#APMP2016

Lies we tell ourselves when we lose And what they really mean!

#APMP2016 Presenters Laura Higgins Proposal, Presentation, and Process Consultant Joyce Loegel Proposal Manager Proposal Prose LLC

#APMP2016 Outline of presentation  Lies and more lies  Group discussion  Group feedback  Wrap up

#APMP2016 We all lose sometimes! Do we hold an after-action review on losing deals? What is the most usual conclusion of that review?

#APMP2016 We all lose sometimes! Do we hold an after-action review on losing deals? What is the most usual conclusion of that review? – It was all about price – It was wired for our competitor – We didn't have adequate time to do a good proposal – What the client wanted didn't match a solution we could offer/requirements we could meet – The client hated our team

#APMP2016 But what about when we win? Do we hold a post-win review? If not, why not? If we do, what are the typical results?

#APMP2016 But what about when we win? Do we hold a post-win review? If not, why not? If we do, what are the typical results? – We won because our price was best – The client liked us – We did an amazing proposal

#APMP2016 It’s time to look more deeply at why we win or lose! It’s easy to fall back on the comforting lies that we all tell ourselves: – Losing was not our fault – Winning was due purely to our efforts Neither statement is completely true

#APMP2016 Breakout discussion topics Losing lies: – It was all about price – It was wired for our competitor – We didn't have adequate time to do a good proposal – What the client wanted didn't match a solution we could offer/requirements we could meet – The client hated our team Winning lies: – We won because our price was best – The client liked us – We did an amazing proposal

#APMP2016 Breakout session instructions Select one of the eight topics that you would like to consider more carefully Join that group – Balance the number of participants in each group Record questions you can ask to challenge the lie: – 15 minutes to discuss – What might have led to the easy conclusion we reached? – What action could we have done, or done better or differently to affect the outcome – What questions did we fail to ask? Nominate a spokesperson to present your ideas – 3 minutes to report back

#APMP2016 Group Feedback

#APMP2016 Analyze losing The comfortable lie about losingThe questions we need to ask It was all about price Did we:  Over engineer our solution?  Miscalculate the client’s price target?  Misunderstand some scope elements?  Set unrealistic expectations about price during capture? It was wired for our competitor What is our relationship with the client? Does the client view this solution as strategic? When did we realize that it was wired? Should we have no bid? We didn't have adequate time to do a good proposal Why didn’t we have adequate time? Was the capture plan sufficient to supply information to start the proposal? What happened during the bid/no bid process? What the client wanted didn't match a solution we could offer/requirements we could meet What happened during capture that led to a solution or requirements we couldn’t meet? What happened during the bid/no bid process? The client hated our teamWhen did we find out? Why didn’t we reform the team?

#APMP2016 Analyze winning The smug analysisThe questions we need to ask We won because our price was best Is the deal profitable? How did we arrive at the price? Did we vary our standard process to arrive at the price? And if so, should we incorporate this variation into our standard process? The client liked us How did the capture team work with the client to develop the relationship? Was there a particular point in the process that caused the client’s reaction? Did we remove anyone from the team that the client disliked or add anyone to the team that we knew the client liked? We did an amazing proposalWhat happened during capture that allowed us to do that amazing proposal? Is there something about the process that we used for this proposal that differed from the standard process? If so, should we incorporate it into our process?

#APMP2016

Resources to consider  Shipley handout  APMP Book of Knowledge Customer Analysis and Competitive Intelligence  Gate Decisions  Lessons Learned Analysis and Management   APMP Journal, Fall+Winter, 2013 Why We Don't Win: APMP members speak out on reasons why proposals fail; What are the reasons proposals don’t win?   “2 real life lost rebids explained”  Incumbency no longer an advantage 

#APMP2016 Contact Us Laura Higgins Proposal, Presentation, and Process Consultant Joyce Loegel Proposal Manager Proposal Prose LLC APMP PO Box Washington, DC Phone: +1 - (202)