Easy access to crucial business information for design professionals

Find the concise, practical business information you need right now in the Architect’s Essentials of Professional Practice Series. These authoritative guides quickly make you an instant expert on the best business practices crucial for success in today’s design and construction professions. Each portable, affordable, user-friendly volume gives you:

• Authoritative advice from leading national figures
• Flip-and-find access to critical business information
• Bulleted lists and callout boxes for quick reference
• Clear, insightful explanations of complex business topics

Architect’s Essentials of Winning Proposals presents a complete, organized approach to writing, designing, and presenting proposals that grab clients’ attention, stand out from the crowd, and win contracts! Effectively evaluate opportunities and put your efforts into the work you’re most likely to win. You’ll learn how to design a proposal-writing process and create a proposal team that analyzes client needs and focuses each proposal on demonstrating how your firm will meet those needs. You’ll discover winning ways to personalize proposals, increase success rates, and make the entire proposal process more cost-effective.

Written by a leading expert in the field, Architect’s Essentials of Winning Proposals is an indispensable resource for architects, landscape architects, interior designers, engineers, and others whose business depends on creating effective, affordable, winning proposals.

This guide for architects offers an approach to writing, designing, and presenting proposals. The book identifies the elements of a successful proposal, outlines the development process, and provides presentation guidelines. Stasiowski (a business consultant for architects and engineers) offers advice on assessing opportunities, addressing the client's needs, and standing out from the competition.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Intended Audience: Practicing architects, landscape architects, and interior designers.

FRANK A. STASIOWSKI, FAIA, is Founder, CEO, and President of PSMJ Resources, Inc., a firm that specializes in improving the business performance of architecture, engineering, and construction firms and their personnel.

Preface.

PART I: PROPOSAL PLANNING.

What's So Special About Writing a Proposal?

Setting the Stage for Winning Proposals: Marketing.

Setting the Stage for Winning Proposals: How Much Should You Spend?

Setting the Stage for Winning Proposals: Types of Proposals.

To Bid or Not to Bid? The Go/No-Go Decision.

Your Proposal Strategy.

Your Proposal Plan, Your Team, and the Process.

PART II: PROPOSAL ELEMENTS.

Up Front: Cover Letter, Table of Contents, Executive Summary.

Résumés.

Scope of Services and Approach.

Schedule, Budget, and Fee.

Related Experience.

Additonal Materials: SF 254/255 Forms, Appendix; and Management Proposal.

PART III: PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT.

Giving Your Proposal Finesse: Writing and Graphics.

The Red Team Review.

It's Ready, Now What?

PART IV: PROPOSAL PRESENTATION.

Your Presentation Team. 

Your Presentation Contents.

Visuals.

Preparing and Rehearsing.

Afterwards.

Index.