Page 218 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

Writing the Fees Slot 209

too low, at worst, you will have little chance of turning your proposed project into real
work; at best, you will need to spend significant time and effort to sell upward. If you
have a reasonable chance to win, full speed ahead. If not, consider declining to bid
with dignity. In either case, file the contact’s name and look for ways to build stron-
ger personal relationships, at the right level, while also recognizing that good people
get promoted to (or move to another company in) decision-making positions.
As you know, many projects are won years earlier because of personal relation-
ships that have been established and nurtured over time. Your initial contacts provide
many opportunities for you to lay the groundwork for a pricing strategy. This fore-
play helps build relationships and expectations for a longer-term win-win situation.

What Is the Likelihood of Your Winning This Project?

If you feel uneasy about our situation, believing that you might not have a rea-
sonable chance to win, you could choose to continue cautiously or even politely
terminate your efforts, especially if you cannot answer in the affirmative the
questions in Figure 13.1. You could say to us, for example: “The people we need to
do great work for you are not currently available. Please keep us in mind as your
needs evolve, and good luck in this project.”
Declining to bid, gracefully, can be perceived favorably. Let me assure you that
not many consultants turn down potential work. (By the way, why are your best
people almost always available? If they’re so good, shouldn’t they be gainfully
engaged on projects for other clients?) The position you don’t want to be in is
termed “column fodder,” where you are placed among one or another columns
of sure losers on the consultant-evaluation matrix. When you’re column fodder,
this can be said: “Sure, boss, we considered more than one consultant, but we
stayed with our current one.” And this happens: You never had a fair chance of
winning.

What is the likelihood of your winning this project?
What is the likelihood of your winning this project?
• Given our level of urgency, will you have the right staff available?
• Given our level of urgency, will you have the right staff available?
• Do you have the necessary tools and information to answer our overriding
• Do you have the necessary tools and information to answer our overriding
question(s)?
question(s)?
• Do you have the necessary industry/functional expertise?
• Do you have the necessary industry/functional expertise?
• Can you differentiate yourself sufficiently from the competition?
• Can you differentiate yourself sufficiently from the competition?
• Is our budget realistic for the project we are considering?
• Is our budget realistic for the project we are considering?
• Given the likely evaluation criteria, does our buying committee perceive you as
• Given the likely evaluation criteria, does our buying committee perceive you as
capable?
capable?
FI GU RE 1 3. 1 Questions t o det ermine y our likelihood of winnin g
FIGURE 13.1 Questions to determine your likelihood of winning