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Conquer Federal Business 101
The document discusses the critical relationship between business development (BD) and proposal success, emphasizing that both must work in tandem for winning bids. It outlines the importance of a structured proposal process, the significance of realistic evaluations regarding capabilities, and the necessity of teamwork in proposal writing. Furthermore, it highlights ProposalHelper's commitment to providing professional support throughout the proposal process, stressing the need to articulate clear business objectives and maintain enthusiasm for project success.
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Conquer Federal Business 101
- 2. Introduction • 20 yearsproposal industry experience in Federal, State, Local and Commercial industries • Worked in US, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East • Career spans from proposal writing and managing to business development to actually managing projects • B&P and P&L responsibility laid the foundation for our company process Business Philosophy: Every proposal has a ‘business impact’ – it’s not just a documentation exercise Reena Bhatia Founder & Advisor ProposalHelper
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- 4. BD and Proposals– the Relationship What does Business Development have to do with winning Proposals? EVERYTHING Winning proposals stem from winning BD and Capture efforts one cannot exist without the other Winning business goes beyond writing just a strong proposal
- 5. To bid ornot to bid? and why? • Be informed • Be realistic • Be aggressive Leadership drives attitude – make us believe in your decision Business decisions to pursue an opportunity go beyond ‘gut feeling’ Should we Bid? Should we pass? Most importantly Articulate clearly WHY you want this business – not why you want to write the proposal.
- 6. Can you affordnot to bid? Being realistic does not mean be a pessimist Step outside your comfort zone Augment your capabilities through teaming If you want to sustain and grow you cannot afford not to bid anymore Be able to deliver – there is a first time for everything
- 7. Evaluating the Pipeline Ifyou do business with the Government (Federal, State, or Local), you should have a pipeline of potential opportunities. Do you? Most Government agencies publish their strategic acquisition plans (5-year plans) – its not a secret! Don’t JUST wait for an RFP – be proactive and target new and recompetes early
- 8. Build a Solidbut Realistic Pipeline • You look at many but be realistic about your capabilities (whether priming or subbing) • Go through the capture drill – meet the client, meet the incumbent, meet your competition, meet your partners. • Make an early decision whether to go solo or team! (save yourself time and hassle of unnecessary teaming if you can pull it off alone) • Be realistic about your capabilities (oh! Did I already say that – well, yes!) • Be realistic about your resources (can you really have 4 major bids going on and still do real business?) Window shopping – you are just looking Aaaa! I like this and this and this (I am downsizing, let me leave the rest – limited quals to justify pursuit) Well, I really don’t need so many – do I? I can only fit so many *Reality Time – limited resources* These are the only ones I can truly afford! Prioritizing does not mean giving up a bid
- 9. So you haveyour pipeline – now what?
- 10. FOCUS ON WRITING WINNINGPROPOSALS
- 11. Scene 1: TheLampoon • The Business Developers/Sales people have done their job – Found the leads – Qualified them – Prepared a healthy pipeline Where are they now? Hopefully in front of a customer and not here!
- 12. Scene 2: TheLampoon C-Level executives expect too much from sales and BD – get the leads, qualify them, write the proposal and… oh! Don’t forget lunch with CIO of Acme Agency and dinner with the large company whose team we really need to get on! Sales and BD are jet setting around the globe hunting for leads. They need to hand off the deal to…to....to...whom?
- 13. …A WINNING PROPOSALTEAM Hand the lead off to a capable and fully- staffed - Proposal Team (not person) • Don’t expect one person to do it all • Do expect a single responsible person to pull it all together • Maintain open, honest, and continuous communication at all times
- 14. Risks of Usingan Individual Proposal Consultant Data Calls - send, receive, review Proposal Schedule – prepare and track Prepare Proposal Outlines Writing Graphics Organize and Conduct Reviews Track Amendment Changes Make writing assignments Prepare for kickoff EditingPrinting The work is all the same – can one person keep up?
- 15. STOP, STOP, STOP WESAID… WINNING TEAM Not one person doing it all
- 16. ProposalHelper – your WinningTeam Whether you use us or another company – research their process well • Do they hire consultants? • Do they have repeatable processes? • Does a single person do everything or do they have a support team? • Can your bid survive without the single POC? Minimize your business risk – build a long term relationship
- 17. Don’t Trivialize theProposal • It may seem simple but is it? Sometimes yes, but get a second opinion • You invest months marketing, building relationships, finding the right partners, making a case to bid – put it to action • Have professionals who know how to manage the process and take you to the finish line • Proposal professionals are multi-taskers – we shred the RFP, guide the team to build a winning proposal, and are an integral part of your winning team!
- 18. Before and AfterYou Super Size • Whether its your own team or you outsource – know (truly know) WHY you are bidding • Now convey that message and enthusiasm to your bid team – subcontractors, sales and BD, capture, proposal, office support staff • Most importantly – maintain high enthusiasm throughout the process • It gets tough, it gets in the way, it may feel like a mountain to climb – remind yourself why you started the process in the first place! Its not about a proposal – its your business growth!
- 19. Proposal Process –Project Plan • The proposal process is much like a real project • Start with a Project Plan (Proposal Plan) • Decide who is doing what, when, to whom • What resources are needed, where are they? • What do we need to win this deal – bring sales/BD and capture under one roof! Create a plan and stick to it! Don’t hesitate now.
- 20. Know Your Customer(KYC) – Know yourself even better! • Read the RFP • Understand the requirements • Reassess if this is still something you want to pursue and have the capability to win • Shred the RFP – look at the requirements, proposal instructions, evaluation criteria, terms/conditions Revisit your list of reasons for bid – do they still stand?
- 21. ProposalHelper – whywe are different? • Dedicated resources to handle proposals – winning business is NOT a one-person show • Dedicate a single point of contact to communicate with you but have a host of resources backing up our PrC • From data collection, writing, graphics, to desktop publishing and printing – there is a LOT that goes into proposals – we handle every aspect The first company to fix price proposal support!
- 22. Sample Proposal Plan(prepared by PH for Client)
- 23. Sample Proposal Plan(prepared by PH for internal accountability) Multiple tasks go on internally that clients don’t have to worry about
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- 25. Price Proposals • Thebiggest challenge for companies is pricing – what to charge? • Price to win is mostly non-existent • If you know the competition, good resources to check are competitor’s GSA schedule and other published pricing information • Ultimately, price the lowest you are willing to live with – there may not be a second chance Put your best price forward the first time – you may not have a second chance!
- 26. RECAP A WINNING TEAMcan do it for you!
- 27. Recap • Bid realistically •Network and build a strong team of companies for total solution • Surround yourselves with proposal experts – you have too much invested to take a chance • In house or outsource – set scope and expectations • Participate actively – there’s no magic pill here! Reach out to BidSync and ProposalHelper – we are on your side!
- 28. Even superheros needhelp!
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- 30. CONTACT US TODAY! 13800Coppermine Road, Suite 114 Herndon, VA 20171 WWW.PROPOSALHELPER.COM CALL 571-535-4707 EMAIL: CUSTOMERSUPPORT@PROPOSALHELPER.COM
Editor's Notes
- #14 Sales and BD team should be in front of the clients but the knowledge also needs to transfer into the win Companies have ‘Capture Managers’ to deep dive into a deal before handing it to the ‘Proposal Manager’ Not always possible but the need remains – someone MUST close that gap between sales and delivery.