Prove It! Three Tips to Creating Strong Substantiation Statements

In our “Better Proposal Writing” series, we have covered how to create a strong section introduction and how to craft compelling content to articulate an approach. Good proposals do not just state the work a company will perform. It also backs up the approach with proof statements explaining why it is the best option for the client. This blog post provides clear, actionable tips to crafting strong substantiation in your proposal.

what is substantiation?

Substantiation answers the basic question, “can you prove it?” In my previous life as a historian, you had to back up every assertion and argument with evidence from either primary (first-hand) or secondary (other interpretations) source material. The same goes for any solution or argument you make in your proposal.

The purpose of substantiation is to convince the evaluator that your approach is not just something you made up. It convinces your client you can deliver on the promises you’ve written in your proposal. Being able to provide evidence to back up your assertions reduces risk for the buyer.

There are three forms of substantiation:

• Past Performance. Where have we done similar work? What was the outcome?

• What Customers Say We Have Done. How have we helped their mission?

• What Third Parties Say We Have Done. Have we won any awards using this approach? Do we have any independent verification?

How can we make our substantiation statements stand out? Here are three tips to apply in your proposal writing.

tip 1: use metrics whenever possible

Proof statements are more powerful when they are backed up by metrics. Look at the following two statements and consider which sounds more powerful:

*Our support allowed Client X to reduce production time by 18%, decreasing cost per unit by 7% and increasing capacity by 11%.

*Our support allowed our client to significantly increase production and lower their per-unit cost.

While the second statement is strong, backing it up with the numbers gives the buyer confidence you can deliver. Using vague terms like “significantly increase” can cause confusion for the reader; what one person considers significant another might not.

Therefore, organizations should document and provide clear, quantifiable evidence as much as possible. I often advise organizations to have an accessible, easily navigable library of key metrics and proof points. This repository has two main benefits. It allows you to access this key data easily. It also limits the imposition you make on your line organization by limiting the number of times you ask them for information. A note of warning: make sure you update the repository regularly (at least quarterly) to ensure you have the most current information.

tip 2: quotations are king

Talking about how great your performance has been is all well and good. However, readers often view such statements with some skepticism. Second, too many “we did this great thing” statements may appear as bragging. To help overcome both concerns, proposals should include information from others.

First, look to your client for feedback. Collect information from customer surveys, feedback, kudos, reports, etc. Organizations should create and maintain a repository for each contract that includes this feedback. In Government contracting, reports from the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) are great sources for material.

For anything directly from your client, make sure you ask permission to include it in your proposal. Some clients (including some Government agencies) have either an approval process or are generally not supportive of their information being included in proposals. In addition, it is a common courtesy. You do not want it to get back to your client from someone that you included them in your proposal without at least consulting them first.

Second, use third-party reports to back up your assertions whenever possible. If a project where you used the same approach proposed won an award, make sure you write this in your proposal. If a group like Gartner has scored your organization or project highly, cite it in your proposal.

Combined, having outside verification of your capabilities adds a level of confidence with your capabilities and approach.

tip 3: don’t make stuff up

In 2001, Notre Dame hired George O’Leary as its new football coach after a successful run at Georgia Tech. However, within days O’Leary was out. He resigned after it emerged he exaggerated his on-field experience decades earlier as a college player. He also claimed to have a Masters Degree in Education from New York University, but didn’t.

Make sure every statement in your proposal is true and can be backed up with evidence. Creating proof points that do not exist is not just bad proposal practice, is it unethical and paints your organization in a bad light. People buy from those they like and trust; creating false substantiation negatively impacts both likeability and trust.

conclusion

Substantiation is critical to a successful proposal. It puts the evaluator’s mind at ease that you can execute on what you’ve promised. Writing strong, factually-based proof points can be the difference between a good proposal and a winning one.