Page 37 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

28 Writing Winning Business Proposals

problem (or opportunity). A triggering event could be external (e.g., the entrance
of a new competitor into my market) or internal (e.g., a change in top management
that initiates a whole series of new agendas). Consider the ABC case in Appendix
A. What brought to ABC’s consciousness the existence of their imminent shortfall
in capacity? Probably Marcia Collins’s market forecast. That forecast triggered,
brought to ABC’s consciousness, the need to take action to address the projected
shortfall in capacity. If you don’t know the triggering event, you should place a red
flag next to that phrase in Cell 2. If the triggering event and overriding problem
are not aligned, use a red flag to signal that lack of alignment.

Overriding Problem

“Overriding” means at the highest level, and it means a single problem. My orga-
nization has lots of problems, just like yours. For your project with me, however,
you need to identify not the major problems but the main one, the single highest-
level problem your engagement will address or solve. In expressing that problem
in Cell 2, be certain that you phrase the problem as a problem, rather than (as
is all too typical) a question. And make certain that it is a single problem rather
than “lack of X and insufficient Y.” Assuming that one of those is the overriding
problem, the other is likely a cause or an effect. If you don’t know the overriding
problem or are uncertain about any aspect of it, use a red flag.

Effects of the Overriding Problem
Problems create further problems. These are the problem’s effects, and your
discussion of them in your proposal can be compelling, since we usually sense
a problem’s severity by the effects it produces. (I might have the problem of a
broken ankle, for example, but I really experience that problem as a result of its
effects: pain, immobility, etc.) Use red flags to indicate any lack of alignment
between the overriding problem and any of the effects. Also flag any effects that
you believe exist but haven’t been confirmed by me.

Are the Overriding Question(s), Objective(s), and Desired

Result(s) Aligned? (Logics Worksheet, Cells 4 and 5)

The overriding problem is the beginning point of your project; the three elements
on the upper right of Figure 3.1 are the end points, where you will have answered
my overriding question(s), achieved the project objective(s), and provided me my
desired result(s). These three elements are three facets of the same diamond: They
express the same content, differing only in their phrasing, as shown in Figure 3.2.