The document discusses various aspects of pre-sales activities including responding to client requests, supporting client visits, interfacing with internal and external groups for solution design, marketing support, competitor analysis, and responding to RFx documents. It describes key elements of solution design like effort estimation, technical and functional solutions, project methodology, plans, resourcing, and templates for bid qualification, management, and presentation. The goal is to understand customer needs, design optimal solutions, prepare competitive proposals, and win new business through effective pre-sales and bid management processes.

1. Pre-Sales, Solution Design and Bid Management
An Overview

2. XYZ reports 50% revenue growth and 40% rise in Net Profits during Q1 FY13
Fresh orders of $200mn were secured during the quarter, resulting in $990mn of
executable order book over the next 12 months.
Twenty new customers were added in this quarter.
What all does it take to build order-book and bring new business to the company?
Whether it is one single person or a group of persons, who are working tirelessly day in
and day out to make sure company is sustainable?

3. 1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle
2.
• What is Pre-Sales
3.
• RFx
4.
• Solution Design
5.
• Bid Management

4. 1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle
2.
• What is Pre-Sales
3.
• RFx
4.
• Solution Design
5.
• Bid Management

5. Its about………………….
…………………….?

6. Buyer Considerations………….?
Seller Considerations………….?

7. S
O P
P
C A
N

8. S uspecting
O P
P
C A
N

9. S
 Suspecting
Generating the sales lead
Marketing Campaigns
Trade Fairs, Industry Forums
Online Marketing, Social Media
Inside Sales Team

10. S uspecting
O P rospecting
P
C A
N

11. S P
 Prospecting
Qualifying the sales lead
For a sales lead to qualify as a sales
prospect, qualification must be performed and evaluated
–
Product Applicability / Fitment of Solution
Ability to afford our solution
Time frame of purchase

12. S uspecting
O P rospecting
P
C A nalysis
N

13. S P A
 Analysis
Taking the qualified prospect through a question and
answer session to identify the requirements
Help the buyer identify and quantify a business need
or a ‘gap’ between where prospect is today and where
it want to be in future
SPIN

14. S P A
 Analysis
SPIN

15. S uspecting
O P rospecting
P roposals
C A nalysis
N

16. S P A P
 Proposals
Come up with a business proposal suggesting
various products/services that will suffice the need of
the prospect
Includes Cost, Schedule and other information

17. S uspecting
O P rospecting
P roposals
C A nalysis
N egotiation

18. S P A P N
 Negotiation
Negotiate the terms set in the business proposal
Pricing (Technique & Amount)
Scope of the Project
Timeline

19. S uspecting
O P rospecting
P roposals
C losure A nalysis
N egotiation

20. S P A P N C
 Closure
Making the actual sale
Getting the Sign-Off / Purchase Order
Getting the SOW signed

21. S uspecting
Repeat O rder P rospecting
P roposals
C losure A nalysis
N egotiation

22. S P A P N C O
 repeat Order
Maintaining the relationship with client and brining
more orders through
Cross Selling, Other Project Opportunities
Order Renewals

23. S uspecting
Repeat O rder P rospecting
P roposals
C losure A nalysis
N egotiation

24.  Hunters
 Farmers

25. 1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle
2.
• What is Pre-Sales
3.
• RFx
4.
• Solution Design
5.
• Bid Management

26.  Pre Sales includes the
entire gamut of activities involved in preparing to engage
with prospects / clients,
and includes specific responses to client requests

28. Responding to Client
Responding to
Client Requests
Requests
Responding to
RFP, RFI, RFQ
Providing any information
to the client, which helps
him take the buying
decision
General client queries
about solutions and
capabilities

29. Supporting Client Visits
Responding to
Client
Requests Prospects / clients may
visit the vendor’s office
Supporting
Client Visit
To see the vendor’s
infrastructure
Gives vendor an
opportunity to showcase its
capability and do cross-
selling

30. Visiting Clients
Responding to
Client
Requests Visiting client for
meetings
Supporting
Client Visit
Due diligence – to get a
clear understanding of the
requirement
Visiting
Clients May also include
demonstration of Proof-Of-
Concepts or product
Solution Presentation to
the Client

31. Interfacing with Internal & External
Groups to Design Best Fit Solution
Responding to
Client for Client
Requests
Need to interface & coordinate
Supporting
Client Visit
with
Technical Competency
Centres
Visiting Functional SME
Clients
Interfacing &
Legal and Financial
Coordinating
Delivery Teams
Recruitment
Third Party / OEMs

32. Marketing Support
Responding to
Client
Requests For various marketing
events, need to support
Supporting
Client Visit
marketing team through
Offering and
Capability related
Marketing
Support Visiting documents, brochures
Clients and posters
Interfacing &
Coordinating Extended capability (if
any) through alliances
with other product
development firms or
niche vendors

33. Competitor Analysis & Market
Responding to
Client Scanning
Requests
Clients receive response
Competitor Supporting
Analysis Client Visit
from multiple vendors, so
one must know where does
it stand against competition
Marketing
Support Visiting What is our competition in
Clients an industry / for a specific
Interfacing &
bid opportunity and what
Coordinating are their offerings /
differentiators
Market scanning is done
through market research
reports, analyst reports

34. Responding to
Client Requests
Competitor Supporting
Analysis Client Visit
Marketing
Support Visiting Clients
Interfacing &
Coordinating

35. 1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle
2.
• What is Pre-Sales
3.
• RFx
4.
• Solution Design
5.
• Bid Management

36.  RFI / EOI
Request for Information / Expression of Interest
These are usually relatively short documents that ask
specific questions about the vendor and services vendor
provides
Capability Evaluation
Often used as pre-qualifier to determine which vendors
will receive an RFP or RFQ – Vendor Empanelment

37.  RFP
Request for Proposal
These are often lengthy documents that provide detailed
information on requirements
functions & workflow,
business goals,
integration specs, etc
to the vendors so they may propose a solution which
meets the Client’s needs and goals
It often includes scope of requirements, pricing
requirements, contract terms & conditions, as well as
detailed case studies & reference requirements

38.  RFQ
Request for Quotes
Can be part of an RFP or RFI
This is a request for pricing based on what's outlined in
the RFI or specified in an RFP, or can be used as a request
for ala carte pricing for various service options

39. RFI , RFP & RFQ
A company can do any one or more of the above, usually
in the order shown
Often the RFP may incorporate both the RFI and RFQ as
sections of the doc, and also include other evaluation
steps such as a demo, proof-of-concept or presentation
A big advantage of using RFI, RFP or RFQ in software
evaluation is that it allows vendors to self-eliminate
because they can better assess their own chances
This helps the buyer narrow down the choices to the
most feasible solutions

40. 1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle
2.
• What is Pre-Sales
3.
• RFx
4.
• Solution Design
5.
• Bid Management

41. ?

42.  Effort Estimation
Estimating how much effort it is going to take to
complete the project
Various industry standard methodologies are used for
effort estimation like FP, WBS, SMC
Given in Person Months

43.  Technical Solution
Technical Solution, addressing the client’s requirements
Technology Selection
Technical Architecture
Technology Stack
Licensing / Sizing Information
Infrastructure / Hosting Solution
Compliance to NFR

44.  Functional Solution
Functional Solution, addressing the client’s requirements
Functional Flow
Fitment of any existing frameworks
Compliance to FR

45.  Project Execution Methodology
Which Methodology will be followed for project
implementation
Waterfall
Iterative
Agile
Client specified or Vendor recommended methodology
Warranty, Maintenance & Support

46.  Project Plan
Timelines to implement the project
Milestones to complete various stages of the project
Activities to be performed and various deliverables

47.  Resourcing & Team
Recommended Team structure
Onsite / Offshore composition
Different Roles identified
No of resources for each identified role
Sample CV / Positioning for key roles

48. ?

49.  Effort Estimation
 Technical Solution
 Functional Solution
 Project Execution Methodology
 Project Plan
 Resourcing & Team

50.  Executive Summary – Cover Letter
 Value Proposition
 Understanding of Requirements - Client’s Pain Points
 Solution
 Vertical & Technical Capability –
Accelerators, Case Studies & References
 Pricing
 Vendor Information

51. 1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle
2.
• What is Pre-Sales
3.
• RFx
4.
• Solution Design
5.
• Bid Management

53. Bid Qualification Form
1. Project Name/Bid Title
2. Client name
3. Business Domain (Finance / Insurance / Transport, etc)
4. Type of Request (RFP / RFI / Estimation only)
5. Type of Bid (Please mark X in column)
Custom Software Development Workflow Application
Application Support & Maintenance Packaged Software
Systems Integration Enterprise Knowledge Solution
Legacy Modernization & Maintenance Other:
6. Items required from Offshore (Please mark X in appropriate columns)
Complete Proposal Response to RFI
Technical Solution Only Presentation
Project Estimates Only Other:
7. Critical Success Factors for winning the Bid
8. What is the Account Managers assessment of the
probability that NIIT will be selected?
9. What is the budget the client has in mind for this assignment?

54. 10. Technological preferences of client, if any?
11. General Information
Milestone Date
RFP/RFI published by Client
RFP/RFI sent to Offshore
Submission to Client
Response needed from Offshore
Client briefing (if any)
Likely decision by client
12. Main Competitors’
13. Is there a preference for local vendor (Yes/No)?
14. What is Approx. Planned Gross Margin from
Sales Team?
15. Any other Information relevant to this bid
16. Name of Account Manager & Geo

55. Bid Team Formation
Bid Plan
Kick-off meeting - Roles and Responsibilities
Understanding Business Problem / Requirement Deal Strategy
Document
Win Theme – Differentiators, Value proposition
Technical and Functional Solution
Effort & Cost
Execution Approach Estimation
Estimation, Resource Plan
Proposal Preparation
Proposal
Integration of all information (Commercial part by Sales Team)
Stitching the proposal
Review
s Final Review and Submission
Cycles
• Final Review of Entire proposal
• Submission to prospect
• Archival of proposals

56. 10 tips to prepare a winning proposal
1. Focus on the Customer
2. Customize and personalize
3. Define the Solution
4. Calculate Benefits--Buyer Value
5. Show Non-financial Benefits—Buyer Value
6. Describe the Methodology
7. Include Differentiator
8. Highlight Business Information More Than Technical Information
9. Develop Proposal Standards
10. Ensure the Quality Standards

57. Presentation
 Know your audience
 Establish the context
 Include only essentials, from customers perspective
 Establish a structure (agenda)
 Ensure a flow, in order of importance
 Use of mnemonics, pictures, graphs – must be relevant
 Using the right tone.
◦ Tone is determined by
 Choice of words, expressions, sentences
 Modulation
 Facial expression, body language
 Voice
“Client buys you first then your company”

58. “winning isn’t everything
it’s the only thing”.