United We Stand

I was pleased to learn that a proposal I wrote for one of my clients just placed first in a regional government municipality’s RFP process, and they were awarded a contract. Determined to learn how we got the top slot – and how to stay there – I jumped at the opportunity to look over our review sheets (and peek at the competitors’ submissions), and spent a full afternoon reading through documents, making notes, and generally sucking up to becoming friends with the muni’s procurement director. Here are some insights that I gained about our proposal efforts and that government’s process that I thought I would share with you guys.

Presentation

Presentation is an important component. Even when it’s suggested that the customer doesn’t care, every MarCom graduate will tell you that it matters. Here’s my anecdotal evidence:

• The top 5 proposals were obviously produced professionally (and several non-winning ones clearly were not). Three-ring-bound, with compelling covers and coordinated spines. In discussion at a separate vendor pre-proposal conference, the customer told us that they preferred double-sided printing on the Original and Copies and they also preferred that the Copies had less environmental impact – suggesting full black and white printing for non-original documents, and even recommended binder clips versus 3-ring binding. None of this was in the RFP, but we DID end up using a simple comb binder for Copies on a subsequent submission.
• Another strong element that all the top proposals shared was a balanced use of graphics. Every third page, generally speaking, had a table, call-out, screenshot, flowchart, or other image. Further, they were CLEAN and well executed graphics. No copies of mimeographs of newspaper articles, or fuzzy screen shots of online reporting systems (except my clients financial statements, which were copy-machine PDFs – we didn’t appear to lose points for that, but we’ve since obtained clean statements from the accountant).

Content

The RFP was clear about how scoring would be done, and their reviewers checked off each question-within-a-question. The procurement director commented that she was surprised at the number of proposals that missed answering or simply didn’t answer a question or sub-question. Other things the reviewers called out included the following:

• There is an additional burden placed on the bureaucracy when a vendor opts to propose alternatives to contract language. It appears that potential customers do not appreciate extra burdens! I would never advise my client to accept contract terms that they couldn’t live with, of course, but the extra steps necessary to navigate the customer’s legal department may have cost some potential vendors goodwill, if not points. I was also told that it’s is quite possible a winning vendor who requested changes to contract language could be disqualified post- award.
• One reviewer noted and commented on our inclusion of team resumes, specifically because they demonstrated longevity in the industry. I think this is a good thing to point out – perhaps in a call-out – in the event that they aren’t looking for it.
• Our process flow used job titles to show responsibilities. More than one of our competitors used title AND the person’s name in the flow chart – and they were recognized favorably for that. Contrary to our attitudes about government entities, the personalization of the message seems to have a positive impact. The review notes further supported this learning, as they complimented some vendors on the amount of staff training delivered and recognized other significant personnel investments.
• They were looking for a complete solution to all of the stated opportunities in the RFP – a comprehensive suite of products or services in every category, even if partnerships were required, was strongly advised. In fact, this was the single most important determinant in the second round of reviews that finally culled the total awards to a manageable number of approved vendors – it actually came down to a little-used category of services which some vendors opted not to offer.
• Finally, one bidder specifically indicated the things that they would NOT do as part of their service offering. In one instance, even though the function was not a requirement, they still lost a point for it! And goodwill, I was able to learn.

Summary

My client has already made several improvements based on this feedback. In summary, here are the things we learned, or got reminded about:

• Packaging is as important as ever, but should also be smart. The City of Boulder issued an RFP earlier this year encouraging vendors to produce documents with post-consumer recycled materials, and ensure that all components be “readily recyclable.” This included binders, dividers, and brochures. Some production houses, including Mimeo.com (maybe I mentioned once that I was a fan ?), have post-consumer recycled paper and tabs obtainable through a Special Instruction, which is a good start.
• Graphics should be crisp, clean, and utilized often. We continue to invest in off-site production to assure the quality of our images, and we are developing new call-outs in-house. Watch, though, that tables and graphs can be reproduced in black and white or grayscale if necessary.
• Consider carefully before offering alternatives to the client’s legal language! Don’t create an internal issue for the customer if it isn’t absolutely necessary.
• Leverage your strengths, like longevity or special skill sets or unique experience. And make sure to point them out.
• Be professional – but don’t forget to also be personal. Reviewers want to know your team, and know them as people. Glossy website photos and resume summaries aren’t the same as stepping through how “Sue” is going to resolve an invoice issue to your 100% satisfaction.
• Never never never Always put statements about activities that can and can’t be done in a positive light. Speak directly to what you WILL do, and avoid presenting any gaps in such a way that it comes off arrogant.
• Be responsive – do not skip questions. Failing to respond to one question or request for services may actually cost you the bid.

Finally, find a partner when necessary. The competition is out there, and they’re getting better all the time. Partnering is becoming more and more encouraged by the commercial sector – it can help you fill gaps in your service offerings, and the right partners (small business, MWBE, organic, green, public sector, private sector) can help you meet award-requirements purposely designed to strengthen your community. Collaboration is becoming the smart business move !

Jeff

A colleague and I unwittingly performed a wonderful experiment last week. Though we didn’t know it at the time, our two companies were each working on a response to the same RFP, which had a short deadline and well-defined requirements. One of those requirements was that the documents had to be delivered, hard copy, to a corporate location out of state. Both Sue and I spend the majority of our time working out of one-person offices, so although we are each well-equipped for printing, binding and producing documents – there’s a certain point at which the project moves to a Kinko’s or Pony Mailbox level. However, this project didn’t quite meet that threshold. So it was normal to prepare to assemble and ship the documents ourselves.

In our previous lives, our organizations had corporate accounts with print production companies. The one I used is in Memphis, and I decided to see if they offered services to individuals for small production runs, and it turns out that they do. I spent 15 minutes determining what the cost would be to produce this document with Mimeo.com.

My estimate showed that the total cost of using the print production house was equal to three to four hours of my time at the project billing rate, and it probably would have taken me that long to assemble it. I presented my research to the client, and together we decided that at “break-even”, if I trusted the vendor, they would certainly support my decision to use them. So I decided to go to Mimeo for the production work.

My friend Sue opted to produce it herself. She had earlier dismissed out-of-house production as a choice because she assumed that the cost would be prohibitive for small runs. Also, Sue is much better at production than I am, and with more years of experience, and she is very efficient. All else being equal, it should only have taken her three hours to print, bind, and deliver (to the shipper).

What were the results? Let’s consider three things: Time, Finances, and Quality.

Time Expended

I spent 45-60 minutes (including my original 15) getting the document uploaded, electronically assembled, and proofed. I had some trouble with one large PDF – the fonts weren’t imbedded, so the production house had to obtain a copy via email from me – the print driver couldn’t parse it. Oh, I forgot to mention – they provide you with a print driver… all I had to do was “print” my documents to their system. Tight.

For various reasons, my deadline with the printer was 5pm Central for guaranteed next-day delivery (in some instances it can be later). So technically, I had to put a full stop on writing and editing at 4pm in order get production done in time. However, since I was unsure how long uploading would take, I actually stopped writing and editing after 2pm. Except for those last minute changes the sales team wanted. And the pricing worksheet which wasn’t ready until 3:30. But aside from that…

Sue spent nearly 4.5 hours getting hers printed, bound, and packaged (which means I would have pushed it to get it done in 6!). But since she only had until 6:30 (her local pickup time), she stopped editing after 2pm as well.

So, we both stopped editing at the same time, but I had to wait on last minute changes (which will happen). I squeezed in dinner while Sue was squeezing binder rings, but our two projects had nearly the same TIME impact. I had some time for other items that afternoon, but my client and Sue’s corporation both received the same project experience. From a Time perspective, using the production house was a Wash. Now, if it had been ten copies… or 20…

Financial ROI

Here’s where the roller coaster analysis starts.

Sue actually has a better salary than I bring in as a consultant on projects like this. So although she is more efficient (and normally is faster than that, but this one had some unique requirements), there is an increased cost-per-hour for her to use the hole-punch. Less experienced folks putting together the binders would be cheaper… but would generally take longer, so overall, the cost appears to be about the same whether Sue does it or I do it.

Sue worked and got paid to assemble binders until 5pm (technically, since she’s on salary) – but I was done uploading at 4pm, with a significant break in there for dinner. The project was “Time and Charges” for me, and I didn’t bill the client for the hour I took out for dinner, nor after 4pm. Once the order was confirmed and the team was made aware (and sent electronic copies) I was off the clock. Advantage, Client.

Presentation Quality

Now that I have the swing of using the production house, I know I can spend a little longer on deadline day ensuring that everything is complete. I probably won’t change the project plan, but I’ll budget the buffer for better editing, which is a smart investment of the hour or two I’ll gain from the project team.

But even better? The production people have their own quality checks. And I can’t tell you how nervous I get being at the end of a two day, two week, or especially a two month project and worrying that I’m focused enough to catch my own mistakes. These guys will CALL YOU ON THE PHONE if you put two tabs next to each other in your production order. They perform 14 Quality Checks. They made ONE mistake in approximately 240 proposals, in the three years I was at the previous company. Which means that I can focus on making sure the proposal is complete, concise, and accurate, and let them take care of presentation, and do it well! Advantage, Client.

Sue probably didn’t make any mistakes in her assembly. The larger the order, though, the more likely one is to put an appendix in upside down. Or two tabs together.

Another kind of presentation

Finally – I didn’t have to leave the house at 6:27 at night, wishing I had grabbed a granola bar on my way out the door, to drop a package off in my PJs. Not saying Sue did that.

Summary: Whether producing a document for a client or your corporation, our analysis is that they will benefit both financially and from a quality perspective. Even using conservative estimates and assumptions, it’s easy to see that, a the end of the [production] day, it really is better than a wash. Additionally, you end up with more time to focus on thorough editing, other projects… or dinner!

[editor's note: names in this post have been changed to protect the pajama-wearers...]