What Will It Take to Win This Job? Part 2

Week of October 6, 2014
Last week, I shared my tip for making a compelling argument to hire your company for that super cool job: writing an executive summary in advance of the RFP.

So you have written it. It is well before the RFP has come out. You avoided complex vocabulary. You were clear and succinct. But your reviewer says it is lacking in specifics. What does that mean? And how do you fix it?

Remember how your executive summary was organized?

1. Client Needs - spell out what the client needs and the client's key issues or problems, based on what the client has told you
2. Results/Benefits - what the client wants to achieve by addressing their issues or solving their problems. These could also be the benefits the client will realize through the completion of the project, such as safer streets, fewer community complaints, good publicity, etc. This must be based on what the client has told you, too.
3. Solution(s) - what will you DO that will (lead to) the solution for the client's problems and deliver the results the client wants? This has to be action-oriented, explaining the process, not the products. The products will be the same for every competitor. Only the process, the experience the client will have working with you, will be different. Pick out the high points, as if you are opening the "black box" of your creative process.
4. Proof - briefly explain where you/your company has provided a similar solution/process, and how it was received. This can be as brief as a single sentence: "We implemented a similar collaborative process for the City of Wonder, and they were able to complete their project three months ahead of schedule with full Council approval and an overflowing community ribbon-cutting ceremony."

The number one problem with poor executive summaries is that they are not client-focused. What your reviewer is telling you is that your executive summary talks too much about you/your company, and not enough about the client, or looking at things from the client's perspective. So how do you get that? You're already written everything you know.

Right. What YOU know. Based on what? Who told it to you? Or did you make some well educated guesses?

Here's the solution in three parts:

Ask more questions.

Talk to different people.

Test what you think you know.

ASK MORE QUESTIONS

I could write several blog entries on this alone. (And I probably will...) In general, we ask far too few questions. The rule of thumb when you are talking with a client is that you listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent. Ask a question and listen to the answer. Don't formulate your next question while you are listening. Do not bombard them with a million questions, or try to get through your "list" before the meeting is over. Don't try to solve their problem while they are talking. Just let them talk. Let the conversation go wherever it does. And let there be silence! If you just look at them expectantly in the silent parts, your client will likely keep talking. If they do not say anything else, say "Could you tell me more about..." and pick one or two words from what they said. That will get them going again. Take someone with you - to take notes, ask questions from a different perspective, and watch the client's body language. Each of you will remember different elements and have completely different "reads" of the conversation. 

Not sure what to ask? Start with, "I know we've talked about this project before, and I have many of the specifics. But can you tell me what is driving this project? Why is it coming up now?" 

And after that, try, "What are YOU thinking about the project? Is there anything that you think might cause you concern or grief? Or anything that could make things go really smoothly?" See where those take you.

End the meeting with, "And who else do you think I/we should talk to about this project? Who else has a stake in it? Or an opinion about it?" 

Get names. And be gracious, thanking the client sincerely for sharing their thoughts and time.

TALK TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
Your client gave you other names, either of people within their organization or with stakeholders, who have an interest in the project. Meet with them. Ask them why they are interested in the project. Ask them what it means to them. Ask them the same questions you asked your client - you will likely be surprised how much stakeholders have to say about the technical side of projects. Listen for things beyond the technical, too. What is at stake for the stakeholder(s)?

Ask them who else you should be talking with. Get names. Follow-up.

TEST WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW

When you start hearing the same items from different sources, you have likely hit upon a real issue/key element of the project. For example, different stakeholders and the client might say that public opinion is going to be a factor. Perhaps there are certain special interest groups that may come in to play over one or two elements of the project. Test that. 

Write the few items you believe are key onto separate note cards. Take a few blank ones.

Go back to the client/project manager and say, "We've heard from you and others that these elements are key to the project succeeding. Either they must be overcome, or they must be enhanced/brought about. Would you look at these and tell us if we have captured the information accurately?"

"Have we missed anything or mis-stated anything?" Pull out the blank note cards and add what the client adds. Let the client adjust wording on the note cards (you have a copy of your original back at the office anyway, right?)

"Could you prioritize these elements for us, from your perspective?" Let the client move the note cards around.

If they added cards, ask about those items. For whom are those items important? What has to happen to make this work?

And feel free to take the cards (revised by the client; cleaned up a little by you) to the other stakeholders, and see where they agree/disagree - either on content or priority.

Now, you can rewrite your executive summary.

Ok, obviously, this is a very quick overview of the process of digging deeper with your client and stakeholders. As I said, I could write several blog entries about this topic. But in brief, with the additional information you gather, you should be able to rewrite your executive summary to one that is focused on the client, clearly explains the results and benefits of the project (if everything goes as planned), and concisely explains exactly what your company can/will do to bring everything together. 

For detailed help with your client and stakeholder discussions, ask your marketers/BD professionals. They have access to many resources and seminars. Or hire an outside consultant, like Go! Strategies, LLC or any of my professional colleagues. We can help you tailor your approach, analyze what you learn, and develop your strategy to win. The super cool jobs are out there. Winning them takes time, persistence, and a stellar, client-focused executive summary. 

What Will It Take To Win This Job? Part 1

Week of September 29, 2014

How many times have you heard (or thought) "What do I have to do to work on this project? This would be so cool!" And where does that conversation go? Into the weeds, as I like to say. That is, into the details about the project, the technical "coolness" of it, and the possible solutions.

My job at that point is to say, "We wouldn't be talking about this opportunity if you couldn't DO the work. What we have to do now is WIN the work." I'm such a buzz kill. But it's true. Why torture yourself with the fun talk about the project when you don't even have it, yet?

I think it is because folks believe that it is hard and not fun to do what is necessary to win the work. Let me tell you what "hard and not fun" is:

Hard and Not Fun

• Writing a persuasive cover letter without knowing what is motivating the client
• Tailoring resumes without knowing what skills the client is looking for or what is needed for the project
• Putting forth a passionate, believable, likable PM that has never met the client face-to-face
• Creating a team of subconsultants without knowing if any of them have history with the client (you know what I mean)
• Knowing that our competition did all the previous phases of work, but not knowing if the client liked it or not
• Writing an approach for a project that you understand technically, but not politically

Easy and Fun

• Knowing more than any of your competitors about the project
• Knowing what the client is really after because they told you
• Being told by the client which subconsultants they think are needed for the project
• Getting confirmation from several stakeholders that a specific issue is a real issue for the success of the project
• Learning that your competition did not even bother to submit a proposal because they heard how prepared you were
• Or even better - the client asks if they can sole-source the first phase of the project because they are so impressed with what you know and how involved you have been to this point!

What will it take to get to "easy and fun" and win the job? Do this ONE THING: Write an executive summary to your proposal before the RFP is ever released.

Organize your summary like this:

1. Client Needs - spell out what the client needs and the client's key issues or problems, based on what the client has told you
2. Results/Benefits - what the client wants to achieve by addressing their issues or solving their problems. These could also be the benefits the client will realize through the completion of the project, such as safer streets, fewer community complaints, good publicity, etc. This must be based on what the client has told you, too.
3. Solution(s) - what will you DO that will (lead to) the solution for the client's problems and deliver the results the client wants? This has to be action-oriented, explaining the process, not the products. The products will be the same for every competitor. Only the process, the experience the client will have working with you, will be different. Pick out the high points, as if you are opening the "black box" of your creative process.
4. Proof - briefly explain where you/your company has provided a similar solution/process, and how it was received. This can be as brief as a single sentence: "We implemented a similar collaborative process for the City of Wonder, and they were able to complete their project three months ahead of schedule with full Council approval and an overflowing community ribbon-cutting ceremony."

Have someone else read your summary. Ask them to look for:

• Client Focus - does the writing focus on the client, the client's needs, how the client will benefit, how the solution(s) will help, etc.? This is good. If it strays to language about you/your company before the last paragraph, it will need to be corrected.
• Filler - words like unique, state-of-the-art, cutting-edge, innovative, and others that are vague and/or superlative. These will need to be eliminated.
• Jargon - The executive summary needs to be clean and simple so that anyone with a fourth grade reading ability can grasp what you are saying. Look for acronyms, technical jargon, etc.
• Pretense - words and sentences that are more complicated than they need to be to convey the message need to be cleaned up. Remember, fourth grade reading ability. Do not hide your message in complex sentence structures or difficult vocabulary.

If the writing is clear, clean, and client-focused, you're in great shape! You know enough to make the proposal process much easier and more fun. If not... Come back next week for my tips on what you need to do next.

Internal Proposal Process

Week of August 25, 2014
Good morning, BD/Marketing campers! Today's blog is "farm fresh," as they say. I just messed up. The proposal I was working on arrived at our office on time this morning for delivery to the client, but printed double-sided (should have been single-sided), and with one form unsigned. Marketers out there -- is your stomach turning??

These errors could have been prevented with more time for QC and a compliance check on the last day. Instead, we were adding text and new graphics, and receiving edits from multiple reviewers on the same day the proposal was to be printed and sent to another office for delivery. I knew better, and I did it anyway. 

I'm sharing my preventative tips. I normally do these, and my proposal process is (usually) smooth, efficient, and relatively painless. This time I did not follow my own process, and mistakes were made. It was an important reminder: no matter how much experience you have with proposals, there are no shortcuts.

Here are your Things You Need to Know (or Remember) about leading a proposal-writing process.

1) Go through the RFP and create your own outline. Include:

• The order and section titles
• What must be in each section
• Page limits for each section (if any)
• Points/value of each section
• Criteria of each section
• Who will write what (by section or item, as appropriate)
• Required forms, who will sign

2) Create the envelope labels/transmittal sheet on the first day and store them in your proposal folder.

3) Write on the front of the folder or RFP in BIG LETTERS the printing instructions, e.g. how many pages,  whether it is single or double-sided, bound/unbound, originals/copies. Add this to your outline, too.

4) Prepare a proposal-writing schedule that looks like a typical calendar month. The visual of a calendar page helps the team grasp the deadlines quickly. Include:

• Graphics - sketches due, mock-ups due, edits returned, revisions due
• Quals/resumes - drafts out, edits returned
• Subs' materials due
• Forms signed/added to proposal
• Draft narrative due, who reviews, revisions due
• Final narrative due for proposal compilation
• Draft proposal out - who reviews, revisions due
• 2nd draft proposal out - who reviews, revisions due
• Ample time for a quality control/compliance check (usually by marketing)
• Production, delivery time
• Proposal due date -- who delivers
• Vacations/out-of-office of proposal contributors

5) At the proposal kick-off meeting, review the outline AND schedule. Make adjustments; resend. Follow the schedule. Missed an internal proposal-writing deadline? Follow your company's protocol. At the very least, call the team members involved and hash it out. Exactly as with a project, every missed deadline or piece of information has a ripple effect. 

6) Debrief with the proposal-writing team after the proposal goes out, and before a decision has been made. What went well? What didn't work? What can be done next time?

My proposal schedule sample is below. Can you spot the missing information? What would you have done differently, now that you have seen my usual process above?

In case you were wondering, the office is re-printing and hand-delivering the proposal. It should be ok in the end. Although, my stomach is still upside down. As my mentors say, "Breathe deep, accept the situation, change what you can, and move on."
Make it a great week!
K