Writing Proposals that Win 1

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1 All You Need to Know to Win: Writing Proposals that Win A PROPOSAL WORTH WRITING SHOULD BE WORTHY OF WINNING Please Note Materials contained within this presentation are proprietary to MarkeTrainer under U.S. copyright laws. These materials are not to be copied or distributed. This presentation focuses on Writing Proposals that Win for federal government contracts; however, most of the information discussed can be adapted to any market or industry. The contents of any written materials or verbal communications in this presentation do not necessarily reflect the official views or imply endorsement by DOD, DLA, or our sponsors. Instructor: Lorraine D Ignazio 30+ years: Marketing & Sales Professional 12 years: Manager, proposal development department for national environmental engineering firm 194 to 4300 people in 8 years 2 years: Marketing Director international A/E/C company with 310 offices Writing Proposals that Win 1

2 Your Instructor: Lorraine D Ignazio Past 18 years: Owner/Trainer MarkeTrainer Consulting and MarkeTrainer.com Small Woman-Owned Business Work with small and large businesses Strategic & Capture Planning, Writing Proposals to Win, Rehearsing Presentations, Facilitating Partnerships, Acquisitions, and Negotiations Trained 22,000+ people throughout U.S. All You Need to Know to Win Part 1: Start with a Strategic Win Plan Part 2: Writing Proposals that Win MarkeTrainer s SIP Process Part 3: The Details of Writing the A+ Proposal Proposal Instructions & Evaluation Criteria Detailed Instructions and Evaluation Criteria (or Not) Multiple volumes/numerous details Special formats must be identical to RFP Strict procedures for page limits and formatting Detailed cost breakdowns Special packaging/shipping instructions Every detail must be addressed Prepare an A+ proposal! Failure to comply to ALL criteria could mean REJECTION OF THE PROPOSAL and losing the contract Writing Proposals that Win 2

3 Mirror the RFP for A+ Proposal Recipe for A+ Proposal Mirror the RFP Tell the reader what you want him to remember Communicate your discriminators as themes Feed the dog MarkeTrainer s SIP Process Step 1: Separate the Request for Proposal s (RFP s) contents Step 2: Interpret and Integrate RFP Instructions and Evaluation Criteria Step 3: Prepare the proposal outline to mirror the RFP SIP Step 1 Separate the RFP Contents Arrange 5 blank pages of lined note paper side-by-side on your desk, or open 5 separate documents on your computer and save them as Page 1, Page 2, and so on , 4, , 4, 5 Writing Proposals that Win 3

4 SIP Process: Separate the RFP Contents Read the RFP twice once for overall contents, second time to highlight critical information Dedicate each page to a different topic: Title the 1 st page: Thou Shalts Title the 2 nd page: Contract Issues/Requirements Title the 3 rd page: Hot Buttons Title the 4 th page: Book Breakdown SIP Process: Separate the RFP Contents Dedicate each page to a different topic: Page 1: Thou Shalts = mandatory items Page 2: Contract Issues = All contract related information Page 3: Hot Buttons = Descriptive words or phrases from RFP Page 4: Book Breakdown = List requirements for formatting, forms, attachments, etc. Pages 5 - to?: Start the proposal outline SIP Process: Interpret (Analyze) the RFP A note about Thou Shalts Read the RFP for words like: Must have Shall have Should have The Evaluators will look for your responses to these! Writing Proposals that Win 4

5 SIP Step 2 Interpret the RFP Contents Read the RFP again. Interpret (and prepare to Integrate) the RFP Instructions and Evaluation Criteria The most difficult of the three SIP steps, because the RFP may not always be clear SIP Step 3: Prepare the Outline Step 3 Prepare the outline to Mirror the RFP This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of preparing a responsive proposal This is where you start to develop your mirror It s your ROADMAP to the proposal, the Table of Contents to the proposal, and the mirror that reflects the requirements of the RFP s Criteria Prepare the Outline To start the proposal outline Follow the RFP Instructions Weave in the Evaluation Criteria If there are no Instructions, follow the Evaluation Criteria Writing Proposals that Win 5

6 Prepare the Outline MarkeTrainer s Integration Rule Proposal Instructions trump everything Lacking Instructions, follow the Evaluation Criteria If RFP has both, start with Instructions and weave in Evaluation Criteria If RFP has neither, create your own Mirror the RFP 1. Mirror the RFP instructions and Evaluation Criteria to develop the proposal Outline RFP Instructions RFP Evaluation Criteria RFP SOW RFP Contract Clauses and Directives Mirror the RFP Writing Proposals that Win 6

7 Mirror the RFP Mirror the RFP See hand-outs: Example RFP Example Detailed Outline Example Compliance Checklist Prepare the Outline with Evaluators in Mind Evaluators review against RFP requirements When preparing the outline, add suggestions for author(s) regarding HOW to address the requirements, ensuring that RFP intent is met Add templates for items like resumes, project summaries, tables, etc., to enable the authors to easily fill in the required information Add notes about your discriminators (unique attributes) as relevant to the proposal section and Evaluation Criteria Writing Proposals that Win 7

8 Review Like an Evaluator Interpret the RFP s Evaluation Criteria EVALUATION CRITERIA: Two-Phase Proposal FACTOR [+] [-] [=] Priorities (1 8) Phase 1 PROPOSAL 1 - Technical Approach 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 4, Management Approach 3, 7, 8 1, 4, Personnel Qualifications & Competency 7, 8 1, 2, 4, 5, Specialized Experience and Past Performance 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, Phase 2 PROPOSAL 5 - Technical Design 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, Risk Assessment 3, 7, 8 4 1, 4, Schedule 8 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Small Business Participation Plan 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 7 Review the Proposal THINK LIKE AN EVALUATOR Writing Proposals that Win 8

9 Review the Proposal Think like an Evaluator - review against the RFP Instructions, Evaluation Criteria, and Outline Assign a Pink Team / Red Team Give the Review Team specific instructions and score sheets Ensure enough time in the schedule to completely address review comments Review Like an Evaluator Use a yellow highlighter Highlight the words that meet criteria Highlight the discriminators Highlight the themes (including Hot Buttons) REMOVE anything that is NOT relevant to the RFP Instructions / Criteria / SOW Review Like an Evaluator TAB B Management Personnel Required Credentials & Education 1 10 Design/ Build Experience Medical Facilities Experience 1-10 Onsite Infection Control Experience 1-10 Worked with Team Members 1-10 Name Name Name Writing Proposals that Win 9

10 Address the Holes and Fix the Weaknesses Go back to basics RFP Instructions first Look to the Evaluation Criteria for guidance top priorities first Enlist the appropriate experts to help New research, if necessary Set a new schedule, and begin again! Questions? For questions about the contents of this presentation, please contact the trainer via at: LDD@marketrainer.com Lorraine D Ignazio is Principal and Lead Trainer at MarkeTrainer Writing Proposals that Win 10