Preface

T HIS EDITION OF PERSUASIVE BUSINESS PROPOSALS has been thoroughly revised to reflect changes in the world of work that affect proposal writing and, more important, to incorporate lessons I have learned from working with some wonderful clients.

The basic principles of persuasion have remained consistent from the first edition onward, but thanks to insightful client feedback I have developed more effective ways to explain those principles. For example, the NOSE pattern that I present in is an important instance of finding a simpler, more memorable way to communicate the key concept of persuasive structure. Likewise, the characterization of bad writing into the four categories of Fluff, Guff, Geek, and Weaselan idea that I first presented in The Language of Success has proved so popular in workshops and speeches that I decided to bring it to Persuasive Business Proposals , too.

The use of technology has exploded, moving us from the local area network to the cloud, and by collaborating with clients who are themselves at the forefront of information management I have learned how to use that technology to make the proposal writing task easier. I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with proposal experts at Microsoft, Cisco, CIBER, Booz Allen, Thomson Reuters, Qvidian, and other leading high-tech firms. Technology can transform the way we work, as evidenced by the rise of virtual proposal operations on a global scale in recent years. But technology can also exert new pressures on the bidding process and the proposal writer, too. I have tried to address these new realities in this edition.

Other clients have been wonderful partners in exploring new ways to maximize the effectiveness of their proposals in a business environment in which the proposal is critical. Among those clients I am particularly grateful to are Kaiser Permanente, ISS, Wells Fargo, BNP Paribas Real Estate, and Rabobank.

One of the best things that can happen in business is the experience of having a client become a friend. I feel honored that many of my clients and colleagues are also now valued friends: Pat Coburn, Martin Doyle, Bill Geddy, Tom Graver, Michael Fedynyshyn, Marci Glennon, Brian Vass, Peter Ankerstjerne, Sandy Pullinger, and many others.

My wife, Susan Hirsch, and my son, Chris Sant, have provided intelligent, smart, yet kind feedback on the manuscript. Thank you for making the book better than it would have been without you. That said, its shortcomings are mine alone.