3 Ways Proposal Processes Save You Time
Rather watch the video? Here it is.
Goals are for people who care about winning once.
Systems are for people who care about winning repeatably.
-James Clear
This year, one of my goals was to develop a work routine so I wasn’t just at the computer whenever I had some free time and not sure what I was sitting down to work on. Working for myself meant I needed to establish some type of work schedule to avoid burnout and be more present in other areas of my life. So, I decided to buy a planner and actually use it this time.
Every morning, or most mornings, I take a few minutes to plan out what tasks I need to get done that day and block off official work time. And although this is still a work in progress, the process of it has helped big time. I won’t pretend that as soon as I got my planner, I magically sat down with focus and planned out my day. Eventhough it was something so simple, I had to consiously force myself to do it until it became more natural.
This same principal comes into play when developing systems for proposals. There can be so much going on to get your response submitted, that you end up swirling and aren’t sure where to start or what to do next. Having the proper systems in place takes the guesswork out of the proposal process so you can focus on writing and high level tasks.
Now I know your eyes may glaze over a bit when thinking about developing sytems and processes…they aren’t the most exciting thing in the world. However once they are done, you’ll have a clearer head to free up that creative brain power!
1.One of the easiest ways to get started with standardizing your proposal process is by creating templates.
Templates make it easy for you or a team member to get started on specific tasks quickly. Some common proposal templates are compliance matrices, calendars, win theme development, writing outlines, covers and cover letters, and checklists. Depending on your business you may need more templates and you can get creative with what template to set up. The real benefit to templates is you won’t have to stare at a blank screen and try to start writing (or whatever task you are working on). You have a starting point and just need to customize for the RFP you’re responding to.
2. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are really the meat of any successful process.
SOPs are a lot more involved to create since you really have to think through something from start to finish including the steps, who is involved, etc. A good way to create SOPs are from lessons learned on previous bids or just thinking through how you want something to be done with a more detailed eye. Some good SOPs to start with are go/no go decision making; proposal kickoff; writing styles; review cycles; and submission.
3. Once you have your templates and procedures finalized, you’ll need a place to save them so they are easy to find. Enter the proposal library.
Now, there are actually a few different ways to create a proposal library. The first is what I’ve just mentioned-storing all your templates and SOPs. Another part of creating a library, is as a repository for stadard language or copy you often use in your proposal responses. This may include boilerplate language around a framework, past performance projects, or even resumes and bios. Building a repository can take some time and will need to be kept up, but again it gives you a starting point for your proposal writing and avoids digging through emails or old proposals to find information. A few software options can be SharePoint, Asana, Monday.com, or something as simple as Google Drive.