Powerful Proposals

"Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1The Power of the A+ Proposal The Proposal: The Make or Break Move How to Put the ""Power"" into Your Proposals Be Compliant: Powerful Proposals Give Customers What They Request Be Responsive: Powerful Proposals Address Customers' Needs, Key Issues, Values, and Goals What Proposals Reveal About You Six Key Elements of High-Quality Proposals Evaluating Proposals: The Best and the Worst Challenges for Readers Chapter 2A Simple Notion: A Proposal Is a Sales Tool The DNA of Proposals: How Organizations Buy Products and Services Purpose Audience Organization Reader Intent How Buying Decisions Are Made They Won't Buy, Unless You Sell Powerful Proposals: Simple, Clear, and Precise Four Compelling Questions Every Proposal Must Answer Question 1: Why Us? Question 2: Why Not Them? Question 3: So What? Question 4: How So? Challenges for Readers Chapter 3Getting Your Message Across: Technical Proposals for Every Reader The Competitive Advantage: Reader-Friendly Proposals That Sell Compete by Communicating Know Your Audience Overcome Differences Designing the Proposal Two Messages, One Proposal Double Exposure Techniques Challenges for Readers Chapter 4Sell the Benefits: Customer-Oriented Proposals Why Steak Without Sizzle Is Not Enough Customer-Oriented Proposals Who Are the Buyers? What Buyers Look For The ""Me"" Proposal Reading the Customer's Mind: The ""You"" Proposal Five Essential Components of a Customer-Focused Proposal Uncover and Respond to the Customer's Underlying Need Address All of the Requirements and Requests Mirror the RFP Emphasize Benefits, Especially Intangible Ones Develop an Effective Proposal Strategy Challenges for Readers Chapter 5What It Takes to Win: Credibility, Acceptability and Preference Establishing Credibility The Right Experience The Right Solution The Right Technology The Right Team Establishing Acceptability Negotiable Terms Competitive Price Conducive Political Environment Creating Preference The Right Relationships A Compelling Story Winning Behaviors Challenges for Readers Chapter 6Winning Executive Summaries: Your Most Powerful Selling Tool The State of the Art: High-Tech Summaries A Powerful Executive Summary: Focus on the Benefits Preparing to Create an Executive Summary Develop Your Win Strategy Build a Compelling Story Line The GIFBP Matrix How to Design an Executive Summary with Impact Brochure Format: Your Best Sales Tool Issues-Driven Executive Summary Ad-Style Executive Summary Four-Page Executive Summary Product-Emulation Executive Summary Customer-Empathy Executive Summary Living Executive Summary: An Evolving Sales Tool The Five Steps Executive Summary Quality Check Chapter 7: Timing Is Everything: Positioning to Win How to Position Your Company to Be a Key Player Begin Early: Build Relationships, Develop Influence, and Win the Customer Creating a Company-Wide ""Can-Do"" Attitude Challenges for Readers Chapter 8: Proposal Management: The Art of Containing Chaos Frontloading the Effort: Plan and Design Freezing the Offer Planning for and Conducting a Superior Kickoff Meeting Solidify the Team Lay the Foundation: Proposal Planning Establish Credibility: The Process A Failed Kick-Off: Danger Ahead Revising for Quality: The Final Touches Challenges for Readers Chapter 9Getting It Written, Getting It Right: Guide to Creating Compelling Proposals The Seven-Step Section Development Process Step 1: Determine the Content Step 2: Organize the Content Step 3: Develop the Themes Step 4. Develop the Visuals Step 5: Develop the Proofs Step 6: Create a Mock-Up Step 7: Draft the Section Challenges for Readers Chapter 10The Red Team Review Process: Making Sure the Power Is in the Proposal The Role of Reviews in the Proposal Process Themes and Visuals: The Contributions of the Pink Team Pink Team Objectives Pink Team Process Applying the Pink Team Review to the Final Draft Does It Have What It Takes: The Red Team Review Who Is Needed: Selecting Team Members Red Team Objectives Red Team Process Long-Term Benefits Challenges for Readers Chapter 11Learning Forward: Win or Lose Protocols for Continuous Improvement Administering the Protocols Customer Interview Internal Review Lessons Learned Improvement/Implementation Plan Challenges for Readers Appendix AThe Ultimate Weapon: Maximize Proposal Effectiveness with Techies Who Can Sell Appendix BModels of Issue-Driven and Ad-Style Executive Summaries Index About the Authors"