project proposal workflow
DESCRIPTION
Take a quick look at what is a Project Proposal and workflow to create a successful proposal.TRANSCRIPT
Project ProposalProcess Flow
Tomy Rhymond | Sr. Consultant | HMB Inc. | [email protected] | 614.432.9492
What is a Proposal?
Project proposals are documents designed to present a plan of action, outline the
reasons why the action is necessary, and convince the reader to agree with and
approve the implementation of the actions recommended in the body of the
document.
Proposals are usually drafted as a response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) that is
issued by a current or prospective client.
A project proposal will be clearly arranged so that readers can follow a logical
progression of thought to the conclusion.
Often, the RFP will lay out the basic structure of the proposal, provide invaluable
clues as to specific information that is of interest to the potential client, and define
the order in which data is presented.
When an RFP is provided, it is essential to follow the specifications of the document
to the letter. Otherwise, the proposal will be set aside and one of the other vendors
who did follow the provisions closely will be awarded the business.
12 tips to a write a killer proposal.
i. Create a powerful, but concise executive summary Decision-makers start with and focus on the executive summary, so create this section with that fact in mind. When writing the executive summary, assume that the reader knows little or nothing about the proposed project.
ii. Quantify the results that the client can expect from engaging you Some consultants create proposals that overemphasize their consulting process and methodologies. Clients buy results, not tools or methodologies.
iii. Be generous with your ideas You may fear that revealing your ideas about how to solve a problem during the proposal process could result in clients taking those ideas and completing the project themselves. In rare cases, that may happen. But you'll have more success if you don't hoard your ideas. Use them to show clients that your team thinks and approaches problems in creative and innovative ways.
iv. Size does matter Keep your proposals as short as possible, while meeting the client's request. Think quality, not quantity.
v. Focus on the client Many proposals begin with a long discussion of the consulting firm, describing its qualifications and history. Focus your proposal on the client's needs first, and then describe your firm's capabilities. Remember, clients care only about how you'll address their issues, so show them how you'll do that.
vi. Beware of best practices The client may view your liberal use of "best practices" as a convenient crutch. Instead of relying on answers that worked for a previous client, find a blend of outstanding practices and innovative solutions that fit your client's particular needs.
12 tips to a write a killer proposal. (cont.)
vii. Be accurate If you are using client data to support aspects of your proposal, double-check and triple-check that information. It's easy for facts to be misunderstood and misused in a proposal. You'll risk turning a winning proposal into a loser if you present inaccurate data to the client.
viii. Sweat every detail Watch for typos, use high-quality materials, and make sure that the right people receive the proposal on time.
ix. Rewrite your resume for every proposal Highlight the skills in your resume that demonstrate your qualifications for the project at hand. A boilerplate resume is rarely up to the task.
x. Finish early Let your proposal sit for a day after you've completed the final draft, and then reread it completely before sending it to the client. You're likely to come up with some new ideas that enhance your work, and you may find errors that you missed earlier.
xi. Let your personality shine through Give clients a sense of your firm's culture and its style of working. The traditional, stilted language of many consulting proposals doesn't help clients answer the all-important question: What will it be like to work with these consultants?
xii. Don't let your claims outdistance your true capabilities Some proposals tout the expertise of the consulting firm by referring to past successes with similar projects. These testaments to past achievements are important, but be sure that the capabilities of the proposed consulting team can live up to your firm's claims.
Proposal Flow
PRE-PROPOSAL
PROPOSAL
EVALUATION
PROPOSAL
ANALYSIS
PROPOSAL
CREATION
POST-PROPOSAL
Proposal
Identification
Evaluate RFP
RFP Approved
RFP Declined
Establish Timeline
Identify Questions
Content Request
Distribution
Proposal Population
Initial Draft
Sales Review
Final Review
Proposal Submission
Post proposal
followup
Pre-Proposal
• Sales receives RFP from Client
• Sales review the RFP
• Align with Core Competency
• Submit Date is at least a week or more way
PROPOSAL
EVALUATION
PROPOSAL
ANALYSIS
PROPOSAL
CREATIONPOST-PROPOSALPRE-PROPOSAL
RFP
Sales
Continue Reject
Practice Lead/Technology
Leader(s)
Client
Review
Proposal Evaluation
• Read each section
• Understand the requirements
• Identify all questions
• Identify a person or team to work on the
proposal
PRE-PROPOSALPROPOSAL
ANALYSIS
PROPOSAL
CREATIONPOST-PROPOSAL
PROPOSAL
EVALUATION
Practice Lead/
Technology Leader(s)Sales
RFP
Quick Review
Proceed Reject STOP
Proposal Analysis
PRE-PROPOSALPROPOSAL
EVALUATION
PROPOSAL
ANALYSISPROPOSAL
CREATIONPOST-PROPOSAL
Sales
Analyze
Research
Proposal Team
Questions
Practice Lead/
Technology Leader(s)
Proposal Outline
Review
Client
Create Proposal
PRE-PROPOSALPROPOSAL
EVALUATION
PROPOSAL
ANALYSISPOST-PROPOSAL
PROPOSAL
CREATION
Proposal Outline
Sales
Practice Lead/
Technology
Leader(s)
Draft Proposal
Proposal Lead
Final Proposal
Proposal Team
Submit Response
Client
Post-Proposal
PRE-PROPOSALPROPOSAL
EVALUATION
PROPOSAL
ANALYSIS
PROPOSAL
CREATION POST-PROPOSAL
SalesClient
Practice Lead/
Technology
Leader(s)
Proposal Team
Enquire
Final Thoughts..
Project proposals are documents designed to present a plan of action, outline the
reasons why the action is necessary, and convince the reader to agree with and
approve the implementation of the actions recommended in the body of the
document.
Proposals are usually drafted as a response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) that is
issued by a current or prospective client.
A project proposal will be clearly arranged so that readers can follow a logical
progression of thought to the conclusion.
Often, the RFP will lay out the basic structure of the proposal, provide invaluable
clues as to specific information that is of interest to the potential client, and define
the order in which data is presented.
When an RFP is provided, it is essential to follow the specifications of the document
to the letter. Otherwise, the proposal will be set aside and one of the other vendors
who did follow the provisions closely will be awarded the business.
Tomy RhymondSr. Consultant, HMB, Inc.
http://tomyrhymond.wordpress.com
@trhymond
614.432.9492 (m)
ABOUT ME