7 Tips to get the Most Value out of Your Proposal Consultant
We know it is a big decision to let us be a part of your team and we do not take that for granted! We want to earn your business as a valuable partner—when you win, we win! To get the most out of this partnership (and your investment), there are a few things you can do that will make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck! Together, we can hit it out of the ball park!
1. Bring us in early on to track your upcoming opportunities!
We are a small company with exceptional, although limited, resources. Let us know the minute you hear about an upcoming project that you want to pursue, so we can add it to our resources calendar and follow it on beta.sam.gov. This ensures we are immediately notified when the RFP is issued, so we can get the ball rolling! Through our nearly 20 years of experience preparing proposals day after day, we have established proven processes for maximizing the solicitation timeframe to develop strong, persuasive proposals. Once the RFP is issued, we assign a dedicated Proposal Manager and Support(s) to manage and implement these processes which work best when we have the full solicitation time allowance.
Also, don't forget to fill out our FREE Opportunity Tracking form! We'll help you find and track the perfect opportunities, complimentary!
2. Send us your existing proposal information
We are eager to start your proposal and there are several things we can do before the Kick-off Meeting to get a jump start! So, go ahead and email us your company logo (in a graphic format) and any marketing materials and/or branding documents you wish to see incorporated into your proposal along with any previous proposals you think will assist us in the proposal-preparation process, at your earliest convenience! The more information you send us, the better.
3. Attend and engage in the Kick-off Meeting
To get your proposal started on the right foot, we will hold a Kick-off Meeting with your team via a conference call. During the Kick-off Meeting, we will review all proposal submission requirements along with the evaluation criteria as well as discuss win themes and strategies. To make the most of this time, it is important to make sure that all of your key team players attend the Kick-off Meeting—including subcontractors and/or design partners. If you and your team can familiarize yourself with the RFP requirements before the Kick-off Meeting, we can use our time strategizing on putting together a winning proposal! Also, if you can identify your most-relevant projects and key personnel before the Kick-off Meeting, it allows us to hit-the-ground-running as soon as the call ends. Even if you don’t have your final project list or key personnel, a narrowed-down list helps!
4. Meet internal milestones
During the Kick-off Meeting, we will establish internal milestones for obtaining information from your team. By providing us company information throughout the process, it allows us to pace ourselves in the proposal-preparation process. If we get your information as planned, it gives us more time to accurately prepare each section and implement our internal quality process to ensure accuracy. We will also set internal milestones for ourselves to provide you with draft copies of your proposal along the way! Believe it or not, it actually takes us more time to prepare a proposal when we get the information late in the game.
5. Review the Red Team Draft in advance of the meeting
If all internal milestones are met, a Red Team Draft of your proposal is distributed 24 to 48 hours before our scheduled Red Team Meeting. Take advantage of this time to carefully read through the Red Team proposal cover to cover making sure we have highlighted the win themes and strategies identified during the Kick-off Meeting, to your satisfaction. We recommend printing and reviewing a hard-copy print of your proposal, so you can make edits as you go! Although we strive for perfection on each proposal, if you do happen to see spelling mistakes or grammatical errors (gasp!), please mark them on your hard-copy proposal, scan and email them to us before the Red Team Meeting. This will allow us to focus our time on fine-tuning the proposal submission, rather than reading through it together.
6. Take post Red Team action
The best way to keep the momentum rolling after the Red Team is to carve out time immediately after our call, to provide any missing information so we can finalize your proposal! The sooner we get the information, the sooner we can provide you with a Final copy of your proposal for final review and approval. A proactive approach at this stage minimizes the risk of printing and shipping delays which could negatively impact final submission.
7. Provide feedback
In a true partnership approach, we welcome constructive feedback once your proposal is submitted. We will use this information to incorporate lessons learned and improve our approach for the next one!
Ready to take the next step? Contact us today!
