TArticles tagged with: government proposals

Meritorious Strength

DOD procurements have changed their standard definition of a proposal “Strength”

Have you noticed in recent DOD procurements that their standard definition of a “Strength” has changed, however slightly? I first noticed it when an active major RFP amended its Section M definition as part of an amendment. The change summary said that the government was adding the words “has merit or” to the definition. In context: Strength is an aspect of an Offeror’s proposal that has merit or exceeds specified performance or capability requirements in a way that will be advantageous to the government during contract performance. Our client was thrilled! The client is an industry leader in a highly regulated industry, and the government’s requirements read like a best practices list for the industry. It had been difficult figuring out how our solution exceeded requirements in a way that would be advantageous to the government in contract performance. As we began to consider what this meant to our solution, … Continue reading Meritorious Strength →

A Recipe for Best Value at the Lowest Price

Understand what is valuable to your customer

If you want to win a contract, be it TVs, toasters, or teacups, you need to understand what is valuable to your customer. Answer these questions to understand what your customer values: What pains, dependencies, or risks does the customer want to avoid? What functionality does the customer require? How can I exceed the customer’s expectations? For example, if the customer wants to build a service desk for widget technical support, understand any relevant pains, dependencies, or risks. The customer might have to divert its R&D staff from more important work to respond to requests for technical assistance. Or the customer might have a hard time trying to solve problems right the first time, which drives up costs and drives down customer satisfaction. Next, understand all the functionality the customer requires such as call, email, and chat functionality and 8/5 coverage. In addition, exceed your customer’s expectations by offering tangible … Continue reading A Recipe for Best Value at the Lowest Price →

Can proposal managers and contracting officers find common ground?

Do proposal managers and contracting officers (COs) have anything in common? Most likely, what we have in common is that we are on each other’s list of pet peeves. Or, one could argue, proposal managers think about the CO much more often than the CO thinks about us! As in, “When will the CO answer the questions? Will the CO extend the due date?” In addition, very rarely, if ever, are proposal managers and COs in the same room. Usually, the capture manager, program manager, and/or business development (BD) professional handles one-on-one meetings with the CO, so proposal managers and COs rarely if ever come face to face. If we ever meet, it is usually in a public setting such as an industry day. Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in a National Contract Management Association (NCMA) Government Contract Management Symposium (GCMS) breakout session—Talking to the Other Side: … Continue reading Can proposal managers and contracting officers find common ground? →

Recording available | Proposal writing and the eight-second attention span

Learn how to modernize your proposal writing to win in the digital age

Click to watch this free APMP-NCA Chapter/Lohfeld Consulting webinar Click to download the presentation Why you should attend: A 2015 Microsoft study found that digital distractions have resulted in the average person having an 8-second attention span, less than a goldfish! A 2016 Harvard Business Review article stated that bad writing is the biggest productivity buster. Yet, we still write proposals the old-fashioned way, as if our evaluators have unlimited time and focus. This webinar will discuss how to modernize our proposal writing to win in the digital age, using persuasive, attention-grabbing techniques such as calls to action, exceeding expectations, and clearly relevant writing. Meet your presenter: Lisa Pafe, Vice President (VP) at Lohfeld Consulting Group, CPP APMP Fellow and PMP, has 25+ years’ capture and proposal experience. She is President of the APMP-National Capital Area (NCA) Chapter, and was VP and Speaker Series Chair for 2 years each. She … Continue reading Recording available | Proposal writing and the eight-second attention span →