Persuasive Business Proposals, 3rd Edition

11 Letter Proposals

ADHERE TO THE GOLDILOCKS PRINCIPLE OF PROposal writing: provide only as much content as the decision maker needs and nothing more. Strive to make your proposal “just right” in terms of size. (Or, as we stated in Chapter 4, observe the maxim of quantity, to use Paul Grice’s phrase.) For example, you can often meet your prospect’s needs for a clear recommendation and sufficient supporting detail just by writing a letter, especially if you’ve simply been asked, “Why don’t you put together a proposal for me so I can take a look at what you’re thinking?” Such a letter proposal may be as brief as a single page or as long as three or four pages with attachments. The exact salutation you use, the particular format you choose (block, ...