INNOVATION January-February 2012

in this particular situation . This is where many respondents fall down. Another best practice is ensuring that the orientation of the entire RFP response is positive in tone and solution focused. For example, don’t state exclusions; instead, state recommendations that fall outside of scope. The same points, differently phrased, will change the attitude of the person evaluating the response in your favour. Conclusion The ideal way to prove you are writing the best possible response is to include a formal third-party review of the above categories of your proposal. An internal audit for the above criteria by someone who was not involved in the writing of the proposal is the next best course of action. Whether done pre- or post- submission, a tight timeline is no excuse to avoid an audit. Typically, the results can be delivered in an hour-long meeting and, if done pre-submission, they provide immediate and practical feedback for the writing of the final draft. Add a formal review step to your response process to win more bids, more often. v Tara Landes is the President of MRSI Benchmarking Inc, a Vancouver- based management consulting firm that works with engineering firms to identify their potential and provide customized implementation and training to make that potential a reality. Their services include formal proposal reviews. Tara can be reached at tlandes@mrsibenchmarking. com or (604) 345-0424.

How can your company distinguish itself in this increasingly competitive market? First, as the proposal author, you must put yourself in the evaluator’s shoes. Picture yourself in a roomwith six other evaluators. You are staring at a huge stack (1,000 or more pages) of proposals to evaluate. More or less, they propose similar solutions. Prices are in a separate envelope. You are grading each section out of 10. Oh, and you are one of three in the roomwho work for a government ministry and have no technical background. What will be the difference between a 9 and a 9.25 for you as the evaluator? One thing is certain, all the little things matter if 0.25 is the difference between first and second place. Does your company routinely write proposals that will distinguish itself in the above circumstance? Beyond offering competitive pricing, quality and value, the very best companies audit their proposals in these broad categories before submission to maximize their win ratio: Best Practice: style Time pressures can greatly affect respondents when it comes to the style of their response. At a minimum, audit the writing to ensure it is of a professional standard—grammatically correct, edited, proofread and free of spelling errors. The narrative must flow in a logical way and the writing style should be straightforward to understand. Watch the jargon—the language used should align with the intended audience. Looks and layout also count. The evaluating team appreciates the use of subheadings, diagrams, photographs and bullets. Best Practice: structure Always include a cover letter that summarizes why your firm is the most appropriate choice for this work. Then write an executive summary that highlights the key elements of the proposal. To assist the evaluators, the table of contents of the response must mirror the one issued in the RFP exactly. Further, always include page numbers and itemized appendices. Any “boilerplate” your firm relies upon must be customized or presented in a way that is asked for in the RFP. Your proposal must fully answer every question posed by the RFP. When common elements are not specifically requested (CVs, experience, testimonials, etc.) ensure the submission includes them in an appendix. Best Practice: Credibility Establish credibility throughout your response. First, demonstrate a solid understanding of the needs of the client by stating them in your company’s own words. Identify your solutions confidently, citing all previous experience that is relevant, similar and successful. Further evidence should be provided through the composition and experience of the team that will work on the project and their specific roles. Great responses develop an even higher level of credibility by recommending scope changes to enhance the project by saving money or time, or adding quality or value in some useful way. In addition, the response should highlight any relevant awards and targeted testimonials freely offered by client leads of previous projects. Why? Because people buy from people that other people buy from. Best Practice: Compelling responses There must be a clear, concrete answer with evidence to the implied question “Why should the client care?” Your proposal should always begin by putting the client’s needs first, and focus on solving their problems. Where appropriate, offer additional solutions or alternatives to consider. The proposal must clearly demonstrate why your firm’s product or service is valuable and how it is different and/or preferable

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