Why Proposals Win
From GOVSALESWIKI
Installment [ 49 ]
Why Proposals Win
By Richard White
Winning a bid opportunity does not occur due to blind luck. Wins are almost always the result of intense and aggressive upfront sales efforts to end users. Deciding on whether to bid on an opportunity can be a stressful and challenging task. However, the clues as to whether to bid on a project are actually very clear from the very beginning of the process. Unfortunately, many ignore the clues. If one were to focus on the customer’s demeanor, it becomes apparent early in the game whether he or she has been sold that you have a solution to their problem. You must also search for signs that your competitors may have also sold the customer on the fact that they have a viable solution as well. At this point in the game, it may be clear that your company should bid on the project while it remains less obvious whether you are going to walk away with the deal.
Your staff has sold the customer. Now what? Winning proposals begin with a detailed outline. First deconstruct the Request for Proposal (RFP) and build the proposal outline. Do it once and with enough thoroughness to give you a splitting headache. This may require that you read the painfully-boring RFP numerous times as you are building the outline. Pick out each and every requirement, each evaluation criteria, every instruction, all meaningful contract clauses, and the like and cut and paste them into your outline.
Although the foregoing is a good way to start, a detailed outline without a strong strategy and selling points does not have a prayer. This is where the upfront sales efforts come in. Now add selling points your sales staff gleaned during the sales process, model text, thoughts about how your business has done it in the past, text from previous solutions, and anything pertaining to the deal at hand that will enhance the proposal. All of these points should be added to the outline at the inception of the outline’s preparation. Why? A detailed outline stimulates discussion amongst the proposal team if it is made available to the team at the beginning. Ideas can then be added to the outline and the outline can be enhanced repeatedly until it begins to take on the characteristics of a winning proposal.
The outlining process can takes days or even weeks and, because of the amount of effort involved, there is an inherent tendency to shortcut the process. Don’t shortcut the outlining process; this is a mortal sin. You will waste massive amounts of time downstream because the first draft will be a disorganized mess. During proposal meetings, your team will hear the following over and over, "Wasn’t that in the RFP somewhere" followed by 5 - 10 minutes of paper rustling while everyone in the meeting tries to find where "that" is in the RFP.
Does this sound like a highly-structured business process? We have automated the process for you in the Proposal Architect, our new proposal-writing product. It doesn’t write the proposal for you but provides the structured outline you need to write a responsive, winning proposal.
A Complete Business Process for Sales & Proposal Writing
The Proposal Architect provides a highly-structured business process for writing federal proposals.
Why is the Proposal Architect different from other software products?
- Integrates the sales and proposal-writing processes (resulting in a winning proposal which is focused on the customer’s needs).
- Focuses solely on federal proposal writing
- Provides a cohesive structure for each step of the process of preparing a proposal. Each step of the process is linked to the other
- Saves your staff time by providing model text and a very controlled writing process
- Assures compliance with the Request for Proposal (RFP)
The Proposal Architect includes content for training your staff in the art of federal sales and proposal writing. Detailed instructions are included for writing each chapter of a federal proposal.
Read more about the Proposal Architect visit http://www.proposalarchitect.com/.
Cost: $2,900
Demo the Proposal Architect - Click Here
For assistance with the demo or for more information call 888-661-4094 ext. 8.
Executive Breakfast with Proposal Architect Author, Richard White
Is your company experiencing proposal writing problems? Join the crowd of most federal contracting companies. Learn why your proposals are less than successful in this two hour breakfast training event.
Join us on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 and hear Richard White, author of the Proposal Architect address:
- Defensive proposal writing
- Advanced proposal writing techniques
- Features and benefits of the Proposal Architect
- Demonstration of the Proposal Architect
Schedule:
8:30 - 8:45am - Registration & Networking
8:45 - 9:15am - Advanced Techniques
9:15 - 10:30am - Product Demonstration
Location:
The Federal Sales Academy
3 Bethesda Metro Center
Suite M020
Bethesda, MD 20814
Cost: $100 per person
Directions to location:
http://www.fedmarket.com/seminars/academy-3metro.shtml[1]
Author’s Bio:
http://www.fedmarket.com/about/rwhite.shtml[2]
REGISTER HERE
Register online or call 888.661.4094 x 8 to reserve your seat.
If you are unable to attend, arrange an online demonstration with the author of the Proposal Architect call 301.652.9504 x 110.
Writing and Managing Winning Proposals (1-day seminar)
Does your business spend weeks and countless resources pulling together a proposal that it submits at the last minute? The reality is that most companies have a 5% chance at winning contracts when they "take a shot" at responding to RFP’s that they found on the web.
"Writing and Managing Winning Proposals" was specifically created to lighten the load on the number of responses to RFPs and win more government business. The tools and insight offered in this class are well worth your return on investment!
Register online or call 888.661.4094 x 8 to reserve your seat.
Free Informative Whitepaper by Richard White: Save Big Dollars with Proposal Templates
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If you need help with any other product sales, call or write as follows: (888) 661-4094 ext. 8 or sales@thefederalmarketplace.com.