Page 172 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

CHAPTER 10

Writing the Methods Slot

n Chapter 5, you saw that your methodology includes two kinds of tasks:
Iactions necessary for achieving the project’s objective and activities important
for planning and communicating. (See Figure 10.1.) Note that both kinds of tasks
tell me how you will do things—how you will achieve the project’s objectives and
how you will plan and communicate with me while doing so.
If you have worked for me before and I trust you explicitly, or if you have dis-
cussed your methodology with me and I am satisfied by how you will achieve
your objective, or if your leadership style isn’t detail oriented, then explaining
how might be all that you need to do. In many situations, however, how isn’t nearly
enough, as the following example (based partly on the ABC case in Appendix A)
ought to illustrate.
Assume the following:

◉ You are Marcia Collins, and I (switching roles here) am the consultant.
◉ As ABC’s vice president of marketing, you are confident about your market
forecast that predicts an imminent shortfall of capacity.
◉ Because I know that the engagement’s success will depend upon a validated
forecast, I need to explain to you how I will validate that forecast.
◉ You, of course, believe that such validation would be a waste of time and money.
◉ I am presenting my proposal to you and your management team.
◉ Just before displaying the first slide of the methods section, I say: “Our first
task will be to validate ABC’s market forecast.”

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