Tips to Keep Pricing Professionals from Losing their Cool in the Summer Proposal Season
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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.
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Tips to Keep Pricing Professionals from Losing their Cool in the Summer Proposal Season
- 1. Tips to Keep from Losing your Cool During the Summer Proposal Season Jim Bender © 2018 ZK Development Solutions [email protected]
- 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
- 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
- 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 – [email protected] – 571-235-0613