TArticles tagged with: Pre-proposal Preparation Phase

Proposal production across the business development life cycle – phase 3 (Part 4 of 6)

In her previous post (Part 3 of 6), Briana Coleman, PPM.APMP discussed the key activities involved in Phases 1 and 2 of the typical business development (BD) life cycle: Phase 1 Opportunity identification and assessment Phase 2 Pursuit Phase 3 Pre-proposal preparation Phase 4 Proposal development Phase 5 Post-submittal In this post, she discusses the key production activities that you should perform in Phase 3 Pre-Proposal Preparation. 1. Begin drafting your production plan: proposal-specific In Phases 1 and 2 of the BD life cycle, you drafted a company production plan. In this phase, you’ll tailor that generic plan to your specific proposal and RFP. By this phase in the life cycle, you have likely received a draft RFP from the client, or you have put together a strawman RFP of your anticipated requirements. Using these draft documents, update your plan to reflect any nuances of the customer, e.g., specified font … Continue reading Proposal production across the business development life cycle – phase 3 (Part 4 of 6) →

5 Essential elements for proposal writing plans

There are multiple terms used for the initial writing tools used in proposal development. Some use the term storyboard. This term comes from the movie industry in which the director blocks out scenes so she can visualize the action plot sequencing. Others prefer the term annotated outline to indicate the depth to which the flow of text is being developed. Writing plan is a generic term Lohfeld Consulting Group uses to refer to whichever method (storyboard or annotated outline) you select for a particular proposal development effort. Regardless of the term and the form used, the essentials of the writing plan template include: Reference to the section being addressed Theme or lead-in statement Substantiating evidence Offer design strategy for text and graphics Bulleted details for the text Writing plans provide the road map for the actual proposal. They give your writers a mechanism to organize their thoughts, gather evidence to … Continue reading 5 Essential elements for proposal writing plans →

6 Rules for proposal graphics

Review and incorporate the following guidelines and suggestions into your graphics development process. Start with a complete detailed graphic (hand-sketched or computer-generated) and then begin to remove as much detail as you can without destroying the real message. This reduces the graphic to its simplest form. The extra detail can be placed in an appendix to the proposal, if appropriate. Don’t try to generate finished artwork at the first pass. You might have several ideas for graphics that support the thesis sentence, but will eventually select the most appropriate one, or combination, as you develop the text. Be creative. The time to experiment is before the graphic artist renders the graphic in electronic format. Focus on the what, how, and why of the graphic to avoid producing meaningless graphics. Don’t deviate from the message expressed in the text. Role play and look at the graphic from the evaluators’ viewpoint. Will … Continue reading 6 Rules for proposal graphics →

Proposal graphics must appeal to 3 types of client evaluations

Graphics of all types should be used profusely throughout your proposal – but for every graphic, always ask why is this illustration being used? If the graphic does not add value, either change the graphic so it conveys information effectively or remove it. Charts and graphs should convey a message and/or tell a story. Graphics must appeal to three types of client evaluations: 5-second glimpse and grasp 60-second understanding Detailed scrutiny (for complex items) To score maximum points from graphics, develop graphics in parallel with proposal drafts – this will ensure graphics are reviewed carefully at all stages of proposal review and will save time during final proposal preparation. Continuously review graphics for message, continuity, and relevance. By the Lohfeld Consulting Group Team