If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else.
~ Yogi Berra
The best proposals have the quality designed in from the start that prevent endless last-minute edits.
~ Score Blue
Planning Your Winning Proposal
Proposal authors must consider every RFP requirement and effectively integrate every evaluation criteria, strategy consideration, assertion statement, and associated proof.
The strategic use of graphics makes a proposal easier to evaluate
Starting with a graphic helps the author efficiently develop the associated text
Authors must use a consistent writing style and reading level to ensure ease of evaluation by providing a proposal that looks as if one person wrote the entire proposal.
Planning provides a helpful framework for:
Maximizing the score against the evaluation criteria by addressing weaknesses and emphasizing strengths.
Focusing on what matters to the customer.
Remaining compliant AND responsive to the RFP's instructions.
Differentiating ourselves so the customer sees us as stronger than the competitors.
Delivering an easy proposal to evaluate.
Having an established content plan minimizes re-engagement time when proposal team members get pulled into non-proposal activities i.e., their “day job”.
Conducting a full-scale proposal review (with draft graphics and bulleted text) at the conclusion of the planning stage allows senior management early course corrections and recommendations. This “Pink Team” occurs prior to the extensive work of a full draft and graphics development.