The process of bidding on government contracts can be time-consuming and challenging. Not surprisingly, a substantial number of contractors will therefore seek out templates to help them with their federal proposal writing. But this practice often hurts and hinders more than it helps. Although you may think a template is a quick and easy solution to your problem, the truth is that federal contracting proposals take time to be completed effectively. If you approach every government contract proposal as if it’s the very first one, you’ll have a much better chance of securing that desired bid. Here are three reasons why you should avoid using a template for any future federal contracting proposals:
- They undermine bid quality
The quality of your government proposals are not determined by computer. They are read by real human beings who want to see a genuine response rather than generated answers. When a contractor has used a template in their proposal, it’s fairly easy to spot. You want your proposal to be of the highest possible quality in order to increase your chances of being chosen, so don’t cut corners and think you’ll slip past the evaluation. - They confuse your approach
When you use a template, the end result may not follow the correct format or strategy for a specific solicitation. Proposal creation should be unique to every project, but using a template treats all bids in the same way. You want to set your proposal apart from the rest; using a template does the exact opposite. Your individual approach should be formatted to fit each bid’s requirements. Using a template can make everything sound generic and difficult to understand. - They may lack necessary information
Templates don’t allow you to delve into the specifics of your proposal. You need to address all of the evaluation requirements that are specified within the bid. But because they’re so general, templated responses lack this kind of information. By copying and pasting previous template proposals, you’re ignoring the requests for specific information. These types of proposals will be automatically ignored. It’s obvious when information is missing and it shows a lack of attention to detail on the contractor’s part.
If you’re submitting federal contracting proposals, make sure to pay attention to all requirements. If you’re unable to write them yourself, hire an experienced proposal writer. Don’t miss out on an important federal bid because you were too busy or indifferent to write your proposal with professional standards in mind.
