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Are your headlines as enticing as sex?

Seldom, if ever, are the readers of your proposal totally focused on what you have to say. There are too many distractions. They’re thinking about the work they have to do; wondering why their boss has been less communicative lately; worrying about their credit card bill. There’s no limit to the number of distractions that divert a reader’s attention from your proposal.

What secrets did Aristotle discover that will make your proposals more persuasive?

Although Aristotle’s treatis was written in the 4th centruy BC, the art of persuasion has not changed. Aristotle knew that how you say something is often more important than what you say. We have all experienced PowerPoint presentations that would cure an insomniac, and others that energize us more than a triple espresso. And often the content of the two presentations was not much different.

You can’t fire a gun without a trigger, why would your proposal be any different?

Logos is a Greek word originally meaning “a ground,” “a plea,” “an opinion,” “an expectation,” “word,” “speech,” “account,” “reason.” Aristotle used the term to mean “measured discourse” or “the argument.” Logos, as it applies to proposals, is the argument you are making about your product or service. It is the gist of your proposal.

Why are problems your solution to better proposals?

Pathos, a greek word meaning “suffering"or "experience” is the second mode of persuasion available to an orator. Pathos refers to the emotional and imaginitive impact of a message on an audience. William (Bill) Bernbach, an advertising creative director said: “In order to persuade someone, you must touch them personally.

Is naïveté losing you sales?

Ethos is the first mode of persuasion that an orator has. Ethos is a Greek word originally meaning “accustomed place, custom, habit.” Ethos forms the root of ethikos meaning “moral, showing moral character.” In Rhetoric, Aristotle broadens the concept to encompass expertise and knowledge as well as moral character.