SMPS Alaska Article: Proposal Writing Best Practices To Craft Compelling Content Selection Panels Want To Read

SMPS Alaska Event Recap:

Proposal Writing Best Practices to Craft Compelling Content Selection Panels Want to Read

By Isabel Reicher

PSA: If you’re an InDesign user and haven’t yet set up style keyboard shortcuts, automatic tables of contents, automatic section-based footers, or used GREP to fix line breaks… pause right here and go look them up. Trust me, it’s a gamechanger.

All right, now on to the recap.

When I saw the title for this SMPS Alaska Chapter (!) virtual event led by Middle of Six’s Melissa Richey and Becky Ellison, I was instantly intrigued. If you’re not already listening to their A/E/C marketing podcast, The Shortlist, add it to your rotation! It’s a refreshing blend of insights, stories, and practical strategies for marketers. 

The event promised to demystify proposal writing by blending selection panel psychology, storytelling, and thoughtful graphic design strategies, a formula that proved every bit as practical as it sounds.

The session broke down into four parts:

• Selection panel psychology

• Appealing to readers through storytelling

• Project writing strategies

• Proposal design strategies

As a proposal writer, I loved how the focus on psychology and narrative made me pause and reassess some of my own habits. When deadlines stack up, it’s easy to fall into the rinse-and-repeat routine, but this session was a great reminder that curiosity and creativity still have a seat at the proposal table.

Understanding Selection Panel Psychology

Melissa vividly illustrated what it’s like inside a selection committee. She broke down several common committee archetypes and their motivations, needs, fears, and accountability to others:

• The Project Manager: Holds positional power, has a lot at stake, and cares deeply about project delivery.

• The Penny-Pincher: Focuses on budget, availability, project experience, and always calls your references.

• The Politician: Wants to be “wowed” and loves a good infographic.

• The Editor: Demands perfection and values compliance.

• The Critic: Looks for reasons to say “no” and scores low. 

• The Advocate: Scores high and looks for reasons to say “yes.”

Her takeaway was simple but powerful: every proposal speaks to all of these readers, so empathy is a key strategy. Remember, the project means as much to them as it does to you.

Writing for Different Types of Readers

Panels include a mix of reading styles, too:

• Skimmers: Flip quickly through content to get the gist.

• Swimmers: Engage when something stands out but tune out dense text.

• Deep Divers: Read every word and analyze details.

A great takeaway for me was to think like a journalist. Develop a strong angle, craft a compelling lead, and reel the reader in with a clear narrative. Great storytelling brings meaning and human context to our work and helps pull the different types of readers through narratives with momentum.

Another practical tip I loved was to skip the generic “We are pleased to present…” opening in your cover letters (if it’s not an explicit requirement). Instead, show your understanding of the client right away. Research their mission and priorities. If you had a pre-proposal call or site walk, use what you learned (their excitement or anxiety) to shape a more relevant story.

That same approach applies to project descriptions. Don’t just regurgitate the scope; highlight the challenges, opportunities, and creative sparks that defined the project.

Graphic Design Strategies

Becky wrapped up with a graphic design segment full of practical gems. She emphasized that proposals should look as engaging as they read. Use clear hierarchy, callouts, and storytelling graphics to lead all reader types through your story. 

Aim for visuals to cover about 30% to 50% of each page. Use infographics, charts, key stats, and pull quotes to instantly communicate value.

And now, for my fellow InDesign users (this one’s for you), Becky’s quick tips were gold:

• Style keyboard shortcuts for faster text formatting.

• Auto-generated header styles and table of contents.

• Automatic footers that update by section.

• GREP for cleaning up pasted text and deleting stray line breaks! No more manual cleanup of weird formatting from PDFs.

If you’re unfamiliar with any of these features… look them up. Your future self will marvel at all the minutes saved.

Final Thoughts
SMPS Alaska and the Middle of Six team delivered an insightful, actionable session. I left feeling like I had a fresh perspective on storytelling for selection panels, stronger empathy for reviewers, and, honestly, just a little obsessed with GREP.

Isabel Reicher is the Marketing Proposal Manager at Mark Cavagnero Associates, a San Francisco-based architecture firm. She leads firm-wide marketing strategy and oversees the development of proposals, presentations, and collateral to support the firm’s diverse, award-winning portfolio of public, non-profit, and private sector projects.