The Art of Proposal Creation

for Architects, Engineers, & Contractors

In these five sessions with bonus materials, proposal experts Julie Flattery AIA LA and Claire Schatzle will teach you how to make the entire proposal process easier, smoother, and more efficient to increase your chances of winning work.

This workshop is available as:

Downloadable Digital Workshop Course

In-Person, Customizable Workshops

All workshop content is created based on AEC principal and marketing team input, years of reviewing proposals that failed to send the right messages to potential clients, and interviews with selection committee members on proposal strengths and weaknesses. This is the only proposal workshop that teaches you everything about the process from start to finish. In addition to proposal development, you will learn about:

  • How to form and maintain client relationships

  • Pre-proposal meetings and who should attend

  • In-house proposal kickoff meetings, and what the focus should be

  • How to deconstruct the RFP/Q and make it work for you

  • How to get what you need from team members and subconsultants

  • What to do when you’re short on images

  • Design characteristics specific to proposals

  • Ways to think outside the box when you are breaking into new territory

What Sets Our Workshops Apart?

Created for anyone who participates in the proposal process, our workshops are designed to help principals, architects, engineers, contractors, administrative support, and marketing teams. They are also used as a training tool for anyone new to proposal writing and design.

Who is this for?

What Our Workshops Offer

Over five sessions you will learn to strengthen the narrative with targeted writing and visuals.

  • • Forming & maintaining client relationships

    • Pre-proposal meetings & site visits

    • Proposal goals

    • Deconstructing the RFP/Q

    • How to get what you need from team members in a timely manner

    • Helpful materials

  • • RFP/Q layout elements: imagery, graphics, color, text, etc.

    • Proposal design and project processes to simplify the process and unify expectations

    • Review best practices for common proposal sections (cover/back cover, resumes, project sheets, etc.)

    • Tips + Tricks

    • Obstacles when exporting

    • Ready-made templates/graphics

  • • Overview of basic writing rules

    • Researching the client

    • How to avoid boilerplate openings and shift the focus

    • Writing to acknowledge the client and project/project goals

    • Sum up your team’s relevant qualifications per the RFP/Q

    • Crafting the right closing

    • Rules for proofing & editing

  • • When to write the project story

    • Hitting the requested RFP/Q topics in a way that sets your firm apart verbally and visually

    • How to choose the right images to tell your stories

    • Resources for small firms

  • • How to target resumes to the RFP/Q

    • Using your templates effectively

    • Why client quotes are important and how to get them

    • Outside the box creative solutions to graphics and answering requirements

Choose your plan

Tier 1

$100

Online Course Only

Popular

Tier 2

$200

Online Course +
Virtual Support

Tier 3

$300

Online Course +
Workshop

  • What Clients Say About Deconstructed Workshops

    With new and seasoned team members in my department, I reached out to Julie to see if we could get a workshop set up to get us all on the same page. Not only did she easily accommodate, but she also customized the process to suit our needs. We left the 2-day workshop feeling invigorated with new ideas, bolstered with refined techniques, and most importantly, felt a stronger unification within our team. Both Julie and Claire hold a wealth of information and experience; those new to ACE marketing—or veterans in this field—will come away with knowledge to help their company’s pursuit of excellence.

    Jennifer Cornilles
    Marketing Director
    Walsh Construction Co.

  • What Clients Say About Deconstructed Workshops

    I invited Julie to present to our [AIA Small Firms Exchange] group at our monthly meeting and she presented on strategies small firms can employ to tailor their message to multiple client types. Julie’s background working in a variety of architecture firms leading their marketing & business development efforts brought a wealth of experience on how to verbally communicate a firm's unique value. The presentation and subsequent discussion were fantastic and there was true engagement from those who attended.

    Jennifer Wright, AIA | LEED AP BD+C
    Founder | Architect | Interior Designer
    Studio Rallymade Design & Architecture

  • What Clients Say About Deconstructed Workshops

    Thanks for putting on an amazing workshop. Our Marketing Manager came back from each session with a lot of information and tips and tricks that I’m sure I’ll learn from as well! You both have a ton of knowledge within the industry and with writing proposals, so thank you for sharing!

    Michael Strachan
    Former Marketing Director
    Harder Mechanical Contractors

  • What Clients Say About Deconstructed Workshops

    Deconstructed Workshops was very informative and provided a lot of value for our team. Julie and Claire were both engaging and knowledgeable. As a visual designer, I learned several new tips and tricks to streamline and improve the proposal process, while also being validated for some of the processes I had already been using.

    Noël Frodelius-Fujimoto
    Designer & Marketing Coordinator
    Walsh Construction Co.