Winning That Government Contracting Award · Session 4 of 4
Basics of Proposal Writing
Brandon Mason · Maryland Small Business Development Center
Monday, October 5, 2026
Before we start
Scan your worksheet
- Point your phone camera at the code. Or click the link in the Zoom chat.
- Fill in page 1 now. Name, email, business, where you are today.
- Keep the tab open. Today you write two real sentences in it.
Link is in the Zoom chat
Don't hit Submit until the last slide. When you do, the slides and a proposal-writing checklist land in your inbox.
Today
What we're covering
- 01The blank page problem
- 02Compliant, correct, compelling
- 03Features and benefits
- 04Themes, discriminators, ghosting
- 05Customer focus and the evaluator's job
- 06Writing mechanics and graphics
The blank page problem
Part 1 · Where to start
Three wrong starts, one right one
Start from the matrix row, not a blank page.
Compliant, correct, compelling
Part 2 · Three bars
Compliant → correct → compelling
Bar 1
Compliant
You followed every instruction and answered every requirement. Miss it and you can be eliminated before anyone reads your best work.
Bar 2
Correct
Your solution works, your staffing makes sense, your numbers add up. This gets you to "Acceptable."
Bar 3
Compelling
Clear themes, quantified benefits, customer focus. This is what moves you from "Acceptable" to "Outstanding."
On an LPTA buy like Friday's, bars 1 and 2 are the whole game.
Features and benefits
Part 3 · Features and benefits
The "so what?" test
| Feature: what you have | Benefit: what the customer gets |
|---|---|
| A supervisor assigned to every region | One accountable contact, so deficiencies get fixed the same day |
| Backup porters on call | Callouts never leave an office uncleaned |
| Monthly QC inspections with written records | The contracting officer's representative sees problems before recruiters do |
After every sentence, ask: so what?
Part 3 · Features and benefits
Weak, better, best
Example written for class. Formula: feature → quantified benefit → proof → the customer by name.
Worksheet checkpoint · Section A
Write one "so what" sentence
Section A of the worksheet: one feature of your business, its benefit to a government customer, and the proof. Then combine them into one sentence.
Link is in the Zoom chat
Themes, discriminators, ghosting
Part 4 · Win themes
What you want them to remember
- The conclusion you want the evaluator to reach
- A quantified feature plus a customer benefit
- The customer first, in the RFP's own words
- Two or three sentences, 40 words max
- 3 or 4 per proposal, woven through every section
3 or 4. Not 10.
Evaluators read 15 or 20 proposals. They remember three things.Part 4 · Win themes
Good, better, best themes
Example written for class.
Part 4 · Discriminators
What makes you different
Counts
- Near-identical past performance
- Key people the customer already trusts
- Local presence when competitors are remote
- A certification competitors lack
- A method with documented results
Doesn't count
- "We have the best people"
- "We're committed to quality"
- Technology claims with no specifics
- Anything every bidder could say
Part 4 · Ghosting
Ghosting, done right
What you know
They're remote
A likely rival's supervisor is hours awayWhat you write
We're local
"Our supervisors live within 30 minutes of every Maryland site."Never name them. Never knock them.
Customer focus
Part 5 · Customer focus
The 2:1 rule
2:1
the customer's name to yours
Count both names in your draft. If yours wins, flip it.
Part 5 · The evaluator's job
Make their job easy
Do
- Answer every requirement, in the RFP's order
- Use their words: if they say "plan," say plan
- Clear headings that match the requirement
- Tie it back: "In response to PWS 1.2 ..."
Don't
- Rewrite requirements in your own words
- Reorganize their structure
- Leave leaps in logic
- Bury your best point mid-paragraph
Worksheet checkpoint · Section B
Write one win theme
Section B: one win theme for a government customer you want, 40 words or fewer, customer first. Then count: whose name shows up more, yours or theirs?
Link is in the Zoom chat
Writing mechanics and graphics
Part 6 · Writing mechanics
Write so they can score it
- Short, declarative sentences
- Lead each paragraph with the key point
- Numbers beat adjectives
- Back every claim with evidence
- Active voice: "Our team will ..."
- Paragraphs of 4 or 5 sentences
| Cut | Replace with |
|---|---|
| "World-class" | A number |
| "We believe / strive" | "Our team will" |
| "We understand" | Show it in the approach |
Part 6 · Graphics
Graphics that score
Original, not clip art. One good graphic can replace two pages.
Watch for these
Common proposal mistakes
Loses
- Missing a requirement
- All about you, not them
- Telling, not showing how
- Claims with no evidence
Blends in
- No differentiation
- Walls of text, no graphics
- Marketing language
- Themes invented at the deadline
The series
How it all connects
Capture feeds themes. Themes feed the matrix. The matrix drives the writing.
What's next
Submit your worksheet
Keep going
- Your capture template (Session 1) and compliance matrix (Sessions 2 and 3)
- Persuasive Business Proposals, Tom Sant
- acquisition.gov for the FAR, SAM.gov for opportunities
- Free 1:1 advising: capture, matrix, proposal reviews
Worksheet · Section C
Write your one step, then submit.
Your inbox gets: this deck with notes, a proposal-writing checklist, and every link from today.
Questions?
Brandon Mason · Maryland SBDC
bwmason@umd.edu
No-cost, one-on-one consulting. Register as an SBDC client: mdsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/signup
Funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, conclusions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.