We all strive to acquire new business, which most of the time means putting a proposal together. Preparing proposals is a costly and time-consuming task. The job may be a little more daunting or complex if the proposal is for a big project, it’s in response to a formal request for proposal (RFP) or request for quotation (RFQ), or if the timeline for submission is short.
How can you change your team’s reaction to a new tender, bid, or RFP from “Oh no – another proposal!” to “Yes, let’s do this!”? How can you make sure your team prepares effective proposals that meet the customer’s requirements? How do you ensure the effort is efficient and you are allocating your precious resources to the right opportunity? It all comes down to being ready, to being prepared.
Address these five questions to be “proposal ready”:
1. How do proposals fit in my business development cycle?
We often think of a proposal as the document that presents our services and capabilities. We consider proposal development as an administrative task that can be done from the side of our desks. But a proposal is your sales pitch in writing. It is an important document that moves a project from being an opportunity to being your project. Allocate time to the proposal process.
2. What should I do before starting to write?
When we receive an RFP, we are always tempted to start writing. Preparing a winning proposal involves some pre-writing activities and decisions that start with asking questions like these: Is the opportunity real? Can we do it? Can we win it? Will we make a profit? Exploring these questions will help you make important decisions before starting to write.
3. How can I prepare proposals efficiently?
Having a proposal process is the foundation of achieving efficiency in preparing proposals. A process is only efficient if it is encouraged and followed by all those involved in preparing the submission. Your proposal process will ensure you have the right people involved at the right time, that your efforts are streamlined, and that the quality of your proposal is maintained.
4. How can I adapt to shorter timelines while maintaining quality?
With a proposal process in place your proposal team will understand the main steps in the process and how to tailor them to all opportunities, big and small, with long or short turnarounds.
5. How can I create a powerful and compelling proposal?
The quality of your proposal is one of several factors in your customer’s decision-making process. When the customer evaluates the documents they receive, they narrow their options to identify the most likely winner. A great proposal can put you at the front of the pack. A poor proposal will lose you the deal and potentially damage your reputation. Make sure your proposal is clear, concise, easy to read, easy to evaluate, and persuasive.
We need to start thinking differently about the role of proposals, how to approach and manage the proposal effort, the roles of those involved, and how to prepare a compliant and responsive submission more efficiently. Everyone involved should make that shift in thinking, whether they’re a new or experienced member of the team, contributing content to proposals or reviewing others’ work, or leading the proposal effort.
First published by Banda Marketing Inc. in the Saskatchewan Construction Association "We Build" magazine Summer 2020 edition. Used with permission from Banda Marketing Inc.