Writing Proposals

Proposal sections are where you convert structured knowledge into persuasive narrative that wins the RFP. Valent provides AI-assisted drafting, live collaboration, and traceability back to requirements.

Before You Start

• All critical requirements should be approved or at least assigned
• Have a style guide or past winning content nearby for reference
• Confirm who owns each major section

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigate to the Proposal

Open the Decision Room and click “Proposal” in the top navigation. You’ll see an outline auto-generated from the RFP structure (Introduction, Technical Approach, Pricing, etc.).

Step 2: Select a Section

Click a section title (e.g., “3.2 Methodology”) to open the editor.

Step 3: Review Linked Requirements

In the right sidebar, choose “Referenced Items” → “Requirements” to see every requirement tagged to this section.

Step 4: Draft Your Response

You have two options:

Option A: Auto-Draft with AI

1. Click “Generate Draft”
2. Valent creates a starting version incorporating:
   • Referenced requirements
   • Previously approved boilerplate
   • Your corporate voice and style
3. Review and refine the output

Option B: Manual Drafting

• Type directly in the editor
• Paste text from other sources
• Use rich-text tools for tables, images, and callouts

Step 5: Cross-Check Requirements

• Hover over a requirement tag to confirm it’s fully addressed in your text
• If a requirement isn’t covered, click “Insert Requirement Text” or @mention a teammate for help
• The right sidebar shows a green check for addressed requirements, orange for incomplete

Step 6: Save and Version

• Valent auto-saves every few seconds
• Each save creates a version you can compare or roll back to
• Use the History button to browse previous versions

Step 7: Request Review

1. Change the section status to “In Review”
2. Reviewers can leave inline comments
3. Track changes are automatically captured

Step 8: Finalize

1. Resolve all comments
2. Mark the section “Approved”
3. The status rolls up to the overall Proposal progress bar

Using Slash Commands

Type / in the editor for quick actions:

AI Features

Generate Draft

Let AI create a first pass based on:

• The requirements mapped to this section
• Your content library
• Past winning proposals

Suggest Answer

For specific requirements:

1. Highlight the requirement text
2. Click “Suggest Answer”
3. Review the AI suggestion
4. Accept, edit, or regenerate

Prompt Assist

Guide the AI’s output with natural language:

• “Make this more technical”
• “Add ROI data and metrics”
• “Simplify for an executive summary”
• “Include a case study reference”

Collaboration

Comments

Leave and respond to feedback:

1. Highlight text
2. Click the comment icon
3. Type your feedback
4. @mention teammates for attention

Section Status

Track progress with status labels:

Exporting

When Ready to Submit

1. Ensure all sections are Approved
2. Click Export → Word/PDF
3. Choose a template for branding, TOC, and page numbering
4. Download the final document

What’s Included

• Complete proposal with all sections
• Table of contents
• Page numbers and headers
• Company branding (from template)
• Optional: Compliance matrix

Best Practices

Keep Responses Concise

Many evaluators score word-count compliance strictly. Use the live word counter in the bottom right of the editor.

Use Placeholders

Insert placeholders like [Client Name] early. Valent’s global find-and-replace makes final personalization quick.

Leverage Suggested References

The “Suggested References” panel surfaces past responses, win themes, and case studies relevant to your current section.

Stay Requirement-Centric

Start sentences with clear compliance language:

• “Valent will…”
• “The proposed solution shall…”
• “Our approach includes…”

Work in Valent

Export for offline review if needed, but keep the master copy in Valent to maintain traceability and version control.

Tips

• Complete one section fully before moving to the next
• Use AI drafts as a starting point, not a final product
• Always verify AI output against the actual requirements
• Save frequently — even though auto-save is enabled

What’s Next?

After your proposal is complete and submitted, track the outcome in the RFP Pipeline and review performance in the Insights Hub.