1. Creating Effective Proposals
Proposal BasicsC O N S U L T I N G
2. The Big Picture“The obvious is obvious…only after it’s obvious”
3. What Makes a Good Proposal?Is directed to the right audience
Offers a low-risk, well-substantiated solution to a real (not always stated) need
Is easy to understand
Shows (not claims) competence
Offers distinct benefits over others
Better, faster, cheaper
Impresses evaluators
Provides tangible value
4. What Makes a Bad Proposal?Hard to understand/hard to score
Not responsive and non-compliant
Fails to demonstrate competence
Solves the wrong problem
Offers an unproven or risky solution
Not differentiated from the competition
Claims are not believable
Grammatical errors/general sloppiness
5. Why Are So Many Proposals Bad?They are produced by committees
They are produced under pressure
They show an anxiety to win
The proposal staff is over-committed and/or poorly prepared
The message is unclear or lacking
KPMG did not listen to the customer
KPMG listened to the wrong people
Unsubstantiated claims
6. Ailments of ProposalsMOTION SICKNESS - jumps too quickly from point to point and is difficult to follow
SENILITY - the same old stuff
AMNESIA - important points omitted
STERILITY - ideas not conceived
NARCISSISM - too much horn blowing
SCARLET FEVER - excessive use of red
GOITER - blown up in the wrong places
CONSTIPATION - there may be something here, but it simply refuses to come out
7. Proposals Answer 9 Basic QuestionsWho are we?
What are we selling?
Why are we selling it?
How is it better than the competition?
How are we going to execute it?
How are we going to manage it?
Why are we qualified to do it?
How much is our price?
Can we do it within cost and on schedule?
8. Six Basic Proposal PrinciplesYou never get a second chance to make a first impression
A good proposal will not always win, but a poor one will almost always lose
Bus. Development is doing your homework (studying); proposals are taking the test
Proposal Management is where democracy stops
Evaluators expect to see quality reflective of the time allotted to prepare the proposal
Write to win, or don’t begin
9. Typical Opportunity Scenarios
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Opportunity from Partner/BDM/Sr. Manager
No RFP
No formal requirements statement
10. Reading an RFP: What to look for?Is the SOW what we thought? Can we do the job?
How many days to prepare the proposal?
How many sections are in the proposal?
Are there 8a or minority-owned business requirements?
What are the staffing/skills/geographic requirements?
Are there extensive customer reference requirements?
Are there technologies requiring other KPMG practices or outside help (teaming arrangement)?
How is evaluation weighted (technical vs. cost)?
Are there special production considerations?
Existing contract vehicle?
What about contract terms and conditions?
11. What to Do When There is No RFPRefer to the Opportunity Fact Sheet (OFS) filled out by the KPMG Partner/BDM/Sr. Manager
Contains much of the information found in an RFP
Serves as the RFP for the proposal
Analyze the Business Opportunity outlined in the OFS just as you would an RFP
Is there a compelling reason to bid?
Rely on the KPMG contact’s knowledge about the client, the opportunity, and the competition
12. Final Analysis: Should We Bid?Easy to bid, hard not to
Some reasons not to bid:
Strong incumbent (client looking for a “check bid”)
Client budget vs. project scope doesn’t match
No knowledge of competition
No relationships with, or prior knowledge of client/RFP
KPMG project staff either not available or unqualified
Can’t meet minimum solution/geographic requirements
KPMG Qualifications not strong/pertinent enough
Proposal response time too short to produce a high-quality, competitive document
Cost to produce proposal outweighs potential award
13. Any Questions?Carl Rosenblatt
BDST Manager, Public Services
Tyson’s Tower
703 747-6508