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Proposal Writing: 21 Strategies for Using AI to Expedite and Improve Proposal Writing

Introduction

While no artificial intelligence (AI) tool can ingest your request for proposal (RFP) requirements and pop out a winning proposal, AI can be your partner in expediting proposal writing speed and quality. While AI is a powerful tool, it’s not infallible. Facilitate its writing capabilities by providing timely and accurate information validated by trusted subject matter experts (SMEs). Also, maintain a critical eye on the content your AI tool develops and verify it aligns precisely with your proposal’s goals and requirements.

Improve the Speed and Quality of Proposal Writing Using Generative AI Prompts

Table 1 presents 21 strategies for using Generative AI prompts to improve the efficiency and quality of proposal writing. Here are additional tips for formulating AI prompts to enhance the results you receive using the strategies listed in Table 1.

  • Clearly state what you want and avoid vague or ambiguous language.
  • Provide trusted context to improve the AI tool’s understanding
  • Break down complex tasks into smaller manageable parts.
  • Formulate your prompt as a question to help the AI tool understand your intent.
  • Include examples or scenarios to illustrate what you’re looking for.
  • Clearly define constraints, such as word limits, timeframes, or specific criteria.
  • Experiment with different prompts to see which yields the best results.
  • Continuously review and refine your prompts as you gain experience.

Table 1: 21 Strategies to Use AI to Support Proposal Writing

No.AI Prompt Strategy        Description
1Appendices and attachments Ask your AI tool to help draft and format an appendix using materials you developed to support your solution.
2Call to actionsAsk your AI tool to draft calls to action to engage the reader using approved draft content and examples like those listed in Lohfeld Consulting’s blog 50 Words and phrases that call attention to your benefits, strengths, and discriminators.
3Client-centric language      Tell your AI tool to review your content and verify it aligns with client-specific requirements, industry terminology, and preferences in the RFP.
4Competitive analysis       Ask your AI tool to analyze and document competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) using trusted information.
5Compliance check        Task your AI tool to verify proposal compliance with RFP requirements to ensure all necessary elements are included.
6Content expansion        Ask your AI tool to elaborate on the content you developed to add depth and substance to your proposal.
7CompressionTask your AI tool to compress your text down to the page limits specified in the RFP.
8Content generation        Tell your AI tool to generate draft content based on trusted information you give it.
9Data and statistics        Use your AI tool to extract and format statistical data, research findings, or industry-specific information.
10EditingCommand your AI tool to check your document for spelling, grammar, and syntax errors. Ask it to remove vague or fluffy words like those listed in Lohfeld Consulting’s 100 Words that Kill Proposals.
11Executive summaries   Task your AI tool with summarizing key proposal points into concise executive summaries for busy decision-makers.
12FormattingCommand your AI tool to format content according to your preference.
13Graphics      Instruct your AI tool to create graphics to support explanations in proposals.
14Localization  Use your AI tool for translation or localization into different languages for international client proposals.
15Past performance         Ask your AI tool to generate draft past performance summaries using your prior summaries, status reports, and notes.
16Proof of concept descriptions  Instruct your AI tool to explain your proof of concepts, showcasing their feasibility and value.
17ResumesCommand your AI tool to draft resumes in a desired format for a proposal and highlight how the resumes meet and exceed labor category requirements.
18Scalability    Task your AI tool to generate boilerplate content for standard proposal sections that is easily customizable for future proposals.
19StrengthsFormulate AI commands to describe features and benefits, how the solution exceeds the requirement, and include a proof point.
20Technical descriptionsPrompt your AI tool to provide technical descriptions of products, services, or solutions for non-technical audiences.
21Value proposition        Formulate AI commands to improve the articulation of the value proposition.

Summary

Consider the list of ideas in Table 1 to identify how you can use AI to expedite and improve the quality of your proposal writing. Bid and proposal (B&P) funds are limited in any organization, and AI presents a powerful labor-saving tool to support proposal writing.

By Brenda Crist, Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting Group, MPA, CPP APMP Fellow

Lohfeld Consulting Group has proven results specializing in helping companies create winning captures and proposals. As the premier capture and proposal services consulting firm focused exclusively on government markets, we provide expert assistance to government contractors in Capture Planning and Strategy, Proposal Management and Writing, Capture and Proposal Process and Infrastructure, and Training. In the last 3 years, we’ve supported over 550 proposals winning more than $170B for our clients—including the Top 10 government contractors. Lohfeld Consulting Group is your “go-to” capture and proposal source! Start winning by contacting us at www.lohfeldconsulting.com and join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Brenda Crist
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