectives and breakdown of the course content. Share your specific course goals, and tell us about the typical proposals you write. 

Lesson 1

6-Steps to Effective Proposal Writing

Learn our step-by-step process to write proposals more effectively. This applies to consulting proposals, technical proposals, non-profit/NGO proposals, financial proposals, engineering and logistical proposals, and any other proposal. Also, this frames a proposal response to an RFP, an informal proposal, and a proposal letter or email.

Lesson 2

Analyze Your Audience Deeply

Analyzing your audience well frames everything about a proposal, including the content and organization. Learn to discern what really matters to your proposal writers so you can persuade them effectively and organize and present information that meets their needs.  

Lesson 3

How to Plan and Organize Any Proposal

Nothing is worse than getting a proposal that is difficult to understand due to poor organization.

This lesson includes tips and tricks on how to organize the beginning, middle, and end of your proposal and make it quick to scan. The optimal process to organize a proposal is the same, whether the format is a formal RFP, an "informal" proposal, or a very informal email summary. 

Lesson 4

Drafting RFP Responses, or an Informal Proposal, or a Very Informal Email or Letter Proposal

Determining the best response: RFP, informal proposal, or a very informal email that proposes a business offering. Proposals take several forms. Learn to use what is best in each situation and begin drafting.

Lesson 5

Visual Persuasion

Weave in at-a-glance persuasion hooks to engage your reader and highlight the value of your offer. 

Lesson 6

Sending Your Proposal

We will provide you with ways to ensure you create a good first impression and guide the proposal recipient to the best next steps. 

Lesson 7

The Money, Deliverables, and Terms

A proposal commits you to specific deliverables, so be careful you delineate exactly what you will do and the terms expected. 

Lesson 8

Style and Presentation

Learn to create a visually appealing, easy-to-scan proposal.

Lesson 9

Tone and Word Choice

In this lesson, we focus on improving clarity through word choice. Ensure your proposal is a pleasure to read with concise and engaging language that presents your company as competent and confident. 

Lesson 10

Grammar and Syntax

Learn proofreading tactics to avoid embarrassing grammar and spelling mistakes. These go beyond simple tips and tricks. These are proven grammar and syntax strategies that will make your writing more professional.

Final Proposal Review

Live One-on-One Coaching Session

The course concludes with a live one-on-one coaching session with your instructor.

During this time you can ask any questions and review feedback about your report. The live coaching call acts to solidify the information learned during the course so you can apply your new knowledge to future reports and to provide detailed feedback on the report you wrote in the course.

View the Full Course Outline
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Key skills you will learn in this course:

  • Employ an efficient process for planning and organizing information and ideas.
  • Persuasively document the competence, skill, and solutions your company offers.
  • Identify and address client needs.
  • Spend less time writing each proposal.
  • Express clear deliverables and present fees favorably.
  • Write with engaging, clear, and correct language.
  • Close more business.

Includes individual feedback on your writing

This course includes award-winning instructor coaching and feedback and ongoing support.

Proposal Writing Course Instructors

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Elisabeth O'Quinn

Elisabeth has a unique combination of business and business writing acumen, with extensive background in writing, editing, and content marketing management.

She has supported a variety of businesses, writing blog articles, reports, presentations, and editing business documents. She has supported many of our clients with rave reviews of her writing feedback.

Elisabeth lives in Georgia with her cat and rescue pup. In addition to writing, she loves traveling with her twin sister, learning German, and creating watercolor prints. 
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Kara Latz

As a multilingual American, Kara has a unique perspective of the English language. She is an instructor and specializes in business writing, technical content, and generalized marketing.

Four years ago, backed by an Emory B.A. degree, Mercer University MBA, and a 20-year career in corporate America, Kara endeavored to engage in her true passion to help companies and people bolster their company and personal brand image through writing.

Kara resides at Lake Oconee, GA with her husband, three children, and two dogs. She is an active volunteer with the local Boys and Girls Club and high school Career Coaching.

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Grace Cuddy

Grace supports Instructional Solutions' online courses and also works with individuals and groups from several multinational companies across Europe as a business writing coach.

She is bilingual in English and Spanish and has traveled extensively, providing a keen sensitivity to global writing. She has a strong background in corporate communication and management and successfully developed cross-functional writing and communication processes in a large corporate team. She is also a successful blogger and has received rave reviews from her writing critiques and coaching for our work with DuPont, Liberty Mutual, and many other groups. 

She is bilingual in English and Spanish. She enjoys yoga, travel, and dance. She splits her time between New York City and Madrid.

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Janet D'Angelo

Janet is a business writing and marketing instructor, consultant, author, and public speaker with more than 20 years of experience working with individuals, small businesses, and corporations to develop all facets of business communication. She writes and speaks extensively on business writing and marketing writing and has been a featured speaker at numerous business and education conferences in the U.S. and abroad. Janet taught analytical writing, marketing writing, proposal writing, and general business writing courses at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

She enjoys gardening, yoga, hiking, and exploring the endless beauty of the New England seacoast where she lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts.

Become a better proposal writer.

Sign up today or schedule a discussion to become a stronger proposal writer.

INDIVIDUALS

$895

Sign up today and start learning how to become a better proposal writer to close more business.
Enroll now

GROUPS

We offer customized online, virtual, and onsite courses, workshops, and trainings that match your organization's needs. 

Schedule a call