It is a universally acknowledged truth that profound lessons can be gleaned from life’s simple experiences. In this nod to Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Jackie Mastropolo, the Director of Bid Strategy and Development of Sodexo’s North America Proposal Development Center describes five lessons learned from a summer job that remain with her today.

Know your customer.

“The first step in exceeding your customer’s expectations is to know those expectations.”

Roy H. Williams.

Paper or plastic? Cash or credit? In a rush or up for a friendly chat?

Knowing your customer and what they expect from their buying experience is the single most important aspect of writing a winning proposal and the precursor to all other steps. Whether it’s qualification and pre-proposal planning, or developing win themes and organizing content, investing time and effort to gain a strong understanding of your customer and their objectives is key.

A written proposal is often the culmination of a months- or years-long sales cycle and your last chance to make a first impression. Evaluators may still be largely unbiased at the proposal stage, and a well-planned, expertly-constructed proposal sends a powerful message: ‘We understand you and what is most important to you, and we are prepared to deliver.’

It’s not about you.

“If you want to achieve your goals, help others achieve theirs.”

Zig Ziglar

How can I help?

Proposal professionals know that the bedrock of a winning proposal is understanding the customer and their key drivers. The next step to winning is a value proposition that addresses how your solution will solve the customer’s unique challenges.

It’s tempting to list all the capabilities of your solution or service, but these must align with the specific desires of the customer, or you will fail to connect with proposal evaluators. It’s also likely that many of your key competitors offer similar capabilities, so your proposal must convince the customer that you can deliver what they want faster, better, and/or cheaper than anyone else.

Practice empathy.

“Be [kind] for every[one] is fighting a hard battle.”

Ian MacLaren

How I show up right now can change the course of someone’s day for the better.

We don’t always know all the details of a customer’s history, and their future aspirations may not yet be clear. A good proposal meets the customer where they are with acknowledgement, respect, and gratitude. While we may not know the context in which a proposal is being reviewed or what past experiences specific evaluators are bringing to the review exercise, we can take action to instill a sense of ease and gentleness in our approach to organizing the proposal for the reader(s).

Reader-friendly proposal elements such as infographics, consistent headings and fonts, document accessibility features, and concise answers to customer questions can help evaluators do their job quickly and effectively. Always include an executive summary and a conclusion and don’t leave your reader guessing about the main message of your proposal. In the famous words of Dale Carnegie, “tell [your] audience what you’re going to say, say it, then tell them what you’ve said.”

Productivity is contagious.

“Productivity is not about getting everything done, rather it is about getting things done effectively.”

Brianna Gray

Everyone wants to be on the line that is moving fastest.

Time is a finite resource; humans inherently understand this and are naturally drawn to making the most of it. In most cases, all bidders receive the same amount of time to submit a competitive proposal; what differentiates winning proposal teams is the employment of best practices to make the most of every minute.

• A proposal management plan with clearly defined responsibilities and timelines for completion of each project stage is a must. This plan is developed in collaboration with the response team early in the project and is proactively updated if deliverables and review cycles shift. All stakeholders have access to the plan throughout the project and understand what is expected of them.
• A well-organized and current proposal content library can significantly decrease writing time in active proposal cycles by storing previously and regularly vetted answers to frequently asked customer questions.
• Regular lessons learned reviews following the completion of key proposals are a powerful tool to examine what went well and find room for improvement.

Mind the eggs.

“The beauty of the natural world lies in the details.”

-Natalie Angier

Pack the eggs with a light loaf of bread, not a heavy can or bottle.

Yes, details matter and building time into the late stages of a project schedule for stakeholder and independent reviews, finishing touches, and thorough proofreading can mean the difference between success and disaster. This isn’t the time for sweeping revisions in solution or scope, but rather, an opportunity to read the final proposal from your customer’s point of view.

Develop a checklist with key items to include or avoid in the final response and build in plenty of time to avoid last-minute scrambles (egg pun intended).

Winning proposals is about establishing an intimate relationship with your customers; convincing them that you see them and helping them to see you. We have all lived this lesson in our everyday lives and we can all draw from personal experience to win!

Want to write for the Winning The Business blog?

As well as keeping APMP members up to date with the goings-on at APMP HQ, this blog is an opportunity for you to share your valuable insights and experiences with the rest of the APMP community. After all, you’re the experts!

If you have tips, experiences, practices or lessons learned that you’d like to write an article about, email me, APMP’s Writer/Editor, at erin.smith@apmp.org and I will guide you through the next steps. You can also check out our submission guidelines here. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.