So I’ve been slowly going over a number of design project proposals from both small and big design firms. I thought I’d take the opportunity to list some of the faults I’ve experienced so far (and the big guys are just as guilty as the little).

1. Avoid telling me what something is not, because I’m skimming your proposal at first, and will likely miss the negation. This means that I might think you are saying the exact opposite of what you mean.
2. Avoid weasle words and phrases, not just because they obviously make you sound like a fool, but also because again I’m skimming and when I hit a weasle word or phrase I seem to just jump to the next paragraph. So, if you have put something really good after the weasle, I won’t see it.
3. Avoid naked, mindless self-promotion, like “we believe that collaborating with us would be the best thing to do.” Obviously you think that–you want to make the sale and you wouldn’t be in business if you didn’t think that. So why waste my time making me read the empty marketeering? Don’t. It makes you look either obtuse and ignorant. You’re getting precious little of my attention, so please make every word count.
4. Avoid naked, mindless, mindlessness, like saying that you will work with stakeholders. Working with stakeholders goes without saying–who else would you work with, people with no stake in the project? Mindless blather wastes my time, makes you sound like an idiot and it tells me you think I’m an idiot too. That’s insulting, and insults are no way to land a deal.

Just a few thoughts on proposal writing–not that I’m an expert at writing them, but I’m getting pretty good at reading them.