Books Slideshow: 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Drafting Business Proposals

CIOs are being asked more often to contribute their unique perspective and expertise in business planning and operations. That likely means helping prepare and evaluate business proposals as you become a key member of your organization's strategic leadership team. In his new book, Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts (Amacom/available now), author Tom Sant offers a roadmap for creating winning business plans. He also points out common mistakes and details what business plans should avoid. Most importantly, business plans need to show how your proposal creates value, Sant says. Here CIO Insight takes a look at some potential pitfalls when drafting business plans. Sant is a consultant specializing in this niche, he's written more than $30 billion dollars worth of winning plans for clients like General Electric, Microsoft, Lucent and Accenture.