How to Write Proposal Cover Letters (Wrong Answers Only)

1. Begin each letter with wishy-washy language such as, “We are grateful to respond to this RFP…,” “We are honored to be involved in this acquisition…,” or best of all, “We are grateful and honored to be included in this RFP…” It’s always good to begin a mutually beneficial business relationship by subjugating yourself to the buyer.
2. They already know who they are, so make your cover letter all about you. Trust me on this one, there’s no better way to begin a new relationship than to talk about yourself…”Hi, I’m Bob. Let me tell you all about me…”
3. Say everything you think is important in your cover letter. Now repeat all of that in the executive summary. Redundant repetition is the mark of a good proposal writer.  
4. To demonstrate your entire company is fully committed to this bid, include a signature page that lists the names and photocopied signatures of all the senior leadership in your company. It doesn’t matter that most of those managers don’t have a clue about this bid or even what’s being bid, listing all of those names on paper shows you’re committed.  
5. Building on that last point, never give the buyer a single point of contact to call if they have questions. It’s best to include contact information for the salesperson, project manager, technical lead, and anybody else you can think to include. It makes it lots more fun for the buyer if they have to figure out who they should call.
6. This is the first thing they read and you have their attention, so do not cut corners. Make it LONG. Really LONG. The longer the better.

Have I left anything out?