In the recent webinar hosted by VisibleThread, Meryl Angelicola shared her expertise. She is the Founder of ProposalTeam Training and Director of Strategic Proposals and Grants at FirstDay Foundation. The webinar delved into the intricate dance of strategic proposal management and how this approach is a critical component in clinching contracts. Meryl discusses how a capture-driven strategy can harmonize your proposal processes, to ensure they are strategic, cohesive, and customer-centric.
The webinar concluded with a Q&A session. This session discussed strategies for managing high volumes of proposals and encouraged engagement from business development and capture teams.
Click here to watch the full webinar with all the insights and more.
"Proposals should be developed throughout the entire lifecycle, with the proposal manager acting as the keeper of the vision. This approach requires a quality over quantity mindset, but it results in a more cohesive end product that makes everyone, including customers and staff, happier."
Our Key Takeaways
- Orchestrating Winning Proposals. The webinar focused on the importance of orchestrating capture-driven strategies and creating winning proposals. It emphasized the role of proposal managers in shaping the story and guiding teams throughout the process.
- Conducting Capture Solutions. Meryl suggested a new perspective for proposal managers: they should act as conductors rather than stage managers. This involves coordinating capture solutions and delivery and guiding the team. The goal is to create a proposal that speaks to the customer and aligns with the company’s vision.
- Cross-Functional Project Importance. She highlighted the importance of cross-functional projects in breaking down silos within an organization. Suggesting a new approach, Meryl recommended cross-training in capture solutions and delivery on proposal best practices. This strategy can facilitate strategic thinking across the board.
- Preemptive Executive Summaries. Meryl recommended a strategic approach for proposal managers. She suggested writing the executive summary before the RFP is released. This summary should include several key elements. First, it should outline the features and benefits. Next, it should detail relevant metrics and past performance. It should also include proof points, a ‘Why Us’ statement, and the value proposition. Lastly, there should be a comparison with the competition.
- Prioritizing Proposal Process. Meryl emphasized the need for leadership to prioritize the proposal process. She suggested that companies should focus on quality over quantity. They should start earlier in the process, minimize busy work, and invest in training.
- Strategic Proposal Teams. According to Meryl, proposal teams should be treated as strategic business development. They should be given a seat at the table and rewarded appropriately.
- AI in Proposals. The webinar also announced the 4th instalment of the Optimize series, Optimize 24 AI. Which will focus on revolutionizing proposal management with AI.
The webinar ‘Beyond Checking Boxes: Orchestrating Capture-Driven Strategies for Proposals that Win‘ offered invaluable strategies for proposal management. By adopting the outlined approaches, teams can enhance their strategic positioning and increase their success rates in winning contracts.
Make sure to watch it in full here.
And keep an eye out on our events page for upcoming webinars.
