S S Ten Slides in Ten Minutes: Thinking about the Virtual Bid Team [Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Prospects & Clients]
Presented by:
Bill Graham CP.APMP
June, 2014
Craft Proposal Client Adjudication Identify Qualify Delivery Submit
The Client Engagement Process & a few Points to Ponder
• Solid Win Strategy
• Bid Centre Support
• Organisational Teamwork
• Relevant Solution
• Selling on Value and not Price
• Industry
Knowledge
• Understanding of
Client’s Business
Strategy
• Good relationship
with Key
Decision-makers
• Resonating Win
Themes
• Solution
supporting
Client’s Business
Imperatives
• Building Track
Record
• Execution
Investment
• Robust Service
Delivery
• Professional
package
• Word Perfect
• On-Time
Submission
Robust Capture Plan Relevant Solution Resonating Submission
Professional Proposal / Bid Management Process
2
Underpinned by a Virtual Team
A Bid Manager liaises with the Virtual Team
Sales [incl. AM]
Product Specialists
Commercial
Prospect Lead gen. Qualify
Design
Craft Bid
Pricing
P&L
Review Submit
Bid Management
Legal/ Contracts
Regulatory
Regions Cost/Price
Sales
Technical Design
Finance
Legal
Partners
Specialists SMM/SME
3
Non-Standard Solution
Account & Bid Management work as a Team
Underpinned by a Virtual Team
Market
Management Relationship
Building Prompts: • Global trends • Industry knowledge • Unfolding
opportunities • Emerging risks
Prompts: • Pedigree/s • Preferences • Requirement/s for
advancement • Resource alignment • Communication plan/s
Prompts: • Wants vs. needs • Resourcing
requirements • Solutions vs. Risks • Ability to deliver • Competition
Account Managers
should be “Thought
Leaders” in specific
industries
Account Managers
need to be
articulate & be the
Single Point of
Contact [SPOC]
Account Managers
need to understand
the clients’ needs
and deliver against
this need
The identified Client Solution defines the Virtual Team
Abundance of
Solutions Selection of
Solutions
Relevant solutions must be mutually agreed between the Service Provider & the Client
Source: Sales Synthesis
4
Mutually Agreed
Solutions
Client
Def
ine
s th
e
Vir
tual
Te
am
Opportunity
Scouting
5
The Virtual Bid Team is Resourced from Units Providing Value
Mutually Agreed
Solutions
Client
Def
ine
s th
e
Vir
tual
Te
am
Different Virtual Teams for Different Opportunities
Mutually Agreed
Solutions
Client
Def
ine
s th
e
Vir
tual
Te
am
Mutually Agreed
Solutions
Client
Def
ine
s th
e
Vir
tual
Te
am
Mutually Agreed
Solutions
Client
Def
ine
s th
e
Vir
tual
Te
am
Core Team • Bid Manager • Commercial • Product Specialists • Solutions Architect/s • Finance • Legal
Optional Team Members • Marketing • Regional Management
6
The Virtual Bid Team is Resourced from Units Providing Value
‘Other’ Team Members • Content Writers • Quality Assurance • Third Parties • Partners
Workstream Leaders
selected from this team
Professional Proposal
Producers
Professional
Consultancy
Virtual Team
Mutually Agreed
Solutions
Client
Def
ine
s th
e
Vir
tual
Te
am Covering the
Complete Opportunity
Requirements
Core Team • Bid Manager • Commercial • Product Specialists • Solutions Architect/s • Finance • Legal
Optional Team Members • Marketing • Regional Management
7
A Steering Committee (Steerco) is useful for Large Complex Bids
‘Other’ Team Members • Content Writers • Quality Assurance • Third Parties • Partners
Workstream Leaders
selected from this team
Professional Proposal
Producers
Professional
Consultancy
Virtual Team
Covering the Complete
Opportunity Requirements
Bid Management Steerco
Steerco • Opportunity Sponsor • Commercial Executive • Business Development
Executive • C-Levels (optional)
Core Team • Bid Manager • Commercial • Product Specialists • Solutions Architect/s • Finance • Legal
Optional Team Members • Marketing • Regional Management
8
The Bid Manager must Monitor the Team Member Relationships
‘Other’ Team Members • Content Writers • Quality Assurance • Third Parties • Partners
Virtual Team
Bid Management Steerco
Steerco • Opportunity Sponsor • Commercial Executive • Business Development
Executive • C-Levels (optional)
A Steerco adds another level of relationships and complexity - and must also be managed
9
Team Conflict will occur and must be Managed The Thomas-Kilmann model looks at the ways people deal with conflict in two dimensions: assertiveness and cooperativeness. The Bid Manager needs to understand this concept and how to manage an intervention.
Future Virtual Team members will be recruited based on past experience in terms of co-operation
and teamwork
Such selection will potentially dilute the skill base but will result in a more productive team
Outcome
Negotiation may be the answer
10
Sometimes negotiation does not work, especially in a conflict situation, where we need other skills and solutions:
• Giving in • Instruction • Coercion • Problem solving • Persuasion • Arbitration.
The Bid Manager must also be Adept at Negotiation
1. Everybody wants something from someone, and different methods can be used to get what you want. Negotiation is just one of the methods
2. Negotiation: a) Implies receiving and giving b) Is a synonym for trading c) Can be seen as the process where parties agree to get what they want, through
proposals and bargaining 3. All parties must have a ‘need’ or ‘want’ and must be willing to bargain 4. Wanting something from someone can also be considered as conflict behaviour, especially
if the other does not want to part with it.