Proposals at the Speed of Light - APMP Greater Midwest …€¦ · · 2015-03-11Proposals at the Speed of Light. APMP Greater Midwest Chapter. September 3, ... Questions can help
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Capture Planning for Fast Response Proposal Proposals at the Speed of Light APMP Greater Midwest Chapter September 3, 2014
I have lost times the number of times I’ve asked “what is our capture plan?” and I get a “deer in the headlights” look from the Sales Lead or the Project Manager. These are usually the same folks that think seeing a client 3 or 4 times a year means they have a “relationship.” But first, let’s make talk about what “capture” is.
“capture” an act of catching, winning, or gaining control by force, stratagem, or guile
Why Capture Matters
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Here’s the base definition from Merriam-Webster.
. . . customer mission/vision, customer hot buttons, competitive assessments, win strategies, win themes, discriminators, and actions necessary to win.
Why Capture Matters
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Here’s APMP’s definition from the APMP Industry Glossary of Terms. Capture gives you to tools to win the proposal – it tells you the what, how, and why. Capture tells you how to engage the client so they feel “you were talking directly to me.”
Why Capture Matters
Winning ProposalProofsSolutionCustomer
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Think of capture as the process that gives you the components to create a winning proposals. Customer is the customer mission/vision, customer hot buttons, and competitive assessments that we talked about just a moment ago. Solution is win strategies, win themes, discriminators, and actions your company needs to include in your solution. Proofs is the demonstrated facts you provide to proof you can do what you say. Together, they result in in a winning proposal.
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Often our technical team does have client and opportunity intelligence – they just don’t know it! So you can learn a lot simply by asking questions. So let me give you some examples of the type of questions to ask during your kick-off meeting and whenever you sit and discuss the project with an SME.
Power of the Question
Winning ProposalProofsSolutionCustomer
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Questions can help you find out from your team what the customer mission/vision, and customer hot buttons, and who your competitors are. Until you know those, your team’s solution will only deal with the what. Now you may not be able to change the solution your team has developed but once you gather this intelligence, you will have an easier time selling it to your client.
Whatis the client's problem?
Power of the Question
Whyis it a problem?
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The first question is a no-brainer – and you’ll often get a no-brainer response – such as “the road needs repair.” Or “ they're had problems with their delivery chain.” The follow-on question is the critical piece. After all – if the road needs repair, it may have been in that state for a while – so why now? Could it be they’ve had lots of complaints or was there a serious accident that critically damaged the infrastructure. If the “why” is the later, then perhaps the team should emphasize a streamlined approach to repair the road as quickly as possible. If it is because of complaints, your approach would want to focus on community engagement. If they had problems with their delivery chain, what was the tipping point that made them decide to put out an RFP? After all it takes a lot to get a company to change. So try and learn the why behind the RFP’s release.
What objectivesdoes the client have in mind for a successful solution?
Power of the Question
Which of those objectives is most important?
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Now, most technical teams will come back with budget and schedule as the objectives. But that is too obvious. And by client, we mean the decision maker or the client’s program or project lead. If that person is close to retiring, objectives will be different than someone who is young and new. I remember on one project, we found out the client executive was close to retiring. His concept of a successful solution? One that helped him end his career on a high note! Or, for example, a lot of school districts had to really curtain their budgets over the past five years – but still take care of critical infrastructure; so for the Houston Independent School District, a successful solution is one that gives them more bang for the buck.
What are the ways we can
solve the client's problem?
Power of the Question
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All companies, if they are not careful, get into ruts and start going with a “one size fits all” cookie cutter response. So sometimes, asking this question can get your team to think about what they really can do – or identify what you do anyway that needs to be emphasized. For example, I recently worked on a project where they had done a capture plan based on a previous submittal – again a cookie cutter response. But I then spent time with the Operations Manager and asked this question. The result? I found out the company’s solution reduced delivery time by 90% - from over 16 days to 1 day! Since the client’s problem was with their delivery chain, this was the response on how our solution solved the client’s problem.
What will the client getfrom our solution?
Power of the Question
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So as in the previous example, saying delivery time is reduced by 90% is great. But what is the result for the client? So this is an important questions to help you framework the response in terms of benefits for the client. Is it time? Money? Efficiency? Adds to the client’s mission? So the answer to this question will always be “Company XYZ will benefit by . . . “ These are just some examples of the questions to ask during the kick-off meeting and throughout the proposal.
Power of the Question
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Questions are what will help you connect the dots. It is important you record the information you obtain from your questions. Keep it where you can refer to it regularly and be prepared for the “Oh – that supports . . .” Also, you want to ask these questions throughout the whole proposal cycle, especially when you have a new subject matter expert join the team. They will have a different perspective that in invaluable. What is important is to treat these questions as a beginning. Not all will apply every time. Let the answer to your first question help you frame the next one. Also, compile your own list of questions. These questions will be unique to your industry, the clients you serve, the services your company provides and your company culture.
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Best resource for you to learn about your client when no one can tell you. Here ‘s what to look for
Power of the Internet
Winning ProposalProofsSolutionCustomer
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The internet can help you fill in the gap and also help you identify ways to frame your team’s solution in a way that your customer will be able to relate to.
Power of the Internet
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Early last fall I was asked to assist a company and their teaming partner with a 3 P Transportation proposal for the State of Indiana. It was a unique situation because I was working for the lead engineering firm, not the prime. Needless to say, I had a hard time getting capture information from my client. So I went to the internet. My first question was “who else shortlisted.?” The internet told me.
Power of the Internet
“That’s why you hold an auction,” Gov. Mitch Daniels has said. “Sometimes, you hit the jackpot.” In 2009, he famously told Barron’s that the arrangement was the “best deal since Manhattan was sold for beads.”
Ryan Holeywell , Governing.com, OCTOBER 2011
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Now in Texas, government agencies are leery of working with international firms. So I wanted to find out how the State of Indiana felt. I discovered that the last Private Partnership project was a big success for the State as the Spanish Concessionaire took the hit financially when the project revenue took a major downturn. That told me the State of Indiana was partial to Spanish firms.
Our mission is to oversee State-related debt issuance and provide efficient and effective financing solutions to facilitate state, local government and business investment in Indiana.
Power of the Internet
Indiana Finance Authority
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I love to look at potential client’s “About Us” page on their website. For the I-69 proposal, I wanted to find out how the governing agency approached things.
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But the internet can also give you information about your competitors and it can also give you information about your own company. Don’t forget to include LinkedIn and Twitter in your search. For example, if the Project Manager from a client’s last successful project is now working for your competitor, LinkedIn will tell you that.
Pow
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By the power of you, I mean the experience of your company and its employees.
Power of You
Winning ProposalProofsSolutionCustomer
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Your company’s experience is part of your capture plan. It is the proof to all your claims.
Power of You
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Years ago I learned the value of reading the resumes and project descriptions. There is often buried gold in them. When I was at AECOM, I would always check the company press releases as it was the best way to find out about project awards and projects that had won awards or been recognized. For example, I once discovered in reading a resume that a team member had written a definitive reference in his field. This fit perfectly with the client’s desire to have an “A+ team.” I have also found project accomplishments on a person’s resume that was not included in the project write-up.
What were you most proudof on this project?
Power of You
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This question is a great way to get project managers to think about their projects in a different way. For example, I asked this question of the project manager for a construction management proposal I did four years ago. One of my questions sparked a rewrite of a proof statement by the project manager. I discovered through that rewrite that his last project completed five months ahead of schedule! That immediately became a callout box and I added it to the project description. Without asking the question, he would never have thought to mention it! See how powerful questions are?
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Make sure the achievements you focus on match the problems the client wants to solve. For example, if they are concerned about budget, the accomplishments need to be related to cost savings, budget management, or innovation design that allowed scope to be expanded. If it is public involvement or communication, then the accomplishments need to be related to communication, coordinating with communities or coordinating between different government agencies.
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Capture is not only about learning what the client needs and wants. It is also about knowing how to tie in features and benefits to support your solution. It provides the outline of how you need to tell your story.
Power of the Message
Winning ProposalProofsSolutionCustomer
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Collecting that capture intelligence is great and it is important to not let it go to waste. It helps you identify what to emphasize and what to deemphasize.
RFP RequirementsThe minimum required design and construction management experience is:
1. Repainting/repair work on 5 Elevated Tanks in State of Texas in last 5 years
2. Structural Repairs on 5 Elevated Tanks in State of Texas
Experience in the following additional areas is preferred:
1. Experience in lead paint removal procedures and requirements in the State of Texas
2. Experience in structural repairs and OHSA/TECQ/general safety modifications
Power of the Message
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This is from a municipal RFP. They had no evaluation criteria. Instead they listed minimum requirements for experience. So we highlighted our solution within this context. When you are unable to determine any intel, use the RFP evaluation criteria or requirements as the framework for your capture plan. Why? These requirements told us some critical things.
Client▪ Wants someone who knows what they are doing.▪ Wants someone who knows the regulations▪ Knows how to deal with lead paint▪ Knows how to design safety features
Power of the Message
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Your story always needs to connect to your audience. Luckily in most RFPs, the client tells you what they want to hear in your story – the evaluation criteria. If there is not evaluation criteria, then see if the RFP list objectives.
Client▪ Wants someone who knows what they are doing.▪ Over 40 years of combined experience in the last five years▪ Over 500 tanks in the last five years
▪ Wants someone who knows the regulations▪ Unlike other firms who provide structural engineering as part of
their overall services, our focus is storage tank engineering and designing
▪ professionally trained in all applicable aspects of structural and coating design and inspection by organizations such as . . .
Power of the Message
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Your story always needs to connect to your audience. Luckily in most RFPs, the client tells you what they want to hear in your story – the evaluation criteria. If there is not evaluation criteria, then see if the RFP list objectives.
Client▪ Knows how to deal with lead paint
▪ Performed more than 150 lead abatement projects
▪ Knows how to design safety features▪ Have performed structural repairs and upgraded over 500 water
tanks to meet OSHA/TECQ safety regulations
Power of the Message
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You can see by these examples how we used those nuggets we found about the company to tell the client how we could provide what they needed.
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Taking the time to research the client, the project, your competitors and your own company takes time, but it is worth it. Not only will you have the information you need to write a compelling proposal, but you’ll have a deeper understanding of the project and able to make those important connections between the client’s wants and your firm’s solution. And it works! For the example, I’ve included in this presentation? I-69 Segment 5 – Won Construction Management Proposal – Shortlisted. Lost because the PM overruled me on a team member which the client refused Elevated Tank Project – Won
Thank you. Any questions? If you would be interested in customized training for your proposal team, or for your sales and technical team, please contact me at [email protected].
