powerpoint presentation

Winning New Business: Preparing Proposals 101©

Judith M. HerrWell Chosen [email protected]

August 2003

Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 2

About the Speaker

Judith’s experience ranges across disciplines including information technology; management; occupational/public health; medical, biological, and environmental sciences; adult education; fund-raising for nonprofit organizations; and community development. Her understanding of international efforts stems from her experiences accumulated from living three years in Belgium, three years in Malaysia, and traveling extensively in Europe and Asia. .

Judith Herr brings 20+ years accumulated expertise to managing, contributing, and providing consultative support to large and small proposal efforts as well as for technical/business communication contracts. After 10+ years as a Director of Communications for a very large, high-tech consulting firm, she formed Well Chosen Words.


You have a brain my friend, all you need is a certificate


In this presentation we will cover…

My “Top 10 Lessons Learned” A good fit – proposals and communicators Talking the talk – mastering proposal

language Proposal team organization – help wanted! Proposal preparation process Parsing government-issued requests for

proposals (RFPs); designing responses Reprise: My “Top 10 Lessons Learned”


My Top 10 List of “Lessons Learned”

1. Follow all RFP instructions exactly; continuously update compliance matrix (1,then throughout)

2. When preparing schedule, inflate time required for production - yes, lie, you’ll be glad you did! (2,3)

3. Keep proposal team comfortable; reward and publicly recognize contributors (throughout)

4. Collect 24X7 contact info for team; anyone else potentially needed (2, 3, 4)

5. Match identified key positions with potential proposed personnel as soon as possible (early3)

Note: Numbers in parenthesis are proposal phases.


My Top 10 List of “Lessons Learned” (cont.)

6. Keep technical experts/managers focused (3, 4)7. Early in process, draft cover letter; design concept,

cover, tabs, spine, CD labels, etc. (early 3)8. Edit continuously, but accept substantial content

changes graciously -- or at least tactfully (3, 4)9. Invite a very senior manager to recruit reviewers

and lead the Red Team Review (3, 4)10. Know when to give up perfection for “good

enough” (3, 4, 5)Note: Numbers in parenthesis are proposal phases.


Assuring good fit – proposal efforts and technical communicators

Help Wanted: Immediate. Requires stamina; ability to read, write, spell, correct; organize/coordinate/manage communication-related project. Detail-oriented; retain equanimity/enthusiasm in panic atmosphere; may require occasional ‘odd’ hours

And… knack for quickly mastering new technical material and comprehending technical experts -- and adopting the lingo

Attachment 1: Exercise – “Matching proposal requirements to capabilities”. Additional material – “Selected Terms, Acronyms, References”


Talking the talk – mastering proposal team language and behavior

Bid/no bid; requirements driven outline; “show-stoppers?”

FedBizOpps; OCI, FOCI, DCAA, GSA T&M, CPFF, FFP, Reps & Certs, etc. Gold, Green, Blue, and Red Teams “War Room”; win themes; “answer the mail”; “breadth

and depth,” business drivers. Food? Sleep? Selected Reading List; Terms and Acronyms from

[email protected] or web (http://home.comcast.net/~m.herr/)


Acquisition Manager

Project Planning

Proposal ManagerReviewTeam

Technical Volume Leaders

Management Volume Leader

Cost Volume Leader

Proposal Coordinator

Proposal Writers

Proposal Writers

Proposal Writers Production Staff

Production Staff

Proposal Team Organization


The Proposal Process

Phase 1: Before the RFP Phase 2: Proposal planning; kickoff Phase 3: Proposal preparation process Phase 4: Internal and adversarial review

process Phase 5: Production/delivery; post

proposal activities


Flow Chart of the Proposal Process


Phase 1 – Before the RFP

Track announcements and release date Visit/market potential client, if possible Collect resumes of potential key personnel;

update capabilities statements Assess available proposal team resources;

review business strategic plan; available project manager?


Phase 2 – Proposal Planning/Kickoff

Study RFP for unanticipated requirements or “show-stoppers”

Make bid/no bid decision. Prepare/submit questions for RFP clarification Prepare requirements-driven proposal outline Draft schedule; form core proposal team Contact list; version/file control, team

communication vehicles “Win themes”; competitor strengths/

weaknesses?


Phase 2 – Proposal Planning, Kickoff (cont.)

Recruit core proposal team Draft compliance matrix Coordinate with financial/costing staff Storyboard; design elements, cover, format Review production and delivery requirements Hold kickoff meeting – make writing

assignments– ‘cast of 1,000s’


Phase 3 –Proposal Preparation Process

Emphasize firm deadlines for completion Refine graphics, tables, design elements to

illustrate text, re-enforce win themes Monitor/ enforce version control system Develop proposed contract organization/

management structure Draft profiles/resumes for proposed project

manager/ key personnel


Phase 3 –Proposal Preparation Process (cont.)

Conduct substantive edit; consist across all sections/cost proposal?

Continuously check details, refine tables

Design final deliverable Update compliance

matrix


Proposal Team at Work


Phase 4 – Review Process

Internal reviews of preliminary drafts - Blue Review costing strategy - Green Freeze draft; conduct peer review of technical/

management proposals Conduct editorial review in parallel

Review draft cover letter Convene formal review by ‘Red Team’ that

model client’s ‘Evaluators’ Incorporate reviewer comments Prepare (and hide) final draft


Phase 5 – Production/Delivery

Arrange for independent edit of final text Recheck final against RFP requirements Include compliance matrix in submittal? Prepare cover letter for signature Refine final graphics Test print final version (even if delivering

electronically) Arrange for delivery per RFP instructions


Parsing a Sample Government-Issued RFP

Relevant sections of the RFP Summary page Cover form Section L: Proposal Preparation Instructions Section M: Evaluation Criteria Statement of Work/Scope of Work

See Attachment 2 for example sections of current RFP


Typical Proposal High Level Outline in Response to Government RFP

1. Executive summary/introduction2. Corporate infrastructure, 3. Personnel – Attachment 34. Corporate experience5. Past performance6. Technical understanding or case study (if

required)7. Response to Questions/contract negotiation.

Oral presentation (if required following submittal)


Reprise: My Top 10 List of “Lessons Learned”

1. Follow all RFP instructions exactly; continuously update compliance matrix (1,then throughout)

2. When preparing schedule, inflate time required for production - yes, lie, you’ll be glad you did! (2,3)

3. Keep proposal team comfortable; reward and publicly recognize contributors (throughout)

4. Collect 24X7 contact info for team; anyone else potentially needed (2, 3, 4)

5. Match identified key positions with potential proposed personnel as soon as possible (early3)


.


Reprise: My Top 10 List of “Lessons Learned” (cont.)

6. Keep technical experts/managers focused (3, 4)

7. Early in process, draft cover letter; design concept, cover, tabs, spine, CD labels, etc. (early 3)

8. Edit continuously, but accept substantial content changes graciously -- or at least tactfully (3, 4)

9. Invite a very senior manager to recruit reviewers and lead the Red Team Review (3, 4)

10. Know when to give up perfection for “good enough” (3, 4, 5)



End of the Brick Road: All you need is energy, enthusiasm, and the ability to…

Analyze project requirements; understand audiences Multi-task Interview subject matter experts Conduct reviews Coordinate all stages of documentation projects Design information to satisfy requirements Write, edit, coordinate, produce/distribute See the humor in the ironic Market – the certificate is attached!

Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003

This Certificate of Excellenceis hereby granted to:

youfor diligently applying what you’ve gained from the STC-

sponsored Telephone Seminar Winning New Business:

Preparing Proposals 101© Granted 20August

2003_______________________

Judith M. Herr, Presenter


Attachments

1. Proposal requirements match technical communicator capabilities

2. Sample Sections from government RFP

3. Sample pages from proposals including…

-- resumes tailored to “answer the mail”

-- compliance matrix


Additional Materials* * Available at http://home.comcast.net/~m.herr/ or email request to [email protected]

Selected Terms, Acronyms, References

Fable: Sleep Deprivation

Study


Selected Web Sites and References

Association of Proposal Management Professionals, http://www.apmp.org/home.html

Federal Business Opportunities (FedbizOpps) , http://www2.eps.gov/ Common Abbreviations in FedBizOpps/Commerce Business Daily,

http://cbd.cos.com/docs/abbreviations.shtml Government Services Administration, www.gsa.gov. DiGiacomo, John & James Kleckner, James (2000), Win Government

Contracts for Your Small Business, CCH, Inc., Chicago, IL Kantin, Bob (2001), Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies (with CD-

ROM), Hungry Man Minds, NY, NY. Newman, Larry (2001), Proposal Guide for Business Development

Professionals, Shipley Associates. Pfeiffer,William & Charles Keller, Jr. (2000), Proposal Writing: The

Art of Friendly and Winning Persuasion, First Edition, Prentice Hall, N.Y., N.Y.

Reeds, Kitta (2002), The Zen of Proposal Writing: An Expert’s Stress Free Path to Winning Proposals, Three Rivers Press, NY, NY.

Sant, Tom (1992), Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win Customers, Clients, and Contracts, Amer. Mgmt. Assoc., NY, NY.


Comments, suggestions, follow-up questions? Contact me at…

Judith M. [email protected]

Well Chosen Words925-292-1519 (Message)

Web Site: http://home.comcast.net/~m.herr/

powerpoint presentation

Technology

publicly recognize

potential

accept substantial

technical

red team review

inflate time

proposal team

draft cover