THE Unspoken TRUTH ABOUT

PROPOSAL Strategy
WHO IS Matt Handal?
Happy To Answer
All Questions
After The
Presentation
THE Unspoken TRUTH ABOUT
PROPOSAL Strategy
WHAT ARE THEY Not TELLING YOU?
JOURNEY TO PROPOSAL Strategy
1
1 What’s The Game Being Played?
2
2 Go/No Go Decision

3
3 Proposal Strategy
WHAT’S THE Game
BEING PLAYED?
WHAT’S THE Game BEING PLAYED?

1 Institutional (MO, Habits, Procurement Process)

2 2 Client Relationships (With Us, With Competitors)

4

3
3 Selection Committee

4 Selection Criteria
UNDERSTANDING THE GAME
BEING PLAYED IS
Critical
TO SUCCESS
IN CASE I’M NOT BEING CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING THE GAME
BEING PLAYED IS
Critical
TO SUCCESS
JOURNEY TO PROPOSAL Strategy
1
1 What’s The Game Being Played?
2
2 Go/No Go Decision

3
3 Proposal Strategy
 Go/No Go DECISIONS

“If you don’t have a formal go/no go

1

process now, implement one yesterday.”

2

3
- Matt Handal
 Go/No Go DECISIONS

“A 100% hit rate only tells you one thing…

1

you’re not going after enough.”

2

3
- Ford Harding
 Go/No Go QUESTION

“Do we realistically have a high probability

1

4
of winning this contract?”
3
JOURNEY TO PROPOSAL Strategy
1
1 What’s The Game Being Played?
2
2 Go/No Go Decision

3
3 Proposal Strategy
 PROPOSAL STRATEGY IS:

TELL YOUR STORY

+
DIFFERENTIATE YOUR FIRM
WRONG
PROPOSAL STRATEGY Six Pack
TEAMING TECHNICAL POSITIONING COMPLIANCE SCORING PRICING
Teaming STRATEGY
 Teaming STRATEGY

• What Teaming Partners Could Help Us Win This?

• Is There A DBE Requirement Or Expectation?

• Local Presence Needed?

Technical STRATEGY
GOOD Solutions AND Ideas
 Technical SECTIONS MUST

Understanding Client’s
Of What The Client Processes
Wants And Preferences

How We’ll Execute

This Contract
Positioning STRATEGY
POSITIONING Includes
• Differentiators (Value Proposition)

• Who You Are (Your Brand/Story)

• Your “Why”

• Your People

• Your Project Experience

• Weaknesses (How You Will Address)

 Positioning STRATEGY

• Did We Answer The Million Dollar Question?

• Which Projects Show Social Proof?

• Which Available Staff Members Sell This?

 THE
Million Dollar
Question
THE SINGLE QUESTION
THAT CAN
Dramatically
INCREASE YOUR
PROPOSAL WINS
 “What Does Our Client
Stand To Lose If They Hire 

Any Other Firm?”
Spoiler ALERT: IT’S Not

• Years Of Experience

• Great Service

• Great People
IT’S NOT AN Easy Question
 “What Does Our Client
Stand To Lose If They Hire 

Any Other Firm?”
 THE BIG Shortlist Question

“What Would A Qualified

Firm Have To Prove To Win
This Contract?”
 Positioning STRATEGY

• Did We Answer The Million Dollar Question?

• Which Projects Show Social Proof?

• Which Available Staff Members Sell This?

Compliance STRATEGY
Two Types OF COMPLIANCE

Box Checker Seriously?

Things Likely To Get Not Giving Them What

You Kicked Out
 They Explicitly Asked
(Gov) For
 BOX Checker
• Forms

• Statements

• Information

• Format/Order
BOX CHECKER ISSUES
GET YOU
Disqualified
“SERIOUSLY” ISSUES
GET YOU Ignored
 “Explain why your qualifications
make you uniquely qualified for this
project.”
 Your ANSWER

“We have a thorough understanding

of your RFP requirements.”
Seriously?
“Describe what you will do to foster
teamwork and cooperation from
contractors and the design team
and what you will do to minimize
adversarial relationships.”
Seriously?
COMPLIANCE Matrix

Requirement Got It?

Project Responsibility on
Yes
Resumes
All Experience Within
Yes
Last Five Years
Amount of Time Spent
on Owner’s Assignment
Not Yet
in Relation To Other
Projects
 Compliance STRATEGY

• What RFP Clarifications Do We Need?

• Have We Addressed Everything They Asked For?

• Have We Addressed Everything In The Order It Was Asked For?

Scoring STRATEGY
COMMON RFP Disconnect

Tell Us This We’ll Choose


Based On

A E

B F

C G
Your Proposal
A
E Evaluation Criteria
B
F Evaluation Criteria
C
G Evaluation Criteria
What About Those “Unwritten’ Requirements?
STILL GIVE THEM Everything
THEY ASK FOR
Your Proposal
A
Unwritten Requirement
E
B
F
C
G
 Scoring STRATEGY
• Have We Addressed All The Selection Criteria?
• Are Our Answers Easy To Find?

• Does Our Response Consider How They Will Score Each Section?
• Are “Value Adds” Needed?
• Is It Set Up For “Keyword Bingo?”

• Does Our Response Consider Who is Scoring This?

PASS/FAIL QUALS - 5 TECH QUESTIONS

Answer Score

Evaluator’s
5
Discretion
Evaluator’s
4
Discretion
Predefined “Right”
3
Answer
Didn’t Mention
2
Everything

Wrong Answer 1

15 points out of 25 for 100% correct answers

 Scoring STRATEGY
• Have We Addressed All The Selection Criteria?
• Are Our Answers Easy To Find?

• Does Our Response Consider How They Will Score Each Section?
• Are “Value Adds” Needed?
• Is It Set Up For “Keyword Bingo?”

• Does Our Response Consider Who is Scoring This?

Pricing STRATEGY
THE Go To EXCUSE

“We Lost That One On Price.”

OFTEN, THEIR OPTIONS SEEM
Indistinguishable
 THE FOUR Selection TYPES

• Low Bid

• Lowest Priced Technically Acceptable Bid

• Best Value

• Negotiated or Qualifications-Based Selection

 Best Value PRICING RULE
Moderately 
 Preferred Vendor
Price Sensitive
Price Sensitive (“Wired”)

5% 10% 20%
WHAT Competitive Pricing Info
DO WE HAVE?

• How Current Is It?

• Is It Reliable?

• Does It Make Sense To Use It?

“Guessing Your Competitors’ Price Is A Fool’s Game” - Matt Handal

 HOW DO WE PRICE THIS
To Win ?
• What Assumptions Should Our Price Be Based On?

• How Does That Effect Teaming?

• How Does That Effect How We Staff/Execute This Contract?

 Risk AVOIDANCE

• Do We Clarify Our Price? If So, How?

• Are We Obligated To Make The Client Aware Of ___?

• What Clarifications/Answers Do We Seek Prior To Bid?

* IMPORTANT NOTE: I Am Not An Attorney

PROPOSAL STRATEGY Six Pack
TEAMING TECHNICAL POSITIONING COMPLIANCE SCORING PRICING
JOURNEY TO PROPOSAL Strategy
1
1 What’s The Game Being Played?
2
2 Go/No Go Decision

3
3 Proposal Strategy