Strong Emphasis
What is the difference between compliance and responsiveness.
A compliant proposal meets the customer’s requirements and submittal instructions, answers the customer’s questions, and addresses specifications to the letter—nothing more, nothing less.
Responsive proposals address customer goals, underlying concerns, and key customer issues and values that might not be spelled out in the solicitation.
What is the difference between a compliance matrix and a response matrix?
Compliance matrix is for the proposal team to follow throughout the proposal process.
Response matrix works as a roadmap for customer evaluators to easily connect each proposal section to its respective compliance items.
What are some disadvantages of virtual teams?
Lack of social interaction
Lack of everyday nonverbal, face-to-face communication
Cultural clashes
Loss of team spirit
Feelings of isolation and restlessness
Overwork
Lack of software compatibility
How long should you allow for a kickoff meeting?
Four Hours
How many pages should be required to write new text for which no boilerplate exists?
Four pages per day
Content planning for a Q&A proposal is ___, while content planning for a requirements style proposal is ____.
Low, high
When is a mind map created?
During content plan development.
What is the process of getting a proposal formatted, published, and delivered to a customer?
Production Management
What is an account review?
An assessment of the sales plans for potential opportunities with major customers.
When should teaming partners be identified?
As early as possible before the RFP is issued
What are the six design strategies used to create effective layouts?
Contrast, Proximity, White Space, Consistency, Balance, Alignment
What is a daily stand-up review?
An essential element of day-to-day management and is used to check progress. The review should be short enough that everyone can easily remain standing for its duration.
What is drawn from past performance and experience, and gives tangible evidence that builds confidence in your solution’s features and benefits?
Proof Points
What is included in a competitive analysis?
Competitor profiles, integrated customer solution worksheet, bidder comparison matrix.
What is the correct sequence of strategy and theme development?
(1) Customer issues (2) Competitive assessment (3) Our strengths and weaknesses (4) Our strategies (5) Our themes
What conveys realism and authenticity within graphics?
Horizontal and vertical shapes
What is price-to-win?
A process for analyzing competitor and customer data to determine how other bidders are likely to position their solution and bid price with their understanding of the customer’s budget and their assessment of value.
What are proactive proposals?
Proposals submitted without a formal customer request. Vendors can use these to address unmet customer needs and achieve other sales objectives.
What is a lessons learned review?
An assessment of the proposal development management process and results conducted after completion of a proposal. Its purpose is to identify areas for improvement on subsequent projects.
What is the most powerful thing to include whether or not pricing is allowed in your Executive Summary?
Differentiators
How should scheduling be done?
Backwards beginning with the proposal due date and time.
What is an end-to-end process?
A systematic series of actions or steps directed toward a specific end. It allows teams of business developers to know where they are, where they are going, and what path to follow to reach their goals.
What are gate decisions?
Decisions led by executives that address business and strategic issues. Their primary purpose is to help teams make decisions regarding allocation or withdrawal of BD resources.
What is the first page of a proposal development worksheet or content plan, which includes the writer assigned, page limits or guidelines, information from the proposal outline relevant to each writer, along with the compliance checklist items assigned to that section?
Writers' Package
What is a Gadfly review?
A macro review of the entire proposal to ensure it tells a consistent story