Improve the Readability of Your RFP Response – with Samantha Enslen - EP084
Episode description
Proposals that win business are easy to read. But how do we make technical content accessible without dumbing down the material? And what tools are available to help us improve the readability of an RFP response?
Samantha Enslen is the content strategist and technical editor behind Dragonfly Editorial, an award-winning creative agency known for explaining complex topics clearly. The Dragonfly team creates content for some of the world’s leading consulting firms, including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Booz Allen Hamilton and DXC Technology. A leader in the world of proposal writing, Samantha was recently named a 2020 APMP Fellow.
On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Samantha is back to discuss readability, describing how to enable Word’s readability function and interpret the data it provides.
She explains why proposals should be written below a ninth-grade level (even when they convey a complex technical message) and shares the surprising Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level scores of several great works of literature.
Listen in for Samantha’s insight on writing in first person and get her #1 tip for instantly making your proposal more accessible and easier to read!
Key TakeawaysThe 2 readability meters you can use to analyze the text of an RFP response
How the number of words per sentence and percentage of passive voice impacts readability
How to enable the readability function in Microsoft Word
How readability data helps SMEs learn to be more concise
Why proposals should be written below the 9th grade level (even if they convey a complex technical message)
How great works of literature score surprisingly low on the Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level scale
Why Samantha recommends writing in 1st person whenever possible
The biggest mistakes Samatha sees in proposal writing
- Overly formal rather than conversational
- Too much detail, irrelevant information
- Responses that don’t answer the question
The conscious effort it takes to write from the reader’s perspective
Samantha’s #1 tip for instantly making your proposal more accessible and easier to read
Connect with Samantha Connect with LisaThe RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Community on LinkedIn
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
ResourcesSamantha on The RFP Success Show EP083
How to Enable the Readability Function in Word
The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level & Flesch Reading Ease Scores
ISO Standards of Plain Language