This page lists the tips included in the book for each of the 33 tasks involved in executing winning RFP responses, sustainably. In Proposals: Getting Started, Getting Better, each tip is fleshed out with plain-language direction, as in these samples.
My blog provides ongoing tips on how to develop winning RFP responses, and how to manage proposal teams and processes. Recent posts are highlighted in the sidebar; all posts are also searchable by category.
The 33 tasks are grouped into 7 major categories:
Overseeing the Proposal Effort
Setting the Framework
Understanding What the Client Wants
Making and Costing a Plan
Managing the Proposal Elements
Creating the Proposal
Improving and Submitting the Proposal
Improving Your Proposal Capacity
“Delivers ‘AHA!’ moments and invaluable insights into how to plan for, prepare, and deliver proposals that will bring you business.” Business development manager, proposal consultant
Overseeing the Proposal Effort
Managing the Pursuit
- What to do if the RFP is your first indication of an opportunity
- Questions to ask after the RFP is issued
- Additional questions to ask about RFPs when there are incumbents
- Additional questions to ask about RFPs with high capital risk
- How to pursue large opportunities: Use the simplest teaming structure possible
- How to pursue large opportunities: Get better at selecting teaming partners
Supporting the Executives
- How to keep executives informed throughout the process
Setting the Framework
Selecting & Equipping the Proposal Team
- Who you need on a first-time bid
- Who you need on a rebid
- How administrative people can add unexpected value
- Get the team the workspace they need
- Get the team the tools they need
Drafting the Proposal Schedule
- Drafting better schedules: The top three rules
- Drafting better schedules: Accommodating executive prerogatives and availability
- Drafting better schedules: Watching out for long-lead items
- Drafting better schedules: Identifying and allowing for critical-path items
- Drafting better schedules: Scheduling time for a hard-copy review
Determining Security Requirements
- Security precautions: Where do you start?
Understanding What the Client Wants
Understanding the Contract
- Know the industry and its contracting norms
Understanding the Work
- What it means to understand the Work, and why it matters
- Review the entire RFP for hidden Work requirements
- Identify any seasonal effects in the Work
- Identify the schedule factors in the Work
- Identify what plans are included in the Work
- Identify the start-up requirements in the Work
- Identufy any communication requirements in the Work
- Identify any training requirements in the Work
Asking Questions to Clarify the Requirement
- Asking questions: The top three rules
- Why (and how) to be selective in the questions you ask
- What to do until you get answers to your questions
- Why and how to track answers to questions
Making Requests to Change the Requirement
- Changing the requirement: Improve your chances by thinking like the contracting officer
- Changing the requirement: Improve your chances by thinking like the technical authority
Leading the Bidders’ Conference Team
- Brief everyone on the Bidders’ Conference
- Track answers received orally against actual RFP amendments
Attending the Bidders’ Conference
- Familiarize yourself with client and competitor personnal
Leading the Site Visit Team
- Before you go: Clarify expectations for attendees
- While you’re there: Hold daily debriefing and planning sessions
- When you return to the office: Brief those who didn’t go
Attending the Site Visit
- Remember your security protocols
Providing Client Expertise
- Why knowing the client is key to understanding the Work
Making and Costing a Plan
Managing Solution Development
How to get a coherent solution
How to get a truly low-risk solution
Why going for a low-price solution is the smart bet
How to get to a low-price solution
Why you should finalize the organization chart as soon as possible (or sooner)
Why you must validate any staffing numbers that come from fancy software
How to do better organization charts: Simplify
How to do better organization charts: Always include the client. Always.
How (and when) to use the executives to improve your solution
Developing the Solution
Why you should design your solution for the client’s evaluators, not for their executives
Look for smart (aka ‘cheap’) ways to align your solution with what matters to the client
How to include the client’s perspective on risk in your solution
How to use dumb questions to improve your solution
How to design a fail-safe solution when service continuity matters
When and how to design your solution to be non-disruptive
Why your solution should address both start-up and steady-state operations
How to handle one-of positions in your solution’s organization
How to include the client’s governance structure/preferences in your solution
How to choose good position titles for your solution
How to choose even better position titles for your solution
How to keep track of all the plans needed in your solution
How to validate your solution: Reread the RFP just one more time
Costing the Solution
Why it’s important to document how you got your costs
Managing the Proposal Elements
Managing the Proposal Team
How to align responsibility expectations
Don’t let team members try to ‘do’ and ‘supervise’
Why and how to hold regular team meetings (aka ‘stand-ups’)
How to manage team morale during an extension
How to manage team morale, period
Managing Submission Mandatories
How to align responsibility and accountability for submission mandatories
Don’t let anything—even production value—derail compliance
Managing the Writers/Managing a Volume
How to get the right volume out the door: The importance of following the instructions
How to prevent disconnects, one section to another
How to get a good volume out the door on time
Why you must hold at least one team review of the proposal
Focus on coaching, not criticism, for best results
Managing Subcontractors
How to manage subcontractors better: Use clear agreements
How to manage subcontractors better: Use focused oversight
Managing Graphics
Pre-empt the ill-considered yearning for a ‘picture’: any picture!
Set a colour palette early to coordinate graphics from the get-go
Use colour consistently (at least) and with meaning (where possible)
Be consistent in your layout
Managing the Proposal Schedule
What to do if your schedule is in trouble: The basic options
How to recover a schedule that’s in trouble: Reduce your expectations
How to recover a schedule that’s in trouble: When and how to ask for an extension
Adjusting the schedule: What to do with an extension you didn’t ask for
Creating the Proposal
Making a Table of Contents
Use names for proposal parts that make it easy for the evaluators
What to do if conflicting instructions don’t get reconciled
What to do if client numbering protocols vary from one section to another
What to do if corporate practices would add content that throws off RFP numbering
What to do if the client used long questions instead of snappy headings
Developing Themes
What it means to do themes well
Create better themes through better client intel before the RFP comes out
Create better themes through better opportunity analysis after the RFP comes out
Create better themes by not (just) stating the obvious
Writing the Response
The four things you need before you start writing
Starting to write: How to get to a first draft
How to write better: Answer the question they actually asked
How to write better: Answer all the questions. Answer only the questions.
How to write better: Answer the question so they know you’re answering it
How to write better: Answer the question so they know what you’re promising
How to write better: Answer the question so it’s easy to mark
How to write better: Answer the question responsively
How to write better: Answer the question with ‘how’ and ‘why’, not just ‘what’
How to write better: Answer the implicit ‘So what?’ question
How to write better: Answer the question so someone can deliver what you’re promising
How to write better: Answer the question with punch
How to write better: Answer the question using the client’s language
How to write better: Answer the question from scratch (Don’t use boilerplate)
How to write better: Answer the question in plain language
How to write better: Think about what might surprise/confuse the reader and explain it
How to write better: Link your content to the Work required for this RFP
How to write better: Make it clear whether personnel are project or corporate
How to write better: Make RFP and proposal references clearly distinct
How to write better: Make better plans
How to write better: Figure out how to write about your ‘approach’
How to write better: Write less
How to write better: Align your words and pictures
Editing the Response
To reduce the editing required, set clear expectations for writers
To reduce the editing required, use writing/style guidelines
To reduce rework, develop editing guidelines for multi-editor proposals
Make it easy for writers to answer the question completely: Use a form
Make it easy for writers to be consistent: Use a factoid checklist
Make it easy for writers to be clear: Choose just one word for each concept
How to handle an expert who won’t just RTQ/ATQ
Develop rules for using pronouns that help you maintain a clear point of view
Don’t overuse ‘team’
Don’t use acronyms for position titles in the text
Use standard outlines for responses to standard questions
Make a list of changes needed throughout the proposal as you encounter them
Producing the Document
How to decide how nice your proposal should look
Prescribe the software and versions to be used
How to minimize template troubles
Use the font the client specifies
Set and enforce simple file-naming protocols
Back it up. I mean it.
Convert to a desktop publishing application only after the last change to the text
How to keep the proposal assembly process simple and reliable
How to keep the templates and binder covers simple
How to keep the quality control check on track: Use a checklist
Improving and Submitting the Proposal
Reviewing the Document
As a team reviewer, be considerate
As an executive reviewer, be prepared
Managing the Team Review
Why you need a team review
Managing the Executive Review
Allow enough time for the review
Allow for personal idiosyncrasies
Assign sections to get a thorough review
Let the reviewers know what you want
How to get what you want (a useful, constructive, and on-time review)
Delivering the Proposal
Delivery ideas that might help you sleep better
Should you deliver at the last minute for security reasons?
Should you send two copies by different routes?
Improving Your Proposal Capacity
Getting Ready for Next Time
File the proposal you just finished so you can get at its content quickly
Listen to what the client has to say about your proposal
Listen to what the team has to say about their proposal experience
Build a database of factoids and stories