Having a good price — often, the lowest price — is the fourth-most important thing in winning bids.
“What?!?” you (or your sales manager) cry. “Price can’t be fourth.” Continue reading“The Fourth-most Important Thing in RFP Responses”
Term: Statement of Work (et al)
This is a bit muddled, but the basics are clear enough: clients write “statements” that describe what they want (that is, the Work). These more-or-less comprehensive lists of what the client wants to contract for (services, products, data, reports, processes, standards) range from high-level, conceptual documents down to highly detailed specifications. Continue reading“Term: Statement of Work (et al)”
A Proposal Management Lesson from Software Development
Today’s Medium compilation in my inbox brings an interesting article on the #NoEstimates movement in software development. It’s a tough bind: the features are fixed and they have to define (and then live or die by) the schedule. I empathize, sort of. Continue reading“A Proposal Management Lesson from Software Development”
Term: Incumbent
The contractor doing the Work now. The incumbent knows the Work, the risks, the actual costs, and the client’s idiosyncracies: this is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to rebidding.
Term: Extension
Delay (“slip”) in the submission deadline. Authorized by the client through an amendment to the RFP. Sometimes necessary; rarely welcome.