Make it a goal this year to at least improve in one of the areas listed below. We hope this adds to your secret-winning sauce and improves your proposals!

1. Start a month earlier on your proposal than you have been starting.
2. Provide training for your engineers and any other inexperienced players.
3. Get upper management to provide some type of a reward structure for winning proposals.
4. Identify and file proposal pieces that can serve as templates for all sections common from one proposal to the next.
5. Obtain executive buy-in before beginning your proposals so you can get timely resources and decisions.
6. Figure out a way to perform a price-to-win analysis proportional to the importance of each proposal.
7. Develop a plan to advance your proposal process over what it is now.
8. Realize how close are the scores that separate winner from loser – usually a fraction of a point.
9. Have color-team reviews early enough so you have time to fix problems.
10. Establish a relationship with a proposal consultant source compatible with your company.
11. Maintain relationships with trusted subs and partners sufficient to fill in proposal teams with skills you need.
12. Have a key executive attend all proposal kick-off meetings to emphasize the importance
13. Whether you prefer story boards, outlines, or black magic, use an effective means of ensuring that technical and sales discriminators are strongly addressed.
14. Don’t waste your money on a proposal unless you can meet with the customer far in advance and establish your bona fides.
15. To earn more net dollars, bid like a hunter shooting game with a rifle, and never use a shotgun.

Have one to add? Comment in the section below.