Preparing proposal outlines based on what it will take to win

The outline needs to reflect the structure that the customer expects and incorporate everything that the customer wants you to address.  If the RFP is complex, then to create the initial proposal outline it is a good idea to create a Compliance Matrix. A compliance matrix is a tool that helps you align the relevant requirements from the RFP with the section of the proposal where it should be addressed.

Creating the outline and the compliance matrix go hand-in-hand. The compliance matrix helps you parse the RFP into your proposal outline. For each item in your proposal outline, the compliance matrix shows which RFP requirements are relevant. As you read the RFP, you discover requirements and decide where to address them within your outline. As you go along, you modify the outline until you have a place to address every requirement.  The result is both your proposal outline, and a tool that shows which RFP requirements to address in each section. 

Here is some additional guidance

• How to word the headings in your proposal outline.
• 16 Ways to organize an RFP, without any instructions from the customer
• The best proposal outline is written from the customer's point of view, and how to achieve that

When your compliance matrix and proposal outline are complete, make sure you validate the outline before you start using it. Here is a checklist for validating your proposal outline.

Creating an outline and a compliance matrix is the first step in creating a Proposal Content Plan.  Neither the outline nor the compliance matrix is sufficient on its own to describe everything that needs to go into winning a proposal. But they are a good start. The outline provides the structure, and the compliance matrix helps you understand what you need to do to be compliant with the RFP. A Proposal Content Plan takes that foundation and adds to it everything else you need in your proposal in order to win.