When was the last time you utilized something? Seriously, honestly, have you ever said, “I’m going to utilize the hammer?” Or did you just use it? The fact is most of us ‘use’ things most of the time—until we write proposal content. Then, for some reason, we start ‘utilizing’ everything.
- Why do we ‘commence’ when it’s just as easy to start?
- Why do we ‘formally request’ when all we have to do is ask?
- Why do we say ‘until such time as’ when until is sufficient?
- Why do we say “persons” instead of people?
When you write proposal content, don’t use words you wouldn’t normally use in everyday life. It doesn’t make you sound smarter, it’s just the opposite. It makes your writing sound canned and pre-packaged, written by a lawyer, but not for the buyer.
When in doubt, trust the wise words of Mark Twain: “I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English…”
David Seibert is president of The Seibert Group, a consulting and training organization for businesses that respond to RFPs from other businesses and from SLED (state/local government and education) agencies.
The Seibert Group provides a range of services:
David authored Proposal Best Practices and The Sales Manager’s Guide to RFPs, he publishes Dave’s Blog about proposal and business development topics, and he is a regular speaker at numerous webinars, seminars, and conventions.
You can contact Dave at David.Seibert@ProposalBestPractices.com. You can also follow Dave on LinkedIn.