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Copyright Shipley Associates.
Tricks, Treats, and Tools
P R E S E N T E D BY:
W E B I N A R
WWW.SHIPLEYWINS.COM © 2019 Shipley Associates
Mallary Price,Shipley Associates
Paige Frame,McKinnon-Mulherin
Brad Douglas,Shipley Associates
Kimberly Balfour,Microsoft
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Webinar Agenda
Best practice proposal tricks to save time, streamline productivity, and improve Probability of Winning (Pwin)
Tools that help during proposal development Efficiency tools Quality assurance tools Automation tools
A Treat will be shared on the last slide for those attending
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The Survey Says…
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13 Lucky Tips and Traps from the Experts
Proposal Manager
“Touch base with section leads and writers every day. Go into SharePoint frequently and provide feedback on works in progress. Participants do better work when they know you are watching and also helping.”
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Proposal Manager
“When possible, allocate one day before Red Team Review to read ALOUD the entire text and review all graphics. Invite contributors, SMEs, volume leads to make sure the draft is ready for prime time.”
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Proposal Manager
“Maintain strict control of the proposal outline. The RFP defines what “story” the buyer wants to hear. It’s NOT about YOUR story!”
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Proposal Manager
“Know the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the proposal team and ensure an appropriate task assignment.”
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Proposal Manager
“1. For any contributors falling behind, one-one-one conversations are more effective than group updates (can open up about the issues). 2. Encouragement is an important part of being a good proposal manager. Cheer on the contributors and recognize those who put in extra effort by posting on a shared site or emailing their manager.”
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Proposal Writer
“Don't write when you're tired (but then, when are we ever NOT tired)! Pick your high-performance part of the day to write important things like Executive Summaries.”
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Proposal Writer
“Be responsive. Address each requirement and derived requirement from the RFP.
Track compliance and responsiveness to document specific proposal elements that address the requirements.”
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Proposal Writer
“Thoroughly understand the proposal themes, discriminators, ghosts, and features and benefits.”
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Proposal Writer
“Trick: Summarize your rationale in a little, "Why Us" call-out box with 3 or more bullets!”
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Proposal Writer
“If you're NOT an SME, but are working with an SME on a section, take a few minutes to explain the context (including, for example, how this portion fits into the whole, and perhaps how source selection works).”
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Traps to Avoid
“For Pink and Red Team reviews, don't assume reviewers know what to do/not to do. Orient the reviewers to your specific expectations. Have them focus on what improvements are needed to achieve the highest possible score based on RFP instructions and the details of the selection factors/sub-factors.”
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Traps to Avoid
“Neglecting to set strict rules on who's contributing what, when, and how. e.g., sometimes contributors try to continue work DURING a Red Team review, creating an unhelpful ‘shadow version’ of the section.”
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Traps to Avoid
“1. Thinking there is enough time. 2. Not testing the submission method prior to delivery.3. Fully trusting the tools and not having backup copies of every working file.”
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Some Favorite Tools (Survey Results)
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Microsoft® Word Tips
1. Apply styles for more consistent formatting
2. Use the navigation pane to jump to specific sections in a large document
3. Spell check all content in the right language
4. Avoid odd page breaks with “keep with next”
5. Keep your proprietary name together with non-breaking spaces
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Ctrl + Shift + hyphen (or space)
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Features of
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Improving Readability with
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PerfectIt as a Tool
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PerfectIt is a proofreading software tool that provides consistency checks beyond what is currently available in Word’s spelling and grammar functionality.
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Improves document quality by identifying typos and other inconsistencies Word spelling and grammar checks cannot
Reduces time spent proofreading so proposal managers can focus on more strategic editing tasks like messaging, win theme integration, one voice, etc.
Eliminates the need to manually check abbreviations and create acronym lists
Enforces a company’s Style Guide preferences to increase proposal manager efficiency and improve consistency in document quality
Inexpensive and easy to implement; compliments other writing/readability solutions and native Word functionality
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Examples of How it Goes Beyond MS Word Functionality
Ensure consistent number usage
At the meeting, 7 people voted for the measure and two voted against it.
Check for inconsistent spelling
Strategic advisors and economic advisers were present at the meeting.
Catch embarrassing typos
The manger was in charge of coordinating the pubic IPO.
Check abbreviations & create acronym lists
Attorneys often review NDAs and T&Cs for customers.
Ensure consistent capitalization
All company employees are required to follow Company policy.
Check bulleted lists
• mismatched punctuation,• Mixed periods and semicolons;• Inconsistent bullets.
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Webinar Summary Fundamentals pay off in proposal
development Experts are a tremendous source of tips,
tricks, and knowledge Proposal development is a “team sport” Common traps can ruin a good pursuit or
proposal Tools can make life easier—but, don’t be
fooled—try before you buy! There are lots of resources to help you
o APMP, webinars, associations, training, mentors
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Questions and Discussion
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Next Webinars: December 4th
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mprice@shipleywins.combjdouglas@shipleywins.inpframe@mckinnon-mulherin.comkbalfour@microsoft.com
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