From Proposal Writer to Proposal Leader
You’re probably going to have to change the way you think about proposals if you want to move from becoming a proposal writer to a proposal leader.
Here are some things I stopped doing to become more of a leader in the sales team. It’s not just about what you do more of – but also what you stop doing:
1. Delegate
You probably aren’t great at everything, and you probably don’t have time to do everything even if you are great at it. You should hire or work with people to do the things that are genuinely valuable but you don’t have time to do. For example, sales leaders who respond to 100+ RFPs a year should hire a proposal writer.
2. Focusing on the Cost of Acquisition
Responding to an RFP is time-intensive and expensive; not every RFP is monetarily worth bidding on. Figure out how expensive it is to bid because costs speak to other leaders.
3. Working With ‘Yes’ People
I want to work with people who have a vision for their role – and that isn’t necessarily my vision for them. When you’re a leader, you should trust your team to tell you how to run the team and disagree with you.
4. Worrying About All The Little Things
5. Hiring a Proposal Consultant
Getting another pair of expert eyes on my proposal content, processes, and ways of working on an ongoing basis helps me iron out any areas that I’m blind to.
6. Accepting ‘Good Enough’
Continually invest your lovely self. Whether that’s an APMP or Proposal Industry Experts (PIE) certificate, or another area of leadership, you can learn from the best and keep improving.
