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The Proposal Trap
In the consulting engineering world, many clients write their RFPs/RFQs forcing firms to "answer the mail" in ways that are very self-promoting. Firms that build a relationship with their clients and prospects know how to respond to RFPs/RFQs effectively without all the self-promotion.

Stop We'ing All Over Your Proposals
It is a difficult trap to escape. Nearly every question and required data requested by the client force proposal writers into sounding very "we-centered." Stop we'ing all over your proposals. Exceptional proposals should be client-centered, which is a major differentiator. 

Spam = Delete!
Think about it from the perspective of your email inbox. It's the difference between all the spam email messages you simply block or delete and the ones that come from a person you know, respect, and with whom you want to communicate. Proposals that come from "unknown" companies come across like spam. They rarely get read and are quickly discarded.

Winning Starts with Relationships
Proposals should only come from people clients know, respect, and want to work with. Otherwise, your proposal is just spam!

Great BD = Winning Proposals
With this in mind, business development is a critical differentiator when it comes to winning the proposal game. This means spending time getting to know a prospective client with whom you wish to work. It also means spending time nurturing the client relationships you already have.

Stop Substituting Proposals for Business Development
Never substitute a proposal for a meaningful client interaction, just to "keep our name in front of the client." Proposals are not effective marketing tools, just like unsolicited spam emails are not effective marketing tools. Unless . . . those proposals and emails are coming from a familiar helper.