How do you persuade your readers to accept your proposals?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your proposal, you need to analyze your audience and understand their expectations, concerns, and preferences. Who are your readers? What are their roles and responsibilities? What are their problems and goals? How will your proposal benefit them? What are their objections and questions? By answering these questions, you can tailor your proposal to your audience's specific situation and perspective. You can also use appropriate language, tone, and format to suit your readers' level of expertise, familiarity, and formality.

2 Define your purpose

Your proposal should have a clear and specific purpose that guides your writing and informs your readers. What are you proposing? Why are you proposing it? How will you achieve it? What are the outcomes and benefits? Your purpose should be stated in a concise and compelling summary or introduction that captures your readers' attention and interest. You should also provide a clear and logical structure that outlines the main points, arguments, and evidence of your proposal. Use headings, subheadings, lists, and transitions to organize your information and make it easy to follow.

3 Appeal to logic

Your proposal should demonstrate that your ideas, goals, and solutions are reasonable, feasible, and credible. You need to support your proposal with facts, data, examples, and references that show your research, analysis, and expertise. You also need to address any potential risks, challenges, or alternatives that your proposal may face and explain how you will overcome or mitigate them. Use clear, precise, and accurate language to convey your message and avoid any errors, inconsistencies, or ambiguity that may weaken your credibility.

4 Appeal to emotion

Your proposal should also appeal to your readers' emotions and values and show that you care about their needs, interests, and feelings. You need to use positive and persuasive words that elicit enthusiasm, confidence, and trust. You also need to use stories, anecdotes, testimonials, or visual aids that illustrate the benefits, impacts, or outcomes of your proposal. Use emotional triggers such as urgency, scarcity, social proof, or reciprocity to motivate your readers to take action or agree with your proposal. Use polite, respectful, and courteous language to build rapport and goodwill with your readers.

5 Call to action

Your proposal should end with a clear and strong call to action that tells your readers what you want them to do next. Do you want them to approve your proposal, sign a contract, join a meeting, or provide feedback? Your call to action should be specific, actionable, and measurable and include a deadline, a contact person, or a next step. You should also thank your readers for their time, attention, and consideration and express your willingness to answer any questions or provide any additional information they may need.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?