Winning New Business Preparing Proposals 101 Judith M

About the Speaker 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. Judith’s experience ranges across disciplines including information technology; management; occupational/public health; medical, biological, and environmental sciences; adult education; fundraising 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, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 2

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

In this presentation we will cover… n My “Top 10 Lessons Learned” n A good fit – proposals and communicators n Talking the talk – mastering proposal language n Proposal team organization – help wanted! n Proposal preparation process n Parsing government-issued requests for proposals (RFPs); designing responses n Reprise: My “Top 10 Lessons Learned” Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 4

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 24 X 7 contact info for team; anyone else potentially needed (2, 3, 4) 5. Match identified key positions with potential proposed personnel as soon as possible (early 3) Note: Numbers in parenthesis are proposal phases. Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 5

My Top 10 List of “Lessons Learned” (cont. ) 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) 6. . Note: Numbers in parenthesis are proposal phases Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 6

Assuring good fit – proposal efforts and technical communicators n Help Wanted: Immediate. Requires stamina; ability to read, write, spell, correct; organize/coordinate/manage communicationrelated project. Detail-oriented; retain equanimity/enthusiasm in panic atmosphere; may require occasional ‘odd’ hours n And… knack for quickly mastering new technical material and comprehending technical experts -- and adopting the lingo n Attachment 1: Exercise – “Matching proposal requirements to capabilities”. Additional material – “Selected Terms, Acronyms, References” Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 7

Talking the talk – mastering proposal team language and behavior n Bid/no bid; requirements driven outline; “shown n n stoppers? ” Fed. Biz. Opps; 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 herrj@comcast. net or web (http: //home. comcast. net/~m. herr/) Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 8

Proposal Team Organization Acquisition Manager Project Planning Technical Volume Leaders Proposal Manager Management Volume Leader Proposal Writers Cost Volume Leader Review Team Proposal Coordinator Proposal Writers Production Staff Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 9

The Proposal Process Phase 1: Before the RFP n Phase 2: Proposal planning; kickoff n Phase 3: Proposal preparation process n Phase 4: Internal and adversarial review process n Phase 5: Production/delivery; post proposal activities n Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 10

Flow Chart of the Proposal Process Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 11

Phase 1 – Before the RFP n Track announcements and release date n Visit/market potential client, if possible n Collect resumes of potential key personnel; update capabilities statements n Assess available proposal team resources; review business strategic plan; available project manager? Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 12

Phase 2 – Proposal Planning/Kickoff n Study RFP for unanticipated requirements or “show-stoppers” n Make bid/no bid decision. n Prepare/submit questions for RFP clarification n Prepare requirements-driven proposal outline n Draft schedule; form core proposal team n Contact list; version/file control, team communication vehicles n “Win themes”; competitor strengths/ weaknesses? Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 13

Phase 2 – Proposal Planning, Kickoff (cont. ) n Recruit core proposal team n Draft compliance matrix n Coordinate with financial/costing staff n Storyboard; design elements, cover, format n Review production and delivery requirements n Hold kickoff meeting – make writing assignments– ‘cast of 1, 000 s’ Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 14

Phase 3 –Proposal Preparation Process n Emphasize firm deadlines for completion n Refine graphics, tables, design elements to illustrate text, re-enforce win themes n Monitor/ enforce version control system n Develop proposed contract organization/ management structure n Draft profiles/resumes for proposed project manager/ key personnel Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 15

Phase 3 –Proposal Preparation Process (cont. ) n Conduct substantive edit; consist across all sections/cost proposal? n Continuously check details, refine tables n Design final deliverable n Update compliance matrix Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 16

Proposal Team at Work Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 17

Phase 4 – Review Process n Internal reviews of preliminary drafts - Blue n Review costing strategy - Green n Freeze draft; conduct peer review of technical/ management proposals n Conduct editorial review in parallel n Review draft cover letter n Convene formal review by ‘Red Team’ that model client’s ‘Evaluators’ n Incorporate reviewer comments n Prepare (and hide) final draft Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 18

Phase 5 – Production/Delivery n Arrange for independent edit of final text n Recheck final against RFP requirements n Include compliance matrix in submittal? n Prepare cover letter for signature n Refine final graphics n Test print final version (even if delivering electronically) n Arrange for delivery per RFP instructions Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 19

Parsing a Sample Government-Issued RFP n Relevant sections of the RFP Summary page n Cover form n Section L: Proposal Preparation Instructions n Section M: Evaluation Criteria n Statement of Work/Scope of Work n See Attachment 2 for example sections of current RFP n Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 20

Typical Proposal High Level Outline in Response to Government RFP Executive summary/introduction Corporate infrastructure, Personnel – Attachment 3 Corporate experience Past performance Technical understanding or case study (if required) 7. Response to Questions/contract negotiation. Oral presentation (if required following submittal) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 21

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 24 X 7 contact info for team; anyone else potentially needed (2, 3, 4) 5. Match identified key positions with potential proposed personnel as soon as possible (early 3) Note: Numbers in parenthesis are proposal phases. . Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 22

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) Note: Numbers in parenthesis are proposal phases. Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 23

End of the Brick Road: All you need is energy, enthusiasm, and the ability to… ü Analyze project requirements; understand audiences ü Multi-task ü Interview subject matter experts ü Conduct reviews ü Coordinate all stages of documentation projects ü Design information to satisfy requirements ü Write, edit, coordinate, produce/distribute ü See the humor in the ironic ü Market – the certificate is attached! Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 24

This Certificate of Excellence is hereby granted to: you for diligently applying what you’ve gained from the STC-sponsored Telephone Seminar Winning New Business: Preparing Proposals 101© Granted 20 August 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 Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 26

Additional Materials* * Available at http: //home. comcast. net/~m. herr/ or email request to herrj@comcast. net n Selected Terms, Acronyms, References n Fable: Sleep Deprivation Study Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 27

Selected Web Sites and References n n n n n Association of Proposal Management Professionals, http: //www. apmp. org/home. html Federal Business Opportunities (Fedbiz. Opps) , http: //www 2. eps. gov/ Common Abbreviations in Fed. Biz. Opps/Commerce Business Daily, http: //cbd. cos. com/docs/abbreviations. shtml Government Services Administration, www. gsa. gov. Di. Giacomo, 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. 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. Reeds, Kitta (2002), The Zen of Proposal Writing: An Expert’s Stress Free Path to Winning Proposals, Three Rivers Press, NY. Sant, Tom (1992), Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win Customers, Clients, and Contracts, Amer. Mgmt. Assoc. , NY. Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 28

Comments, suggestions, follow-up questions? Contact me at… Judith M. Herr herrj@comcast. net Well Chosen Words 925 -292 -1519 (Message) Web Site: http: //home. comcast. net/~m. herr/ Judith Herr, Well Chosen Words, © 2003 29