From Herman Holtz, America’s foremost expert on consulting, here’s a complete guide to marketing your consulting services The Consultant’s Guide to Proposal Writing Second Edition This updated edition has answers to all the questions that arise during the process of developing a proposal—where to begin, how it should look, what to include, and what to leave out. It emphasizes practical, "how-to" advice on…

• How to sell to the biggest customer of all, the government (see page 275)
• How to avoid some common errors in proposals (see page 22)
• Do you have to be the low bidder? (see page 131 for some surprising answers)
• How to safeguard your proposal against piracy (see page 113)
• Why clients want proposals, and what they look for in a proposal (see page 117)
• How to solve proposal production problems (see page 254)
• How other consultants devise winning strategies (see page 40)
• How to copyright your proposal—instantly and at no cost (see page 113)
• How to develop cost strategies (see page 43), technical strategies (see page 118), presentation strategies (see page 186), and competitor strategies (see page 193)
• How to find the keys to creativity (see page 138)
• How to solve the problem of page-limited proposals (see page 257)
• How to produce graphics at virtually no cost (see page 211)
• How to make the bid/no-bid analysis and decision (see page 90)

Book Info
Takes you through all the steps involved in researching, planning, designing, writing, & presenting winning proposals, as drawn from the authors 3 decades of experience as a successful consultant to both government & Fortune 500 companies. DLC: Proposal writing in business. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

The publisher, John Wiley & Sons
The most important skill an independent consultant can possess is skill in marketing--it shows how to write winning proposals and use them to best advantage. Incorporates new material on using a PC and available software for marketing consulting services generally and for writing proposals especially. Also discusses how the federal government, by far the largest market for consulting services, is revamping its procurement systems to increase efficiency and control.

Inside Flap Copy
As a consultant, your livelihood hinges on your ability to put together coherent, concise proposals in writing. But if you’re like most consultants, you’re probably not sure where to begin or what your proposal should look like, how much information to include, or what to leave out. Written by Herman Holtz, one of today’s most successful consultants, this Second Edition of The Consultant’s Guide to Proposal Writing packs over 20 years of consulting experience into the most thorough treatment of proposal preparation ever written. It’s a complete step-by-step guide that enables you to present your expertise in the best possible light. This updated Second Edition covers:

• New information on the advantages of using desktop computers, new software, public data bases, and Fax machines
• New information on "program design" approaches to proposal writing
• Revised information on how to develop effective strategies, the basics of sales and marketing, gathering information, and using graphics

The Consultant’s Guide to Proposal Writing, Second Edition is everything you need to know to simplify one of the most difficult consulting jobs—getting the job in the first place.

Back Cover Copy
THE CONSULTANT'S GUIDE TO PROPOSAL WRITING

Third Edition

When clients make the decision to hire you, they are putting more than money on the line. They are also putting their company's future and its reputation in your hands. That's why your success depends on your ability to gain prospective clients' complete confidence, not only in the solutions you offer, but in you —your capabilities and character.

In this latest edition of his bestselling guide, Herman Holtz—the "Consultant's Consultant"—shows that the most effective means of doing this is with a strategic, well-written proposal. But that's only part of the picture. He also shows you why and how a winning proposal, when correctly used, is an indispensable tool for forging lasting relationships with clients and increasing income.

The first book devoted exclusively to this critical consulting skill, The Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing takes you through all of the steps involved in researching, planning, designing, writing, and presenting winning proposals. Drawing upon nearly three decades of experience as a successful consultant to both government and Fortune 500 companies, Herman Holtz shares everything he knows about what clients really want to see in a proposal and how to give it to them. He also provides valuable tips on effective language and design, what information to include and what to leave out, how not to undersell or oversell yourself, and how to generate interest in additional and future services.

This Third Edition has been thoroughly updated to cover all of the important technological advances that have occurred since the last edition, as well as important new trends in the consulting markets themselves. You'll find a new chapter on how to market yourself in cyberspace via Web sites, e-mail, and other online resources, plus a new section on the latest in desktop publishing technology and how to make the most of it. This edition also features guidance for the growing numbers of consultants specializing in proposal writing, and for professional writers who would like to add proposal writing to the services they offer clients.

The Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing, Third Edition gives you everything you need to know to simplify one of the most difficult consulting jobs—winning clients.

From America's foremost expert on consulting, a complete guide to developing winning proposals

A winning proposal is more than just a statement of proposed consulting services. An effective, well-crafted proposal is a valuable marketing tool that can:

• Win new clients
• Generate new business from established ones
• As much as double your income!

In this updated Third Edition of America's #1 consultant's guide to proposal writing, Herman Holtz —the "Consultant's Consultant" —tells you everything you need to know to research, design, write, present, and get the most out of winning proposals. He tells you what clients are really looking for in proposals and how to give it to them. And he shows you how to:

• Get the most out of the latest desktop publishing technology
• Market yourself via the Web, e-mail, and other online vehicles
• Find and tap key online research sources
• Discover the keys to creativity
• Avoid common errors in proposals
• Safeguard your proposal against piracy
• Solve the problem of page-limited proposals
• Develop cost, technical, presentation, and competitor strategies
• Sell to the government
• Make the bid vs. no-bid analysis and decision