Sometimes, getting a little inspiration can go a long way in helping you develop robust bid strategies for your proposals.
Rather than starting from scratch every time, teams can benefit from a cheat sheet that outlines win strategies. This approach does not aim to control how people respond to specific issues, but rather to help them identify the best strategy, approach, or positioning that works for their particular situation.
The cheat sheet can serve as a useful tool in quickly identifying the most effective way to resolve issues, leaving the team to come up with the specific wording based on their unique circumstances.
Below are some key aspects that need to be considered while responding to different types of projects:
- Management Plan: What are your management structures and procedures for different types of projects?
- Offering Features and Benefits: What features do you include and what benefits do they deliver? You can always expand them later and tailor them for a specific bid.
- Pricing: How do you position yourself on pricing and what strategies do you follow in various circumstances?
- Terms and Conditions: How do you typically respond when a customer requires a certain term or condition?
- Staffing: What are the features and benefits of your staffing? What is your typical approach to staffing?
- Schedule: What strategies do you employ for various scheduling contingencies?
Additionally, you should also consider the following circumstances and contingencies:
- Customer Attributes, Preferences, and Issues: Which customer attributes, preferences, and issues can you anticipate and how do you typically respond?
- RFP Requirements and Evaluation Criteria: What do you typically do in response to the things you often see in RFPs, such as frequently appearing requirements, ambiguous language, or problems with evaluation criteria?
- Customize for Each Proposal: While you have a template, it’s important to customize each proposal to the specific requirements of the project or grant you’re applying for. Tailor your language, approach, and details to match the unique needs of each proposal.
- Outline Your Proposal: Before diving into writing, create a detailed outline of your proposal. This will help you organize your thoughts, set a logical flow, and ensure that you cover all the necessary points.
- Collaborate Efficiently: If you’re working with a team, assign specific sections or tasks to each team member. Collaboration can help distribute the workload and speed up the writing process.
- Edit and Proofread Later: Don’t get bogged down by editing and proofreading during the initial writing phase. Focus on getting your ideas down first and refine later. This can help you write more quickly without interruptions.
- Use Proposal Software: Consider using proposal management software or tools that can streamline the proposal writing process, assist with formatting, and ensure compliance with guidelines.
- Practice and Iterate: Practice makes perfect. The more proposals you write, the better you’ll become at it. Continuously gather feedback and iterate on your approach to improve your efficiency.
- Plan Ahead: Avoid last-minute rushes by planning your proposal submissions well in advance. Rushed proposals are often less effective and more error-prone.
- Learn from Past Proposals: Analyze past proposals (whether successful or not) to identify what worked and what didn’t. Use these insights to refine your approach
By following these steps and continually improving your proposal writing process, you can develop a winning strategy to write proposals faster and increase your chances of success. Remember that each proposal is unique, so adapt your strategy as needed to meet the specific requirements of each opportunity.
