Successful Proposal Strategies For Small Businesses

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ISBN: 9781580539579 | 1580539572
Cover: Hardcover
Copyright: 1/31/2005

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Newly expanded and thoroughly revised to reflect and meet the demands of a high-velocity global business environment, the Fourth Edition of this popular book and its companion CD-ROM are highly accessible, self-contained desktop references developed to be informative, practical, and easy to use. They help small and mid-sized businesses as well as non-profit organizations and public-sector agencies to achieve effective, efficient, and disciplined business development, proposal development, and knowledge management (KM) processes.

Acknowledgments

xiii

Introduction

Chapter 1 Competitive proposals and small business

(42)

1.1 Overview

(4)

1.2 From set-asides to full-and-open competition

(4)

1.3 Small business constraints

(1)

1.4 Maximizing small business strengths

(2)

1.5 SBIR and STTR programs

(3)

1.6 Organizing your company to acquire new business

(6)

1.7 Effective strategic and mission planning

(2)

1.8 Converting knowledge into proposal success

(13)

1.8.1 KM benefits proposal development

(2)

1.8.2 Internal and external clients: looking at clients in a whole new way

(5)

Endnotes

(6)

Chapter 2 Strategic partnering and subcontracting opportunities

(16)

2.1 Subcontracting opportunities and pathways to success

(1)

2.2 Critical success factors

(1)

2.3 Specific strategies for achieving subcontracts

(5)

2.4 Becoming part of a governmentwide acquisition contract (GWAC) team

(3)

2.5 How mentor-protege programs can help your business

(3)

Endnotes

(2)

Chapter 3 Marketing to and with your clients

(38)

3.1 More than just selling

(6)

3.2 Transactions are personal-people buy from people

(1)

3.3 Listen to your client

(1)

3.4 Infuse marketing intelligence into your proposal

(2)

3.5 Intelligence gathering and analysis techniques

(4)

3.6 Call plans

(6)

3.7 Maintain management visibility on your contracts

(3)

3.8 Project managers as client managers

(2)

3.9 Commercial off-the-shelf acquisition

(1)

3.10 Pursuing firm-fixed-price and invitation-for-bid opportunities

(1)

3.11 Using the request for information and the request for comment as valuable marketing tools

(1)

3.12 Standard Form 129s and contractor prequalification statements

(1)

3.13 Ethics in marketing and business development

(2)

3.14 Advertising, trade shows, and high-impact public relations

(6)

Endnotes

(2)

Chapter 4 Requests for proposals

(14)

4.1 Overview

(3)

4.2 Part I-the schedule

100

(1)

4.3 Part II-contract clauses

100

(1)

4.4 Part III-list of documents, exhibits, and other attachments

101

(1)

4.5 Part IV-representations and certifications

101

(1)

4.6 The importance of Section L (instructions to off erors)

101

(3)

4.7 Section M (evaluation criteria): toward maximizing your score

104

(1)

4.8 Greatest or best-value approach

104

(1)

4.9 Emphasis on performance-based acquisition (PBA)

105

(2)

4.10 Influencing the content of an RFP-legitimately

107

(2)

4.11 Other types of solicitation documents

109

(1)

Endnotes

110

(1)

Chapter 5 Private-sector solicitation requests

111

(10)

5.1 Grant proposals-winning what you bid

114

(3)

5.1.1 Letters of inquiry

115

(1)

5.1.2 Balancing the technical and the nontechnical

116

(1)

5.1.3 Standard grant proposal components

116

(1)

5.2 Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

117

(4)

Chapter 6 The federal acquisition process: emerging directions

121

(24)

6.1 Overview

121

(1)

6.2 Statutory and regulatory requirements for competition

122

(1)

6.3 The source selection process

123

(3)

6.4 Full-and-open competition

126

(1)

6.5 Major contract types

127

(1)

6.6 Significant recent paradigm shifts in federal government acquisition

128

(6)

5.7 Understanding the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA)

134

(8)

Endnotes

142

(3)

Chapter 7 The proposal life cycle

145

(44)

7.1 What is a proposal in the competitive federal and commercial marketplace?

145

(3)

7.2 Where does the proposal fit into the total marketing life cycle?

148

(16)

7.3 Bid-no bid decision-making process

164

(2)

7.4 Planning and organizing

166

(7)

7.4.1 Draft executive summary

166

(1)

7.4.2 Theme development

167

(4)

7.4.3 Storyboards

171

(2)

7.5 Kickoff meeting

173

(1)

7.6 Writing

173

(5)

7.7 Major contractor review cycles

178

(8)

7.7.1 Blue or Pink Team

178

(2)

7.7.2 Red Team

180

(5)

7.7.3 Gold Team

185

(1)

7.7.4 Black Team

185

(1)

7.7.5 Black hat review

185

(1)

7.8 Preparing for orals and Final Proposal Revision (FPR)

186

(1)

7.9 Debriefings (refer to FAR 15.1003)

187

(1)

Endnotes

188

(1)

Chapter 8 Major proposal components

189

(24)

8.1 Overview

189

(1)

8.2 Transmittal letter

190

(1)

8.3 Technical volume

191

(8)

8.3.1 Front cover

191

(2)

8.3.2 Nondisclosure statement on the title page

193

(1)

8.3.3 Executive summary

194

(1)

8.3.4 Building a compliance (cross-reference) matrix

195

(1)

8.3.5 Narrative body of the technical volume

196

(3)

8.4 Management volume

199

(9)

8.5 Cost volume

208

(2)

8.6 Government contract requirements

210

(1)

Endnotes

210

(3)

Chapter 9 Acquisition/capture and proposal team activities

213

(12)

9.1 Formation and function of acquisition/capture teams

213

(2)

9.2 Prekickoff activities

215

(2)

9.3 Proposal kickoff meeting

217

(6)

9.4 Postkickoff activities

223

(2)

Chapter 10 The role of the proposal manager

225

(30)

10.1 Overview

225

(2)

10.2 Generalized job description

227

(9)

10.3 Changing focus of proposal management

236

(3)

10.4 Effective solution development

239

(3)

10.5 Complementary roles and responsibilities of proposal and capture managers

242

(1)

10.6 The growing importance of oral presentations

242

(5)

10.6.1 Outsourcing oral presentation support

243

(1)

10.6.2 Oral presentation development process

244

(2)

10.6.3 Specific oral presentation guidelines for success

246

(1)

10.7 Attending to the details

247

(1)

10.8 Control of the schedule

248

(3)

10.9 Training additional staff in proposal-management skills

251

(1)

10.10 Finish the job at hand

251

(1)

10.11 Successful proposal managers

252

(1)

Endnotes

253

(2)

Chapter 11 Pursuing international business and structuring international proposals

255

(36)

11.1 Overview

255

(1)

11.2 Where in the world to begin?

256

(2)

11.3 The importance of the World Bank Group

258

(4)

11.4 Your company's participation in United Nations procurements

262

(1)

11.5 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

263

(1)

11.6 Asian Development Bank (ADB)

264

(1)

11.7 International market planning

265

(2)

11.8 In-country partnerships

267

(1)

11.9 Host country procurement environments

268

(1)

11.10 Import-export considerations and technology transfer

268

(1)

11.11 Risk assessment

269

(1)

11.12 Terms and conditions

269

(1)

11.13 Ex-Im Bank of the United States assists small businesses

270

(2)

11.14 Helpful Web-based resources and in-country support infrastructures for small businesses

272

(12)

11.15 British-American Business Council

284

(1)

11.16 U.S. Trade and Development Agency

284

(1)

11.17 U.S. Agency for International Development

285

(3)

Endnotes

288

(3)

Chapter 12 Proposal production and publication

291

(24)

12.1 Internal documentation standards

293

(1)

12.2 Document configuration management and version control

294

(2)

12.3 Freelance and temporary publication staff

296

(1)

12.4 Incorporating technical brilliance up to the last minute

296

(1)

12.5 Graphics are an integral part of your proposal

297

(4)

12.5.1 Action captions

299

(1)

12.5.2 Configuration control of graphics

300

(1)

12.6 Role and structure of your publications group

301

(1)

12.7 Software and hardware compatibility, standards, and recommendations

302

(2)

12.8 Electronic proposal submittal and evaluation

304

(1)

12.9 Important documentation tips

305

(2)

12.10 Virtual proposal centers, intranets, and extranets

307

(4)

12.10.1 Useful document management systems (DMS)

309

(2)

12.11 Using freelance proposal writers to maintain technical productivity

311

(2)

Endnotes

313

(2)

Chapter 13 Human and organizational dynamics of the proposal process

315

(16)

13.1 Modifying our thinking to win

316

(1)

13.2 Building a competitive work ethic

317

(1)

13.3 Strong link between project performance and proposal success

318

(1)

13.4 Past performance-it's more important than you think!

319

(6)

13.5 Proposals can be fun!

325

(1)

13.6 Maximizing human intellect

325

(3)

13.7 Proposal professionals as change agents

328

(1)

13.8 Wellness in your proposal process

328

(1)

Endnotes

329

(2)

Chapter 14 Controlling bid and proposal costs

331

(8)

14.1 What does it cost to get new business, and how are those costs recovered?

332

(1)

14.2 Tracking B&P expenditures

333

(1)

14.3 Business development bonus policy

333

(3)

14.4 Stretching limited marketing funds

336

(1)

Endnote

337

(2)

Chapter 15 Tried-and-true proposal writing and editing techniques

339

(14)

15.1 Proposals are knowledge-based sales documents

339

(3)

15.2 Active voice adds strength and saves space

342

(2)

15.3 Guide the client's evaluators through your proposal

344

(2)

15.4 Action captions

346

(1)

15.5 Methods of enhancing your proposal writing and editing

347

(2)

15.6 Government-recognized writing standards

349

(1)

15.7 Additional sources of writing guidance

350

(1)

15.8 Storytelling as an art form

350

(2)

Endnotes

352

(1)

Chapter 16 Packaging and managing proposal information and knowledge effectively

353

(28)

16.1 Overview

353

(1)

16.2 The all-important resumes

354

(3)

16.3 Project descriptions (project summaries)

357

(2)

16.4 Proposal boilerplate (canned or reuse material) as knowledge assets

359

(1)

16.5 Marketing targets

359

(5)

16.6 Corporate library

364

(1)

16.7 Proposal lessons-learned database

365

(2)

16.8 Applying IT solutions: scalable informational data systems

367

(3)

16.8.1 IBM Lotus Notes scenarios

368

(1)

16.8.2 CD-ROM scenarios

369

(1)

16.8.3 Intranet scenarios

369

(1)

16.9 Small business KM success story-this stuff really works!

370

(4)

16.9.1 Small-scale, pilot KM initiatives applied to proposal development

370

(1)

16.9.2 Balance of tools, disciplined methodologies, and a supportive business culture

371

(1)

16.9.3 Development drivers and challenges

371

(2)

16.9.4 Sustainment and future enhancements

373

(1)

16.9.5 Transferable lessons learned

373

(1)

16.10 Leveraging federal performance appraisal systems to your company's benefit

374

(1)

16.11 ISO-driven proposal and business development excellence

375

(4)

Endnotes

379

(2)

Chapter 17 Leveraging business complexity in a knowledge-based economy

381

(14)

17.1 Turbulent transition toward knowledge-based business

381

(3)

17.2 How to communicate effectively on your knowledge landscape

384

(3)

17.3 Envisioning supple business models

387

(4)

17.4 Sample application: tracing complexity and KM through the proposal development process

391

(1)

17.5 Summation

392

(1)

Endnotes

393

(2)

Chapter 18 Planning and producing SF330 responses for architect-engineer services

395

(16)

18.1 SF330 and the FAR

395

(1)

18.2 Understanding the required structure of the response

396

(7)

18.3 Overall strategy of response

403

(1)

18.4 Section F: selling your project experience

404

(1)

18.5 Section H: structure according to the evaluation criteria

404

(1)

18.6 Section H outlining

405

(1)

18.7 Subcontractor participation

405

(1)

18.8 Building teaming agreements

406

(5)

Epilogue Thinking to win small-business competitive proposals

411

(4)

Appendix A Sample proposal kickoff package

415

(14)

Appendix B Template to capture important resume information

429

(6)

Appendix C Marketing information and intelligence sources: federal, international, and private sector

435

(12)

C.1 Sources of federal marketing leads and information

436

(8)

C.2 Sources of international marketing leads and information

444

(2)

C.3 Sources of U.S. private-sector marketing leads and information

446

(1)

Appendix D Glossary of proposal-related terms

447

(30)

Selected list of acronyms and abbreviations

477

(48)

Selected bibliography

525

(20)

About the author

545

(4)

Index

549

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Successful Proposal Strategies For Small Businesses

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials