Process 4: Proposal -- The Winning Proposal

 

It’s time to develop that Winning Proposal. Compliance first, then compelling. Please remember the preeminence of compliance above all else.  In this Phase, you develop a Proposal Management Plan (PMP) to ensure compliance while weaving in your Service Area and Operational strategies; all governed by your compliance matrix.  You define roles and responsibilities, Proposal schedule and a complete outline of all Volumes. You refine the Offer Design and convert Price-to-Win strategy into real pricing models.  You develop your written collateral and evolve your solicitation response through planned color reviews. If necessary, you begin the coaching the oral presentation team in planning, preparing and practicing; laying the groundwork for ultimately presenting your methodologies to the customer.  You assemble the candidate Volumes, white glove them and send them off to production.  Finally, you participate in a Proposal gate review to ensure that you are prepared for or even comfortable with submission. Developing the Proposal is where the work begins, and conceptual becomes an actual product; from strategic to tactical. Once again, you focus on compliance first, then compelling.

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Objective

 

The objective of the Proposal Process is, "To produce a compliant, compelling and winning Proposal.”  Writing a compliant Proposal is a disciplined process.  It takes attention to detail to ensure that every “the contractor shall” has a corresponding “we will” (compliance), and, by the way, “how we will” (compelling).  At the same time, it needs to be done within a page limit and still has to be compelling.  You’ve heard it many times already and expect to hear again and again, “compliance first, then compelling." Let the Writing Begin!

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Watch Gloria Parker interview Mike about this very same topic on YouTube here!

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Excerpt - "In Pursuit - Business Development Life Cycle" (c) 2019

Mike Rice

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