TArticles tagged with: capture management

Do you understand how to show you understand? (Part 2 of 2)

Developing an insightful risk mitigation approach

Describing potential risks and proposed mitigations is an excellent way to show proposal evaluators you understand project complexities. In Part 1 of this blog post, I discussed six common pitfalls to demonstrating understanding and how to avoid them. An insightful risk approach identifies risks to successful project performance from the customer’s perspective, which requires that you know the customer. However, it also requires that you have experience. Based on your experience, you can describe risks you’ve encountered and how you mitigated them successfully. Here are five common pitfalls and five tips to a great risk mitigation approach that demonstrates your understanding of the customer and the contract. Pitfall #1: Your risks don’t matter Often bidders cut and paste risks from proposals for similar contracts. They give little thought to what really matters to this customer in terms of risks to successful schedule, budget, and quality performance. Tip #1: Identify risks … Continue reading Do you understand how to show you understand? (Part 2 of 2) →

A 360 degree view of wired RFPs

Proposal professionals use the term wired to refer to a request for proposal (RFP) they believe is rigged to ensure one company wins. Customers rig an RFP by using specific requirements and evaluation criteria that favor one company versus the competition. Although there are many ways to wire an RFP, here are 10 common methods: Customers select an acquisition vehicle that severely limits the competitive field Resumes are required for all or most positions, even non-management positions Resume requirements reflect obscure or hard-to-find skills, education, or certifications Evaluation criteria (usually >60%) is weighted in favor of resumes and past performance Threshold for using a past performance reference limits the competition Technical requirements are so specific only an incumbent could respond to them Customer’s objectives and technical requirements are so vague they are hard to interpret RFP asks the offeror to respond to multiple sample task orders that are specific Turnaround … Continue reading A 360 degree view of wired RFPs →

10 steps to high scoring proposals | Amtower Off-Center

Amtower Off Center host Mark Amtower interviews proposal expert Bob Lohfeld on Bob’s new book: 10 Steps to Creating High-Scoring Proposals. Click to listen to Mark’s interview. Topics include: What is a high scoring proposal? What are the “strengths” a proposal should highlight? How are source selections made? What are the principles behind high-scoring proposals? What steps can companies take to get higher score? Hosted by nationally-known speaker and consultant Mark Amtower, Amtower Off-Center highlights the good, the bad, the ugly and the just plain silly of doing business in the government market. Every week experts join Mark for a lively discussion of current issues facing the government contractor community. Bob Lohfeld, CF APMP Fellow, serves as Chairman of Lohfeld Consulting Group. He has more than 30 years’ experience winning contracts in the government market and is recognized consistently for leadership in business development, capture management, and winning proposals development. … Continue reading 10 steps to high scoring proposals | Amtower Off-Center →

Do you understand how to show you understand? (Part 1 of 2)

RFPs regularly ask bidders to demonstrate understanding. The understanding section(s) is challenging to write. Your understanding sets the stage for the solution you propose and its substantiated benefits. A mediocre understanding reduces customer confidence in your ability to perform the work. Here are six common pitfalls and how to avoid them. Pitfall #1: Weak words We understand. We recognize. We believe. These are common ways bidders try to demonstrate understanding. But using these crutch words does nothing to build customer confidence. In fact, these common phrases weaken your understanding section. Look at the example below. The ABC Team understands the complexities and challenges associated with the contract. This sentence says nothing. The proposal would be much more convincing if the bidder described the referenced complexities and challenges based on customer knowledge, industry research, lessons learned, and the like. An insightful description of the as-is environment sets the stage to present … Continue reading Do you understand how to show you understand? (Part 1 of 2) →