Do you submit nice looking proposals?

While it’s true, you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, it’s a pretty good starting point and it will have an overall impression on the evaluators. Perception, after all, is everything.

A professional bid response suggests professional services/products.

However, like your written submission, it should be client focused. In this context, I mean it has to match their expectations and culture. A poorly presented proposal stuck in a binder with a non-professional cover, poorly laid out text, hard to read fonts and headings, etc. will look unprofessional to almost everyone, but a slick, glossy production that is more sales than substance may turn off some evaluators. So, you need to strike the right balance. Read the rest of this entry »

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:36 — 3.2MB)

In this episode, I’m switching from a focus on the client to focusing on you, with critical questions you need to ask yourself while you write your proposal.

Very often, proposal writers are often so focused on the mechanics of responding to the proposal, assembling all the information, getting agreements and ensuring they’re compliant with the RFP, that they fail to ask the following key questions: Read the rest of this entry »