Proposal Consultants: Helping to Deliver the Winning Blow-or Not
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Proposal
Consultants:
Helping
to
Deliver
the
Winning
Blow—or
Not
By Amy Jackson AM.APMP, Press on Proposal Consulting, LLC
Introduction
Companies that hire proposal consultants can waste much time and money—and put proposals at risk— if
they do not adequately prepare for and effectively empower consultants for success. On the other hand,
proposal consultants can put proposals (and their careers) at risk if they do not efficiently (and honestly)
work respectfully with their clients to develop and deliver winning proposals.
In June of 2011, I prepared and delivered a presentation at the Association of Proposal Management
Professionals (APMP) International Conference concerning the working relationships between proposal
consultants and their clients. The purpose of my presentation, and of this article, is to help companies and
proposal consultants work as allies in the fight to win new business. Our fight should be against the
competition—not among ourselves! The better that clients (also referred to as “employers”) and
consultants understand each other, the more pleasant the proposal development process will be. (Yes, I
said pleasant!)
I’ve been working as a proposal consultant for about two years, serving as a Proposal Manager, Volume
Lead, and Proposal Writer. I had often wondered if other consultants’ experiences were similar to my
own. I also wondered what my clients weren’t saying—things that I may be doing that frustrate or irritate
them. So, I decided to conduct a survey, using the APMP presentation to legitimize my research.
My research consisted of two
surveys—one for proposal consultants, the
other for employers who hire
consultants—illustrated in Figure 1. Each
survey consisted of about 20 multiple
choice questions. Respondents selected
one or more answers for each question;
they could also write in their own answers
and add comments. Figure 1. Data Gathering. Surveys were distributed through
APMP domestic and international chapters and LinkedIn user
Approximately 30 consultants and 30
groups.
employers responded to the survey. Most
of the responses came from proposal professionals in the United States; I also received some completed
surveys from respondents in Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, and India.
In the remainder of this article, I present the findings of my research. I also enhance the data with stories
of my own experience. The following topics are discussed:
• Ramp Up – How to hire qualified consultants who strengthen your arsenal
• Choose Your Battles – What consultants should look for before enlisting
• Boot Camp – How consultants should prepare for battle
• Readiness – Arming your consultants with the right weapons
• Earn Your Stripes – How consultants can be good officers and soldiers
• A Winning Experience – Applying what you learned
1
Ramp Up – How To Hire Qualified Consultants Who
Strengthen Your Arsenal
Most companies have their own internal proposal teams; they hire proposal
consultants as surge support during busy periods. Eighty one percent of employers
responding to the survey said that their company hires proposal consultants for surge
support; 12 percent said that they do not have proposal expertise in house and hire
consultants to assist them with most
major proposals.
Companies hire proposal consultants
to fulfill several roles, as illustrated
in Figure 2.
Direct Hire vs Consulting
Agencies
Figure 2. Most Popular Proposal Consultants. Respondents selected
When hiring consultants, employers Proposal Writers (69%) and Proposal Managers (62%) as the most-
either go through consulting hired proposal consultants. In addition, some companies hire red team
agencies or hire directly. Sixty two reviewers, orals coaches and pricing experts. (In the illustration, the
percent of employers indicated that larger the font, the larger the response.)
they hire consultants directly most
of the time; 32 percent said they depend on a consulting agency to find qualified candidates.
Preferred Consultant Qualifications
Employers prefer to hire consultants who have
successfully worked with them before or who
have been highly recommended by their peers.
They prefer to hire consultants who have
experience in their field, as illustrated in Figure
3.
Concerning win rates, one employer
commented: “Win rates that consultants cite to Figure 3. Important Consultant Qualifications.
me are extremely dubious... I’ve had numerous Companies prefer to hire consultants who are familiar
consultants tell me they have close to 100% win with their industry and who have been recommended by
rate…There is no way that could be true unless their peers. Surprisingly, win rate is not an important issue
you just started doing proposals. And if that’s to most employers.
the case, then I wouldn’t hire you.”
Although APMP accreditation is not high on the list of qualifications that employers look for, consultants
should not interpret this finding to indicate that accreditation is not important. As consultants work
towards and earn accreditation, they learn many proposal best practices and are exposed to many proposal
development tools and strategies that help them manage and create winning proposals for their clients.
Consultants can become more confident and competent to perform their responsibilities as they move up
the accreditation ladder.
2
Concerns about Consultants
Consultants are an expensive resource,
so to get their money’s worth, naturally
employers want to hire consultants who
are honest, efficient, and have a high
work ethic. Most consultants meet these
expectations, but just as in any other
profession, there are those who are lazy, Figure 4. Employer Concerns. Some consultants use their resumes
dishonest, and/or inefficient. Some of to make them look more qualified than they are; of course employers
employers’ concerns about proposal don’t like that.
consultants are shown in Figure 4.
On-site or Virtual
Most independent proposal consultants have a well-equipped home Consultants list the following
office that includes: advantages to working
virtually:
• Computer with extra monitor
• Printer/Scanner “Closed environment for a
focused work effort without
• Internet access distraction”
• Special software purchased primarily for proposal “Control of my environment and
development the ability to work any time of
Consultants can do most everything from home that they can do in the day or night”
office. Most companies have secure remote server access, so “No terrible traffic to deal with”
consultants working remotely have virtually the same experience as if
they were in the office. Many consultants prefer to work from home; “It saves the client considerable
outlay of cash associated with
some only work from home. Figure 5 presents some of the advantages travel, per diem, etc.”
that consultants cite for virtual work.
Working in the office with the proposal team also has its advantages. If Figure 5. Virtual Advantages.
the subject matter experts (SME) are centrally located with the in- Many consultants prefer to work
house proposal team, it’s a good idea to have the consultants at the from home because they can better
concentrate on the work at hand
same location at least for some of the time. This creates teamwork and without office distractions.
trust among the proposal team.
When to Hire
Fifty percent of employers said that they prefer to hire consultants during the draft request-for-proposal
(RFP) stage. Typically, proposal development is less stressful before the released RFP drops. The
proposal team can get a lot done—including storyboards, past performance write-ups, and “plans” (safety,
total compensation, small business participation, etc.) Some companies try to have their pink team
reviews before the final RFP is released. If there is a delay in the final RFP, companies may have to
temporarily release their consultants, risking that they may not be available once the RFP drops.
Recommendations for Ramping Up
1. Assess your current team, proposal pipeline, and business development budget to determine the types
of consultants that you need.
2. If going through an agency, clearly define your requirements.
3. Hire during the draft RFP or RFP stage.
3
4. Have consultants sign a non-disclosure agreement.
5. Allow consultants to work from home at least some of the time.
4
Choose Your Battles – What Consultants Should Look For
Before Enlisting
Successful consultants often have a choice of which projects to work. Before accepting
assignments, they consider a number of factors. Consultants selected the following
preferences (listed in order of priority) as those most important for accepting a job:
• Rate of pay – Good consultants demand a higher rate.
• Subject matter – Many consultants prefer to work on projects with familiar products and
services.
• Work virtually – Most consultants like working from home, at least some of the time.
• Length of contract – A longer contract translates into more income.
• Hours per week – If the project is less than full time, consultants may pass on the
opportunity. Full time projects require from 40 to over 70 hours per week.
• Pay frequency – Pay frequency varies widely from two weeks to over two months.
Consultant rates can be negotiable. Depending on the opportunity, consultants may agree to a lower rate.
One consultant commented, “Thankfully the clients don’t know I’d work for much less if the opportunity
was exciting/sexy/complex/unique etc.” If travel is involved, to keep costs down, employers can pay
actual expenses versus the government per diem rates.
Typically a consultant receives a project-specific work order from the client or consulting agency. The
work order specifies the project description, hourly rate, maximum hours per week, work location, and
duration of the project. Consultants should keep in mind that the “maximum” is no guarantee of hours.
The actual hours may be a lot less.
Recommendations for Choosing Your Battles
1. Ask questions about hours, locations, and length of contract to make sure you fully understand the
commitment.
2. Confirm travel expenses and per diem; many companies do not pay travel expenses.
3. Confirm your rate, keeping in mind that rates may change from project to project.
4. Talk with the client about expectations and concerns.
5. Expand your experience; take on new types of projects to make yourself more marketable.
5
Boot Camp – How Consultants Should Prepare for Battle
One of the nice things about being a consultant is the ability to take time off
between projects. Successful consultants take advantage of their time off to
expand their knowledge and skills. Some general preparation activities include:
• Update resume – Most consultants update their resumes whenever
they feel it is necessary. If consultants complete a different type of
project or fulfill a new role, then it is a good idea for them to update their resumes
accordingly.
• Enhance proposal skills – Reading articles and books, participating in webinars, and
attending proposal training are good ways for consultants to enhance their proposal skills.
• Stay in touch with other professionals – By participating in Internet groups and joining
professional associations (such as APMP), consultants learn new things that help them in
their work.
• Keep up with the industry –
Subscribing to news feeds or
conducting research in their
industry helps consultants stay up
to date in their industries of
interest.
• Learn new things – Taking time Figure 6. General Preparation Ideas. Successful consultants
to get up to speed with the latest conduct research, read, and stay professionally connected to keep
versions of word processing and up with the industry and improve their proposal skills.
graphics software helps
consultants improve efficiency on the job.
• Establish personal disciplines – The time for consultants to establish personal goals and
disciplines is when they are not fully engaged in a proposal effort. Consultants should use
their time off to establish (or enhance) the disciplines of exercise, eating right, and spending
time with God. This disciplined lifestyle carries over to the job, thus reducing the potential
for chaos and excessive stress during proposal development.
Once accepting a new project, consultants can prepare for the specific assignment by reading the RFP,
researching the client company, researching the end customer, and researching the client’s competition.
Consultants say: “I do the research and then bill the customer for the time” and “Most clients expect me
to ‘hit the ground running.’”
Recommendations for Boot Camp
1. Don’t waste your off time.
2. Invest in your career with training, software and books.
3. Once assigned, read the RFP.
4. Take care of your physical and spiritual health.
6
Readiness – Arming Your Consultants With The Right
Weapons
Hiring highly qualified consultants does not guarantee a an efficient proposal
development effort or a winning proposal. Employers must make sure that
consultants have what they need to be successful. For peak performance,
consultants need a clear understanding of expectations and the authority structure,
access to files subject matter experts (SME), and adequate office equipment and accommodations (if
working on site).
Consultant Frustrations
Proposal Managers indicated that what most
hinders their ability to get the job done to their
satisfaction is that the client’s expectations and
deliverables are unclear. Figure 7 presents other
frustrations.
Proposal Writers’ major frustrations include:
• Limited access to SMEs
• Client solutions continues to change
• Limited access to past proposal material
Figure 7. Proposal Managers’ Frustrations. Clear
In my consulting experiences, I’ve come to accept communications between clients and consultants make the
that client solutions continue to change throughout proposal development process more pleasant and
the proposal development process. Though productive.
frustrating, I understand that my clients want to
present their best solution, and sometimes it takes an iterative process (sometimes up until the final
review) to figure out what will win the bid. However, employers should keep in mind that the later
changes are made, the more chance that the proposal will be submitted with mistakes and inconsistencies.
Seemingly simple changes—such as changing “Project Manager” to “Program Manager” or replacing one
type of equipment with another—affect multiple volumes of the proposal. Text and graphics must be
reworked to reflect these “simple” changes. Swapping types or brands of proposed components may
require mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) recalculatations, which take a lot of time and proposal
rework.
Preparing In-house Employees for Consultants
Most employers indicated that their in-house proposal teams are supportive of proposal consultants and
thankful for their help. Others indicated that employees sometimes feel threatened, resentful and that it
takes too long to train consultants.
Before bringing in consultants to the team, employers should meet with the in-house proposal team to
explain what the consultants will be doing and who will be in charge. Employers may want to explain
why the consultants are qualified to perform the work.
Once when I was working as a full time Proposal Manager, my new boss brought in a consultant Proposal
Writer to assist with a major technical proposal—without discussing it with me first. I had ten minutes
notice that the consultant was coming in! I resented the fact that he had brought the consultant in without
speaking with me about it, and that he put me in the situation of having to train her and babysit her as we
7
interviewed engineers. I could have done the work myself in a lot less time; the consultant added more
stress to me and the team. Thankfully, we won the bid anyway.
What Consultants Say They Need
Consultants working on-site are more efficient if they have the right tools. Consultants indicated that the
following are important (listed in order of priority):
• Access to Internet – Consultants need access to the Internet for research of product/service
details, the customer, the client, and the competition.
• Printer availability – Looking at a computer screen all day is hard on the eyes; also the
electronic image does not give the true visible effect that the customer will see on hard copy.
It’s nice to see the printed page.
• Use of personal computer – Many consultants invest in specialized software such as
graphics packages and Microsoft Word add-ins that enhance and speed up the proposal
development process. Since many consultants often work from home, they have learned to be
efficient with their tools. However, for security reasons, some companies require consultants
to use only company computers.
• Access to personal e-mail – Typically consultants don’t spend a lot of time reading and
writing personal e-mail on the job, but they like to quickly find out about future consulting
opportunities and keep up with other personal concerns.
Recommendations for Readiness
1. Prepare your in-house team.
2. Plan and document what consultants will do.
3. Prepare the work area with necessary equipment and supplies.
4. Set up network and server access prior to consultant arrival.
5. Go over expectations with consultants once they are assigned.
6. Introduce the consultants to the proposal team and SMEs and provide contact information.
7. Plan to provide timely feedback.
8Earn Your Stripes—How Consultants Can Be Good Officers and
Soldiers
Consultants can best earn their stripes by completing all assignments on time with
excellence, contributing ideas that enhance the client’s solution or improve the proposal,
and being available to help out wherever needed. Consultants should also take note of
what employers say about minor issues such as personal communications, attire, and how
they should charge for expenses.
Employers do not expect to pay a consultant to check personal e-mail, surf the Internet for personal use,
or talk with their families on the telephone. But employers understand that these activities occur during
the work day. Some employers said that if the work gets done on time, they don’t care how long
consultants participate in personal communications. Others said that only 10-15 minutes per day are okay;
others indicated that personal communications while on the job should be limited to emergencies only. I
like the 10-15 minutes per day limitation. That’s usually enough time to answer important e-mails, take
care of personal business, and communicate with my family as Some comments from
necessary. employers regarding
consultants:
I used to wonder if my clients expected consultants to wear suits every
day while working on site. I was happy to find out in my survey that “An issue for me is that
most clients are okay with consultants adhering to their company dress consultants tend not to be as
vested in the win as my in-house
code, which typically is business casual. I want to make a good proposal team.”
impression, so I try to emulate the dress code of the person who hires
me—even if it means wearing a suit every day. “They are not very good writers,
even those who market
Even though charging government per diem rates for meals is themselves as proposal writers.”
typically allowed, I don’t always feel comfortable charging the per “Unfortunately, some consultants
diem rates if I’m not actually spending that much. So, I asked try to ‘maximize’ sales after
employers what they thought. Most employers who pay expenses starting work by referring
don’t care if consultants charge actual or per diem rates. Some prefer ‘colleagues who can prevent
disaster.’ This actually causes
the per diem rates (even if actual expenses are lower) because it makes the corporation to avoid future
budgeting and accounting easier, and they don’t want the hassle of consultant use.”
handling receipts. Some prefer that consultants charge actual
expenses. If employers prefer to pay per diem rates, that’s fine with Figure 8. Employer Frustrations.
me! But, I don’t want to create an unnecessary hardship for my Consultants who aren’t “all in” with
clients. their projects do not make good
impressions on their clients and
Some other employer frustrations are presented in Figure 8. reduce the possibility that they will
be called back.
Recommendations For Earning Your Stripes
1. Adhere to the Company dress code.
2. Limit personal communications.
3. Bill only for hours worked.
4. Review assignments to verify understanding.
5. Understand your client’s expectations on expenses.
6. Work as if YOUR job depends on it.
9Dishonorable Discharge—Releasing a Consultant in the Midst
of War
Although most proposal consultants are hard working, ethical, and dedicated to
producing winning proposals, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. About 13 percent
of consultants indicated that they have been released prematurely for the following
reasons:
• Personality conflict
• Political reasons
• Internal bickering
• Poor capture planning
• Eventually no bid
Forty two percent of employers said that they have released consultants prematurely for the following
reasons:
• Poor performance
• Failed to meet expectations
• Lack of team trust
• Didn’t have the skills we needed
• Abusive language, bullying, touching employees
• Sleeping during work hours
Other comments from employers: “They personality pissed off the BD VP, created an adversarial
working relationship…and failed to enforce the process.” “If a consultant adds value, they are embraced.
If they cause extra work they are resented. If they harm the team they are fired publicly.”
Nineteen percent of employers have kept poor performing consultants on the job. Some of the reasons
stated for not firing underperforming consultants were:
• “Too much work to get the consultant up to speed.”
• “Weak leadership didn’t want to upset the apple cart.”
• “No one else available to do the job.”
• “The consultant came highly recommended, so I kept waiting for the ‘magic’ to happen.”
It’s hard to fire people, especially people you personally like. Employers should never let personal
feelings toward a consultant put a proposal at risk.
Recommendations for Discharging Consultants
1. Before hiring a consultant for a major project, try engaging them in a smaller project first. If possible,
hire only proven consultants for major projects; that way you lower the chance of having to discharge
a consultant in the midst of war.
2. Soon after a new consultant starts, give them a deliverable with a quick turn-around. If they don’t
deliver quality work, find someone who will.
3. Investigate possible misunderstandings.
4. Don’t waste money and time on consultants who are not performing.
10A Winning Experience
Overall, most employers are satisfied with their proposal consultants and feel that they greatly contribute
to their companies’ win rates. None of the employers who responded to my survey blamed consultants for
losing any bids. Several employers, however, said they couldn’t have won important bids without the
contributions of their consultants. Here are some of the employer comments:
“The proposal manager knew the customer and provided useful information…His input was key in
winning the $B+ job.”
“We’ve used the same consultant for years and he has helped us increase our win rates…Management
will often extend more credit to what a consultant is saying.”
“I think in our industry consultants are a must. Each company has to take the time to find consultants
who are a match for them.”
For me, being a proposal consultant is a victorious profession! I enjoy the opportunities of learning new
things and helping my clients win. Proposal teams (clients and consultants) work hard and put in long
hours, but it’s worth it in the end. It’s a great feeling to complete a proposal, after giving all to make it a
winner. And when the win is announced, all members of the proposal team can pride in their
contributions. And when bids are lost, there are always lessons learned that can help win the next one.
Whether you are a consultant or an employer, I hope that this article has helped you to better understand
the proposal consulting experience and that you will consider adhering to my recommendations. I
welcome your comments on the article and your additional recommendations for improving the proposal
consultant experience. Please send your comments to me at amyjackson@pressonproposal.com. My
company website is: www.pressonproposal.com.
Thank you for your time!
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