This document provides tips for proposal managers to keep from losing their cool during the busy summer proposal season. It discusses having a process-oriented mindset rather than focusing on opportunities. It then offers advice on critical checkpoints like bid decisions, proposal kickoffs, and color team reviews. Finally, it emphasizes the importance of proposal planning, establishing roles and schedules, and using color teams to review and improve draft proposals before submission. The overall message is that taking time for planning and review can help reduce stress and result in stronger proposals.

1. Tips to Keep from
Losing your Cool
During the
Summer Proposal
Season
Jim Bender
© 2018 ZK Development Solutions
jim@zk-development.com

2. Goal
Think more about process
and less about
opportunities this summer

3. Who is this
guy?
Production management in performing arts,
working with creative teams
Marketing communications project manager
Public health research and behavior change
20 years federal contracting including senior
management roles
Winning new business and forming teams
Training

4. How about You?
– Your name, company and what do you sell?
– What is the biggest challenge you face this
summer?
– Why did you choose this session?

5. Critical
Checkpoints
– Bid decision
– Proposal kick-off
– Color team reviews

6. Pwin—whatisthemostimportantfactor?

7. Calculating your Pwin–
Bid Decision Criteria
– The Government is Risk
Averse
– Client Intimacy
– Agency Experience
– Strength of the team
– Past performance
– Staff qualifications and
experience; ability to staff
up
– Technical Solution,
Innovation, Added Value
– History of your Teaming
Structure
– A Winning Price Point
– Time Before the Due Date

8. What Wins – Universal Precepts
– Compliant
– Responsive
– Compelling
– Compliance matrix
– Proposal storyboard or
very detailed outline
– Win themes based on
objective research on
client needs and
competitive environment

9. What Does not Make Winners?
Your set aside status
Your award from the county executive

10. Bid Comparison
Matrix – BOE*
Experience
Price
Staff
Ability to meet schedule/capacity
Source: ShipleyWins * Back of the Envelope

11. Bid Comparison
Matrix –
Deep Dive
Evaluation Criteria Weight 1-3 Our Organization
(Enter Competitor Name
Here)
PERSONNEL INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS
Experience 2 5 10 4 8
Qualifications 3 5 15 4 12
Availability 2 5 10 4 8
Sufficient numbers 1 5 5 4 4
Location 2 5 10 4 8
Add additional criteria 1 5 5 4 4
MANAGEMENT
SUBTOTALS 55 44
INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS
Approach 2 5 10 4 8
Program management controls 3 5 15 4 12
Transition plan 1 5 5 4 4
Subcontract management 2 5 10 4 8
Cost control 2 5 10 4 8
Regulatory compliance 1 5 5 4 4
Experience 1 5 5 4 4
Add additional criteria 1 5 5 4 4
SOLUTION
SUBTOTALS 55 44
INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS
Feasibility 2 5 10 4 8
Supply chain 1 5 5 4 4
Tools 3 5 15 4 12
Technical approach 1 5 5 4 4
Period of performance 1 5 5 4 4
Location of performance 1 5 5 4 4
Quality assurance 2 5 10 4 8
Add additional criteria 1 5 5 4 4
COST
SUBTOTALS 60 48
INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS
Value 2 5 10 4 8
Lowest price technically acceptable 1 5 5 4 4
Reasonableness 2 5 10 4 8
Cost incurred by customer 2 5 10 4 8
Add additional criteria 1 5 5 4 4
RISK
SUBTOTALS 40 32
INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS
Risk of nonperformance 3 5 15 4 12
Safety 1 5 5 4 4
Environmental risk 2 5 10 4 8
Add additional criteria 1 5 5 4 4
PAST PERFORMANCE
SUBTOTALS 35 28
INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS INSERT RANK ↓ AUTO TOTALS
Past performance with customer 3 5 15 4 12
Past similar experience 3 5 15 4 12
Add additional criteria 1 5 5 4 4
Personnel
Management
Solution
Cost
Risk
Past Performance
Support

12. 12
Competition: Relies on BD intel
Teaming Partners: Cite main partners only
Key Proposed Personnel
and Labor Categories:
Correlate our company labor categories to RFP categories.
If there is not a good match, consider teammate staff, incumbent staff or strategic
contingency hires.
If there is still no good match, no-bid is mandatory.
Staffing in Full-Time
Equivalents (FTEs):
RFP estimates, plus any estimated contingencies
Security Clearance
Requirements:
Facilities and personnel. Are these clearances in place or already pending?
Win Themes and
Discriminators:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Our Unique Selling
Proposition
Specifically, what will we offer that our competitors either can’t or won’t? Cite only
specific products, services, personnel or experience.
Why We Should Bid: What is our clear competitive edge? How critical is this bid to us?
Why We Will Win: Clear case for expending B&P resources
Our Proposal Team: CAPTURE MGR.: BUSINESS DEV.: PROPOSAL MGR.:
CONTRACTS/PRICING MGR.: SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT(S):
Bid Decision Form

13. 13
Mark Each Response as RED, YELLOW, or GREEN
Do we know the client & their opinion of us?
Do we understand the Scope of Work?
Do we know the status of incumbent contractor(s)?
Has our management and/or tech staff met with the customer?
Is the customer expecting us to bid?
Do we know the customer’s budget?
Are the proposal evaluation criteria favorable to us?
Are there clear discriminators working in our favor?
Has a full Capture Team been formed?
Are our proposed Key personnel currently employed by us?
Have we developed the winning technical and price strategies?
Can we show relevant and compelling past performance?
Is the proposal schedule manageable?
if we are teaming, have all agreements been negotiated or signed?
Do we have a draft or approved Bid & Proposal (B&P) budget?
Bid Decision Form

14. Proposal Kick-off
Capture Phase >>>>>>>>>>> Proposal Phase
Opportunity Intel>>>Proposal Strategy and Storyboard

15. Who should be present
• Capture and Proposal Manager
• All the writers (for the entire meeting)
• Proposal coordinator/book boss
• Cost team lead
• Executive leadership rep
• Technical/solution leads
• Key subcontractors

16. Kick-off
Agenda:
Capture
Summary
• Customer
• Most Important Requirements
• Our Solution
• Competition
• Critical Actions
• Win strategy/Themes

17. Kick-off
Agenda:
Proposal Plan
• RFP detailed breakdown
• Team roles
• Proposal Schedule
• Shared resource space
• Detailed outline or storyboard
• Cost targets for each task or section

18. How long does a good kick-off
take?
– 1 hour? 2 hours? 4 hours? 2 days?
– As long as it takes
– Probably longer than you think

19. But Jim, I don’t have
time for this, we
have to get started
on the first draft!
• Coalesces the team
• Communicated the expectations
for the proposal
• Gives every team member a big
picture view of what is going on
• Forces CM and PM to have their
act together and communicate
the vision
• Reduces rewrites
• Saves money
• Results in a better end product

20. zk-development.com

21. Color teams. Who to Invite?
Pink Team
• All the writers review other
sections
• Outside reviewers who know
customer, technical area, RFP
• Not leadership—invite them in
when the “hard decisions need
to be made”
Red Team
• Ghost the evaluation panel
• Outsiders who have not been
involved with the prop
• Senior staffer who will advocate
for the prop to leadership team

22. Color team score sheet
• Score sheet. Request overall rating by section plus a comments cell
• red=unacceptable
• yellow=marginal
• green=compliant, correct, and acceptable
• blue=exceeds requirements, provides discriminators, and ‘selling’ messages
• Is the story clearly told in each section?

23. Pink Team
Agenda
• Summary of goals and objectives for PT review
• Overall comments from each team member
• Section by section review of document
• Dismiss external reviewers and then discuss next steps
with the writing team
• Document all the comments post-call as well as the
response (or non-response) to the comments
• Do-outs, next steps and responsible individuals.

24. Red team
review –
Additional
questions for
panel
• The draft is usually long at this point—ask for
cut recommendations
• How well have we done in interpreting, and
showing our complete understanding of, the
RFP requirements?
• Are the win themes evident throughout?
• Do we have the right past performance
writeups? Do our key personnel resumes
respond 100% to all requirements for
experience, education and certifications?
• How can we better explain the proposed
solution? Nested graphics, flowcharts,
numbered lists, etc.?

25. Think, pair share:
How can you improve your prop process this
summer?
Think about how you run your proposal development process
• Your bid decision?
• Your kick-off?
• Your color team reviews
What works well and not so well?
With your magic wand, what one thing would you like to change?
What will you commit to doing in the next 7 days?
• Think - 2 minutes on your own; Pair – 2 minutes with your
neighbor; Share with all

26. Get more help
this summer!
– We provide capture management and
business development solutions to
federal contractors.
– Business capture planning
– Market research
– Collateral materials development
– Proposal management and
support
– jim@zk-development.com
– 571-235-0613