Word Clouds And The Executive Summary

Any bid manager or proposal writer worth their salt will tell you that client-focus is vital for crafting a compelling and persuasive Executive Summary. They will also likely tell you that achieving authentic client-focus relies, in part, on striking a properly balanced narrative between buyer and seller.

"The executive summary is the single most important part of your proposal. It's the only part that's likely to be read by everybody involved in making a decision. In fact, its the only part of your proposal that some decision makers will read" - Tom Sant

Testing for the right balance of buyer vs. supplier, outcome vs. requirement, benefit vs. feature is a good starting point for validating client-focus. But how do you test for the right balance? Here's a neat, quick and dirty, visual method. The word cloud.

Get your head into the clouds

A word cloud is a visual representation of word frequency presented as a weighted list, where words that appear more often in the sample textware are awarded greater prominence. Simply put, higher word frequency means larger font size.

By way of example, I have used a word cloud to visualise the output of a 360 degree review, where senior leaders, my peers, direct reports and other stakeholders provided me with professional feedback.

Make time to cleanse your sample textware before loading into a word cloud generator, and remember the confidentiality obligations you have to your client and your firm

Now, imagine running the latest draft of an in-flight Executive Summary into a word cloud. What patterns emerge? Is there an emphasis on client issues and outcomes? Are you promoting your win themes? Have you achieved the right balance of buyer vs. supplier? Send it to print and pin it on the wall. If nothing else, it'll give you something fun to do during your lunch break!

Some words of caution for using word clouds and the executive summary

Make time to cleanse your sample textware before loading into a word cloud generator. Watch out for synonyms and their impact on the 'accuracy' of the word cloud. Be consistent in spelling and capitalisation. And remember the confidentiality obligations you have to your client and your firm. Take appropriate precautions before loading any textware into a word cloud generator.

Other ways to avoid the “do re mi… me me me!” trap

There are other quick and dirty ways to help you avoid the "do re mi... me me me!" trap. One popular method is the "left thumb rule" - run your left thumb down the left margin of your Executive Summary. If your firm's name appears more often than that of your client, take action. And in his book Persuasive Business Proposals, Tom Sant recommends a 3:1 ratio of client name vs. your firm's name.