"... and then you find that your draft answer's 700 words long, and have to decide which of your points to leave out."
So said a salesperson on one of my recent courses. And, sadly, I do fear that that's the reality on most proposals. Do you go into less detail about your solution, chopping out useful material? Spend less time showing you understand the client's needs, creating less empathy? Include fewer proof points or make less attempt to bring your win themes to life?
There is, of course, a better way. A professional proposal writer will edit content to say more with less.
I discussed this recently with the four specialist writers working in SP's UK team. Their view? The word count on the beautifully polished versions they produce is typically between 25% to 30% lower than that of the drafts they receive from subject matter experts.
What's more, the text reads far more fluently and persuasively.
Say more within your word count, and say it better. Some sales organisations fail to see the value of proposal writers: to me, they’re totally missing the point. Perhaps this blog entry will help!