Journalism offers many principles and
practices that a bid-writer may
valuably heed . . . most especially as
concerns the crafting of a punchy and
enticing opening paragraph or, in
journalistic lexicon, a “lead-in” or “intro”.
This peak paragraph should encapsulate
the essence of your piece. While you should be
as direct and interesting as possible throughout, the “intro” sets the scene for all the
content that follows in that piece or section.
With the intro in place and doing its job,
the next element of the journalistic formula
a bid writer may wish to make good use of
is the “inverted pyramid” principle.
The inverted pyramid dictates that you
organise the key points of your content in
descending order of importance – leading
in with a summary of the most important
point, followed by the next most important
point, then the next. This generally relates
to the first three paragraphs, after which the
rest of the story unfolds as an expansion of
the points made in these.
The journalistic rationale is that the
average newspaper reader scan-reads most
articles. Therefore, he or she needs to get
the gist of the story in the headline and the
first three paragraphs.
While the reader-evaluator will, you
would hope, read the full text of your
response / proposal sections, it still behooves
you to lead in with your most critical
information and develop your piece in an
order that maintains his or her keen interest.
The AIDA Formula
An equally viable format for rolling out
your content is the “AIDA” formula used to
guide direct marketing pieces. It’s similar to
– although not the same as – the journalistic
“inverted pyramid” principle.
This acronym stands for Attention,
Interest, Desire and Action.
In “bid” terms, this formula translates to:
• Get attention
• Build interest
• Unfold the big picture / your observations
of the prospect organisation’s project
or procurement, its needs, and the
quantifiable benefits it seeks
• Build your case / establish credibility /
provide proof points
• End with a reminder of your key theme
and the wisdom of choosing your
offering as the answer to the prospect’s
problem or need.
How to Use Time-Tested Writing Principles to Improve the Impact of Your Proposals
