proposal themes that win compliant and compelling telling...

Chris SimmonsFounder and Principal Rainmakerz Consulting LLC

March 5, 2020

Telling Your Story: Compliant and compelling proposal themes that win

Copyright © 2020, Rainmakerz Consulting, LLC

What’s a theme?

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�Best value�No risk�We understand you – better than anyone �CMMI Level 3 best practices�Relevant past performance�Superior technical solution

“Don’t worry, I developed the list of win themes over lunch.” – Sammy Sales III


“The Thesis Statement shows the reader at a glance the essential argument of the theme body…the reader is

relieved of the common vexation: When will this passage end, and what point is the author driving at?”

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Sequential Thematic Organization of Publications (STOP) Manual, -- Hughes Aircraft, 1965

©2020 Rainmakerz Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.


Themes: What the experts say

�Most effective�Answers “why us?”�Links customer benefits to

your solution features�Contains supporting proof

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Feature or benefit?

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Benefits• Safety• Comfort• Storage• Security

Benefits• Speed• Sex appeal• Power• Handling

Chevy SUV Features10 Air bags

4 Reinforced impact barsOnStar (Safe and Sound)

6 Adjustable seat belts

Corvette Features638 Horsepower0-60 mph (3.6 seconds)Top speed 205 mphAward-winning design


Proof

� Important to the customer�Quantifiable�Supports feature/benefit�Unique (Differentiator)�Third-party ‘expert’ is best

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+ Feature+ Feature Benefit Benefit

+ Proof+ Proof= THEME= THEME

(Customer stuff)

(Your stuff)

(Third party stuff)

Theme Shortcut

©2020 Rainmakerz Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.

Basic requirement

Unique feature/proof

Unsubstantiated claim


Where do themes go?

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Meta Win Themes

Volume Themes

Section Themes

Requirement Themes

Prop

osal

Them

es


A method to the madness

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THEMES/SUB-THEMES“A central idea (feature and benefit) or claim that is supported or proved.”

• Technical Approach • Management Plan • Past Performance • Transition • Business/Pricing

PROOF (DISCRIMINATORS)“Unique, quantifiable (metric-based ) solutions features that set us apart from the competition.”

• 2-5 proof points for each theme

• Evaluation Criteria (Section M)• Instructions (Section L)• Requirements (Section C)• Customer Hot Buttons• Competitive Intelligence

Proposed Solutions


Theme development example

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THEMES

“shall provide an automated tool for software development”

Requirement (C)

Instruction (L)

Hot Buttons

“shall describe the tool and HOW it saves time

and reduces cost”

• Proven software is VIP – especially on other State projects

• Intuitive user experience is a must

PROOF

Eval. Criteria (M)• “Ability to meet or exceed

service level agreements”• “Lowest risk scores most

points”

Competitive Intelligence

Previous contractors have failed miserably in training

programmers efficiently

OURSOLUTION

EZ-Code™software


Themes in practice

�Our technical approach includes auto-coding software. (Basic Requirement)

�Our EZ-Code™ software will reduce time and cost. (Feature/Benefit)

�The intuitive user experience of our EZ-Code™ auto-coding software can reduce staff training time by 75%.(Feature/Benefit/Proof)

�Our EZ-Code™ software reduces staff training time from 4 hours to 1 hour with an intuitive user experience implemented on over 20 State projects. (Benefit/Feature/Proof)

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DON’T BOTHER HO HUM

COMPELLING?

WINNER!


Dragging themes out of SMEs

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3. PROOF2. FEATURES1. BENEFITS

Saves time and reduces cost

•Proven EZ-Code™ software •10 successful State implementations (“Outstanding” past performance ratings)

Low risk (exceeds Service Level Agreements)

•Reduced staff training time•Successful State and other

implementations

•Average training time reduced from 4 hours to 1 hour

•20 relevant projects in last 3 years

Efficient training promotes user acceptance

• Intuitive user experience•Reduced staff training time

•Rated #1 for Usability (Information Week, 2019)


Linking themes with proof points

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Proof (Differentiators)

1. EZ-Code™ software rated #1 for best value and usability (Information Week, 2019)2. 75% reduction in staff training time (from 4 hours to 1 hour)3. Intuitive user experience promotes user acceptance4. Successfully implemented in 20 relevant projects in the last 3

years5. Rated “Outstanding” by in all three past performance references

Benefit and High-level Features: We reduce training time and costs with proven auto coding software.


Focus box

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Summarize the major features of the section that support the theme

Supported by quantifiable metrics to provide the proof

4 bullets maximum (subject matter experts will often add more)

2 lines per bullet maximum (SMEs have a hard time with this one)

Headline Summary of the Theme Statement


Theme and focus box example

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Our EZ-Code™ auto-coding software reduces staff training with an intuitive user experience implemented on highly relevant projects.

EZ-Code™ software rated #1 for best value and usability (Information Week, 2019)

75% reduction in staff training time (from 4 hours to 1 hour)

Intuitive user experience promotes user acceptance

Successfully implemented in 20 highly relevant projects in the last 3 years

Rated “Outstanding” in all three past performance references

We Reduce Training Time and Costs with Our Proven Auto Coding

Software


A theme-less proposal

Our Company Name (Acronym) is pleased to respond to this [long project name] (Acronym) for [long customer name] (Acronym). More about us…Blah, blah X,XXX employees and $XX million in revenues in 2018. Aren’t we great and special ……blah blah blah.

Blah blah, blah blah, this is a mission-critical project. Blah blah we are a best-in-class, blah blah. Our technical solutions are leading edge blah blah. Blah blah we have assembled a best-of-breed “A-Team”.

Blah blah blah [your vague or generalized statement here->no HOW]. Blah blab, blah blah, blah, blah, no transition risk.

Our technical approach includes auto-coding software (buried theme) blah blah blah [your unsubstantiated claim here].

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Predictable proposal review debrief

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�Major themes and discriminators missing� Important points are buried�Unsubstantiated claims and clichés throughout�Too much vague and generic boilerplate �Not enough understanding of the customer�Evaluation criteria not explicitly addressed�Past performance proof missing�Not enough “HOW”


Our EZ-Code™ software reduces staff training time by using an intuitive user experience implemented on highly relevant projects.

Figure 1-1 summarizes how we reduce training costs and exceed your….using our proven EZ-Code™ software.

Figure 1-1. A Proven Technical Approach. Our EZ-Code™ software exceeds your service level agreement and reduces training costs by 75 percent.

• TBD• TBD• TBD

Eval. Criteria

Our proven auto coding software reduces training time and costs

#1 rated EZ-Code™ software for best value and usability (Information Week, 2019)

75% reduction in staff training time (from 4 hours to 1 hour)

Intuitive user experience promotes user acceptance

Successfully implemented in 20 highly relevant projects in the last 3 years

Rated “Outstanding” in all three past performance references

Theme sentence

Focus Box

We understand the importance of reducing staff training time as a key cost reduction component…

EZ-Code™

Service Levels• 75% bullet• TBD• TBD

Action Caption

Overview Graphic

Understanding the need

Graphic call out

Best practice proposal

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It’s not easy


Open the door!

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Work at it

Follow-up

Start now


Start Now!

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1. Develop a Content Plan (aka Storyboard) template that includes detailed theme/focus box guidance (a few hours)

2. Incorporate theme/focus box examples and styles in proposal template (a few hours)

3. Conduct a theme audit of existing proposals (1/2 day)4. Review, vet, and institutionalize existing reusable benefits,

features, proof points, and themes (1/2 day)5. Conduct new theme development working session(s) (1/2 day)6. Develop “next proposal” themes (1/2 day)7. Conduct in-house theme development training (1/2 day)


Contact information

Chris SimmonsFounder and Principal

Rainmakerz Consulting [email protected]

202-255-235524

proposal themes that win compliant and compelling telling...

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