1. CH 3: Selecting the bid and choosing proposal team
PROPOSAL WRITING 402
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

2. Objectives Students will be able to
Make clear decision on whether or not to go for a bid
Set a proposal team in order to win the bid
Build on their knowledge of where to get more information on RFP or CFP
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

3. Contents Step I: Bid/No-Bid Analysis and Decision
Step II: The Proposal Team
Where to look for market information
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

4. Step I: Bid/No-Bid Analysis and Decision
Bid decision criteria
Does the proposal support your total marketing strategy?
Is the project within your firm’s area of expertise?
Do you have a competitive edge over the other firms?
Do you know the client from previous work?
Can you assemble and support an effective proposal team?
Do you have a realistic chance in winning the proposal?
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

5. Step I: Bid/No-Bid Analysis and Decision (cont…)
Bid/no-bid analysis checklist
Help you to decide whether to go for bid
Prevent you from spending time and money pursuing jobs you have no chance of winning and winning the job you can’t perform
Prevent you from underbid the cost or underestimate the time it would take to complete the project
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

6. Step I: Bid/No-Bid Analysis and Decision (cont…)
Why decline the bid in writing? (sent at least one week before the deadline)
Let the bidder know you want to be considered for future jobs—or that you are not interested in future bids because the work is outside your area of expertise
Give you a chance to highlight your company’s strengths
Create goodwill for your company. The bidder may pass your name on to other firms looking for bids on their work
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

7. Step II: The Proposal Team
Sample of the team structure
Proposal manager
Coordinator: Research
Team members
Coordinator: Writing
Coordinator: Program plan and budget
Support staff, clerical help, other resources
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

8. Step II: The Proposal Team (con’t…)
Three elements to a successful proposal team
A manager to oversee the process
Team members with the requisite skills and knowledge and
Separate facilities for the team away from their regular jobs
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

9. Step II: The Proposal Team (con’t…)
Proposal manger’s duties
Recruit. organize, and direct the proposal planning team. This includes selecting coordinators to direct the activities of various groups involved in research, program development, time/cost analysis..
Obtain the services of consultants and cooperating firms (if needed) and define the teams’ responsibilities and roles
Help the team analyze the RFP to determine the client’s needs
Establish the proposal-planning schedule and assign tasks to individual members or team task groups
Ensure that the team stays on track and within established guidelines and goals
Review material submitted by team members
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

10. Step II: The Proposal Team (con’t…)
Proposal manger’s duties (con’t…)
Maintain close contact with upper management to report on the team’s progress and results and to obtain added assistance when and where it is required
Submit the draft proposal to top management
Assemble the final proposal and act as liaison between top management, client management, and proposal team
Oversee productive and delivery of the printed proposal and follow up to ensure top management and client received it
Overall, build the team and help it stay on target. He or she must encourage communication among member, foster mutual trust, and strengthen the team’s commitment to achieve the goals of the proposal effort.
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

11. Step II: The Proposal Team (con’t…)
Coordinators’ duties
Ensuring that the groups understand the overall goals and purpose of the proposal
Preparing a detailed outline of their proposal section
Assigning work tasks, setting page limits, and establishing work deadlines
Using consultants/subcontractors or cooperating organizations as required and integrating their input in to the process
Reviewing drafts and participating in management reviews draft material
Incorporating review comments into the final section copy and integrating this copy into the total proposal
Keeping the proposal manager apprised of the group’s progress and requesting assistance as necessary
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

12. Step II: The Proposal Team (con’t…)
Team members
Generally drawn from the ranks of company personnel and are chosen from the specific contributions they can make to proposal preparations
Sometimes you can add outside staff either through consultant agreement or teaming agreements
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

13. Step II: The Proposal Team (con’t…)
Proposal Development Specialist
Required when a company has limited staff or funds to devote to a particular bid
The specialist usually work solely for developing the proposal only
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

14. WHERE TO LOOK FOR MARKET INFORMATION
The client’s RFP, staff, and other materials
Your own company’s knowledge, judgment, and experience
Your company’s library, including swipe files (which contain studies, clippings, annual reports, past proposals, and other data that can be “swiped” for use in current proposals)
Public information about the client and competitors
Public and specialized databases
Specialized research and information groups: Companies, associations, agencies, or groups specializing in marketing research and analysis
Other media sources
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou

15. END OF PRESENTATION…
18 January 2019
Lectured by: OR Vitou