Article Highlights
We regularly publish business and proposal development articles on topics of high interest to help our customers and partners win new business and improve BD capability.

• Time Management
• Win Themes
• Proposal Themes
• Features and Benefits
• Discriminators and Proof
• Theme Development Methods and Tools
• Proposal Consultants

Many of these articles are featured on other Websites, newsletters, blogs, and best practice Intranets:

• CapturePlanning.com Newsletter (64,000+ subscribers)
• APMP Journal (3,200+ subscribers)
• APMP-NCA Executive Summary Newsletter (2,700+ circulation)
• Business Development Institute (www.bd-knowledgebase.org)
• 24 Hour Company Bid Winning Proposal e-zine (11,00+ circulation)
• Laura’s Winning Ideas
• WIPRO Executive Digest
• Large Australian Defense Company

Stop Wasting Precious Proposal Time!
It's a fact that before most proposal efforts start, precious days (and sometimes weeks), are seemingly wasted away. In the interest of time, here are seven high-impact recommendations (with specific action-oriented tips for each). These recommendations and tips are guaranteed to help you get more out of your next proposal effort in less time. More >>>

How to Create Great Proposal Themes (Part 1): Telling Your Story
When you think about it, proposal writing is really about telling a story. A story about how your solutions to problems are better than your competitors' in ways that really matter to your customers. All too often, the story is written by authors who are responsible for different chapters with no clear idea of the setting, the characters, the ending, or even the moral of the story. Very few teams take the time to develop the central features, benefits and supporting proof in sufficient detail to achieve the happy (winning) ending they desire. More >>>

How to Create Great Proposal Themes (Part 2): Features and Benefits
The development of features and benefits is a key part of solution development and the critical first step in developing proposal themes. Despite providing proposal teams with what might appear to be clear feature and benefit definitions, directions, and examples, many writers and subject matter experts ignore them completely or simply don't understand what is required. More >>>

How to Create Great Proposal Themes (Part 3): Discriminators and Proof
Although theme development and placement is an important first step, most proposal teams fail to develop compelling themes with sufficient discriminating proof points to support their claims. The predictable result is a proposal draft filled with sales clichés and unsubstantiated claims. These are two of the most frequent deficiencies found in proposal reviews and can render proposal themes completely ineffective. More >>>

How to Create Great Proposal Themes (Part 4): A Method for the Madness
Most experts agree that you need to think about (and write down) your proposal themes BEFORE you start the proposal drafting process. Failing to follow this simple idea causes proposal teams to fall into a number of common proposal development traps. What can proposal teams do to avoid these common pitfalls? The recipe for theme development includes a few simple ingredients from the RFP and the capture plan. More >>>

How to Create Great Proposal Themes (Part 5): Who You Gonna Call?
Most companies have established proposal processes in place that include some form of proposal theme development. However, many companies fail to either standardize these processes or lack the sufficient resources to follow them efficiently and effectively. Getting the right people in the same room requires significant planning and meticulous execution. Without the appropriate focus, a common understanding of terms, and the right meeting facilitator, theme development working sessions can be a monumental flop. More >>>

Are Consultants the Answer to Your Proposal Challenges?
One of the most common proposal challenges consistently identified by proposal professionals is the lack of available resources to do the job. In a recent survey published in the Journal of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (“The Big Proposal Management Study,” Spring/Summer, 2009), 66 percent of those surveyed cited “lack of resources” as their biggest challenge, something that should come as no surprise to anyone reading this article. So, when is the right time to seek help and what is the best way to fill the proposal resource void? . More >>>

Are Consultants the Answer? (Part 2): Why companies don’t hire outside help

There are a number of good reasons for hiring proposal development consultants. They can assist with an immediate proposal crisis or help meet longer term strategic objectives. Hiring a consultant is no easy task and can be a time-consuming and risky proposition. Consequently, many companies who would otherwise benefit from outside help resign themselves to going it alone. More >>>

Are Consultants the Answer? (Part 3): How to find the right consultant

The decision to hire a proposal development consultant is relatively easy compared to the more challenging task – how to find and hire the right one. It should come as no surprise that consultants work out best for companies that have clearly defined project roles, responsibilities, and capability requirements. More >>>

Are Consultants the Answer? (Part 4): Finding the right consultant, at the right time, with the right stuff

Once you’ve done your homework, exhausted your personal and professional networks, and narrowed the field, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll find the right consultant when you need one.  Like most things in life, being at the right place at the right time can make the difference between success and coming in second. Many companies make the mistake of starting too early or waiting too long to lock in the consultants they need. More >>>