Re: A question for you all ...

[kcronin -at- daleen -dot- com]

>Dawn asks:

>Do you write proposals?  

Yes.

>* What type of proposals do you write? For example, proposals for
>grants, for hi-tech projects, for sales and marketing depts, etc., etc. 

Proposals for sales and implementation of large software systems. As such,
I'm part of the company's sales department.


>* How did you get into proposal writing? 

A new position was created at the company where I was currently working as
a "documentation engineer," writing manuals and help systems. It looked
more interesting than the assignments I was getting,  so I interviewed for
it, and transferred.


>* What appeals to you most about writing proposals?

1) Good fit for my skill set and personality

A point of clarification: If you end up doing a lot of proposals, and/or
making proposals your main focus, the job is not so much about *writing*
proposals as *assembling* them, and managing the proposal processes. If
you repeatedly propose similar products and services, often in response to
a lengthy and detailed RFP (request for proposal), you're going to find it
most effective to recycle chunks of information. Being able to organize,
maintain, and regurgitate pertinent information on cue is very important.

Proposals are often legally binding, so attention to detail is very
important. Also, RFPs often present many hoops for you to jump through,
and doing so is really your company's first chance to show your
prospective customer the kind of service they can expect from you.
Unreasonable deadlines are the norm, and you're often dealing with several
overlapping projects, so ability to manage time and to multitask are
crucial.

I'm basically an anal worrywart, so it's a good fit.


2) Much higher profile than a typical doc gig

My experience in "straight documentation" jobs is that you're on the low
end of the food chain. And at the far end of "the loop." More than one
company I've worked for has treated documentation as an afterthought, and
this attitude was reflected in the pay, the demands, and the appreciation
that was (or wasn't) shown. If you don't have a strong doc manager who
acts as an advocate for your team, you can really get shafted.

When I started writing 7-figure proposals, I found I was suddenly much
more in the loop. I meet weekly with the heads of the company, and have a
much clearer idea of what's going on in the company. And, equally
important, the company became much more aware of ME than it had been when
I wrote manuals for them.

I *always* work hard, but in the proposal job I received MUCH more
attention, even winning a couple awards. Heads of the company know me by
name, which is unusual in my experience. It's not that what I'm doing is
*better*, but its impact on the all-important Bottom Line is much more
direct.

In essence, it makes my contribution more *conspicuous* - which in this
layoff-ridden time is VERY important.



3) Better pay

With the heightened profile came a bigger check, and several raises. Yay
capitalism!


CAVEAT - Proposals are a niche market. There are far more regular
documentation jobs out there. But they are a good fit for a tech writer
who is good at writing not only about a product's features, but about the
*benefit* those features offer. A tech writer is a better fit than a
regular marketing writer, because (in software at least) the proposals and
the questions you have to answer are very technical.

Hope this is helpful.



-Keith Cronin
____________________________

Tech writers. Chicks dig 'em.
Proposal writers. Companies dig 'em.


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