Over the last two months, we’ve given you detailed descriptions of seven ways you can improve your federal proposals’ win probability (Pwin). So you don’t have to hunt for all seven articles and videos, we created this roundup post. Below you’ll find all seven methods and other related articles. At the start of each method description, you’ll read a quote from each blog post that captures the major concept behind each article and video.
Take this chance to catch up on any posts you missed, or just refresh yourself on all of the top recommendations we have for raising your Pwin on Government proposals.
1. Assess Your Proposals’ Quality
“You should reassess your proposals looking for areas for improvement as your company matures and gains experience.”
Read the first article in our series to learn about the top 6 opportunities for improvement that will increase your Pwin. We analyze real-life examples in the video and article.
Improving Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 1: Assess Your Proposals
Other related articles:
2. Change Your Business Development Culture
“You can see drastic increases in your proposals’ Pwin by changing your proposal team’s mindset to winning. When your proposal meets the deadline but lacks quality tailored content, your company more than likely squandered valuable resources.”
Our second post encourages you to change your business development culture. Once you focus on actually winning the Government contract instead of just submitting your proposal by the deadline, your proposal Pwin will increase.
Improving Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 2: Change Your Business Development Culture
Other related articles:
- Reading the Pipeline Tea Leaves
- Seven Deadly Proposal Sins, Part 7: Wrath
- Seven Deadly Proposal Sins, Part 2: Gluttony
3. Rethink Your Business Development, Capture Management, and Proposal Processes
“Basically, for a Government contractor, there is no “one size fits all” in terms of business development, capture, and proposal processes. Your organization needs BD processes tailored to each type of situation and opportunity you tend to encounter.”
We look at why you must tailor not just your proposal, but everything about your approach when you choose to pursue new opportunities. When you treat each opportunity uniquely, you increase your win probability.
Improving Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 3: Rethink Your Business Development, Capture Management, and Proposal Processes
Other related articles:
4. Practice Continuous Process Improvement
“New processes, especially like gathering lessons learned, make people suspicious. Remind them of the purpose throughout the session as we described it earlier – it’s not about finding the guilty, it’s about improving the capture and proposal processes.”
In part four of our series, we explained why you must continually revisit the effectiveness of your proposal process. When you employ a continuous improvement process, you increase your likelihood of being awarded the contract.
Improving Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 4: Practice Continuous Improvement
Other related articles:
Lessons Learned From a Proposal Disaster
5. Follow Proposal Management Best Practices
“From a capture perspective, this opportunity is a slam dunk, but a subpar proposal can still lose. Even when the customer wants you to win.”
We give you OST’s proposal management best practices in part five. The first one is to bring your proposal manager in on your capture. If you want to find out why and to learn our other recommendations, click on the link below.
Improve Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 5: Follow Proposal Management Best Practices
Other related articles:
6. Use Checklists and Templates
“Checklists and templates, when appropriately structured and used, speed up your proposal development process. Checklists also improve your Pwin by helping you duplicate proven processes without having to resort to using boilerplate.”
We place a lot of emphasis on why you shouldn’t use boilerplate. Developing a proposal tailored to your customer’s requirements and circumstances is the only way to consistently win contract awards.
Improve Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 6: Use Checklists and Templates
Other related articles:
Six Tips for Writing Proposals Faster
7. Master the Formal and Informal Proposal Reviews
“No matter the time constraints caused by a proposal deadline, you should never submit a proposal without conducting at least one review. It is not a matter of having time; it is a matter of making time.”
Finally, we looked at reviews. Formal color and informal reviews are probably some of the most misused or not used processes by federal contractors. When you read the final part of this series, you’ll learn why a thorough review process, like the approach developed by OST, is sure to raise your Pwin.
Improve Your Government Proposals’ Pwin Part 7: Master Formal and Informal Proposal Reviews
Other related articles:
- Proposal Writing Planning Phase and Reviews
- Proposal Color Reviews Expectations: Pink Team
- Red Team and Other Important Reviews Best Practices
- Nine Tips for Conducting Effective Pink and Red Team Reviews for Your Proposals
What Else Can I Do to Improve My Proposal Pwin?
Getting quality training is something we mention consistently throughout this series. Your capture and proposal teams will do their best, but the return on investment for quality training has been proven over and over. Courses like Foundations of Proposal Management and Foundations of Capture Management, or our advanced and specialty courses, are sure to set your team up for success (and a much higher Pwin).
Now that you’re caught up, subscribe to OST’s Turbo-Charging Business Growth Newsletter so you don’t miss our next articles and videos.
Which method do you think will have the most impact on your Pwin? Let us know in the comments.
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