Reengineering the Engineering Proposal...Opportunity Pipeline Guidelines New Business Assessment...
Transcript of Reengineering the Engineering Proposal...Opportunity Pipeline Guidelines New Business Assessment...
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Dr. Tom Sant
www.hydeparkpartnerscal.com
www.PersuasiveBusinessProposals.com
Reengineering the Engineering
Proposal
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Your Presenter: Dr. Tom Sant
Author of Persuasive Business Proposals, the world’s #
1 best selling book on proposal writing
“One of the 10 most important business books of all time.” Geoffrey
James, Inc. Magazine
“America’s foremost expert on proposal writing.”
(American Management Association)
“One of world’s top ten sales trainers.”
(Selling Power Magazine)
Over 30 years’ experience with Fortune 500 companies
Over $30 billion in winning proposals
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Agenda
1. Five problems
2. Six principles
3. Five process steps
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Five Problems
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The Five Problems
1. False analogies
2. Dysfunctional divisions
3. Constricted roles
4. Rigid processes
5. Misplaced contributors
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Problem 1: False Analogies
The proposal is…
• a technical report
• a product overview
• an engineering spec
• a statement of work
• a scope document
• a bill of materials and quote
• a contract
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Problem 1: False Analogies
The proposal is…
a sales document.
And that often makes our
colleagues in engineering and
technology uncomfortable.
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So why do people base proposals on the wrong model?
Four reasons:
1. Preference for informational writing
2. No training
3. Misplaced quest for efficiency
4. Skepticism or suspicion of persuasion
False
Analogies
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
InformationEvaluationPersuasion
Expert
Highly
informed
Somewhat
informed
Lay
Comfort
Zone
1. Strong Preference for Informational Writing False
Analogies
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
InformationEvaluationPersuasion
Expert
Highly
informed
Somewhat
informed
Lay
Comfort
Zone
Writing information = the Fallacy of the Familiar
Persuasion
Zone
False
Analogies
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
2. No trainingFalse
Analogies
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
3. The quest for “efficiency”
KX information more
accessible
Client Development Templates
Tailored to Size of Opportunity
BDD roles clearly
defined/ more BDDs
Win/Loss Quarterly Reports
Proposal/Presentation tools
New Relationship Selling Training-
condensed version
60/30/10 Toolkit
Opportunity Pipeline Guidelines
New Business Assessment Meeting Guidelines / Agenda
Opportunity
Qualification
Pursuit
Proposal
Contract
Client
Maintenance
Business Development
Lifecycle
Business development Investment Guidelines
Standard presentations
Marketing programs aligned to client maintenance
plans
BDDs driving client planning process
Client Group Opportunity Reports
Winning Marketing Content for Proposals
Winning Proposal Content Definition
Competitive Intelligence
Review Team Criteria
PDC Usage Criteria
Proposal Training Curriculum
Fast, standard, Large
Opportunity Criteria
PDC/KX integration
Oral presentation
training
KX content update standards
Credentials Directory &
process
Proposal content
modules for re-use
Capture manual map
Client Development Plan execution
False
Analogies
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
The V.P. of Engineering’s View
4. Suspicion regarding persuasion
Pretty pictures? Fancy words?
False
Analogies
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Subject
Form
Sender Receiver
Contact
Code
Informing
Evaluating
Persuading
The purpose of a communication defines its focus
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
So…
One answer to the question,
What is persuasion?,
is this:
A form of communication for which the controlling
element is the
audience.
Persuasion is client-centered communication.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Problem # 2: Dysfunctional divisions of labor
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Problem # 3: Constricted role definitions
“I can’t look into the customer’s
business needs. That’s the
sales person’s job. I’m just a
proposal manager.”
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Problem # 4: Rigid processes
“In our proposal process the account manager always writes
the executive summary just before we send the proposal out.”
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
“We’ve always done it this way…”
For example:
What is the deal with
“storyboarding”?
Over time, businesses
develop methods and
approaches that become
fossilized. We do it
because we’ve always
done it.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Problem # 5: Misplaced contributors
Does a failed engineer
or bad sales person
necessarily make
a successful
proposal writer?
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Six Principles
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Six Principles
1. Focus on the right outcome.
2. Look at the document from the
customer’s point of view.
3. Challenge the status quo.
4. Work toward best practices.
5. Abandon thoughts of
incremental change.
6. Empower the people.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
1. Focus on the right outcome
The purpose of all sales documents
is to win business.
A proposal is a sales document.
Therefore, the purpose of a proposal
is to win business.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
2. Look at the document from the customer’s point of view
For the customer,
the proposal is a tool
to help make
good decisions.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Answer the decision maker’s 3 critical questions
1. Are we getting what we need?
2. Is it worth doing?
3. Can this vendor actually do it?
To make a good decision, the customer wants
to know:
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.
So what’s the point?To reach the decision maker
we need to focus on what they care about.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
3. Challenge the status quo
Status Quo
1. Start with an overview
of our company history
or technology.
2. Provide only vague claims
of value— “increased
revenue,” “improved
performance”.
3. Write in a complex,
academic or legalistic
style.
Thinking Different
1. Start by focusing on the
customer’s business situation
and challenges.
2. Quantify value against the
customer’s current performance
and/or industry averages, and
monetize the value if possible.
3. Write simple, direct prose at a
readability level appropriate for
The Wall Street Journal.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
4. Work toward best practices
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5. Abandon thoughts of incremental change
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6. Empower the people
Proper preparation.• Both training and education.
• Continuous improvement.
Worthwhile work.• What is the higher purpose?
• It’s how the solutions being proposed matter, not the page count.
Challenging goals.• Goals aligned with values.
• Meaningful rewards for achieving the goals.
Fanatical team spirit.• Acknowledge and cheer contributions before the final goal is reached.
• Spontaneous and specific cheers.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Five Process Steps
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Five process steps—for a successful reengineering project
1. Review current processes and work products—proposals,
presentations, sales collateral.
2. Establish the business case for change.
3. Interview the people involved in creating / using proposals.
4. Develop and implement recommendations and tools.
5. Measure and reinforce.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
1. Review current processes and documents
1. Assess the deliverables in
terms of:
Achieving the ultimate goal—
winning business
Conforming to best practices
2. Assess the processes in
terms of:
Promoting efficiency
Empowering effectiveness
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
1. What are the current problems in our proposals
and/or processes?
2. Why are these problems a problem?
3. What impact will solving them have?
4. Who benefits from implementing the solutions?
2. Establish the business case for change
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3. Interview people involved in / affected by proposals
Proposal writers and managers.
Subject matter experts.
Sales people in the field.
Senior management.
Customer decision makers.
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
4. Develop and implement recommendations and tools
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5. Measure and reinforce
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
In summary…
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
In summary…
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
In summary…
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
In summary…
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
In summary…
Identify the problems: alignment, analogies, roles
Focus on the right outcomes: persuasive, client-centered, winning
Implement best practices: define the factors that matter
Challenge the status quo: resist the power of conventional thinking
Create a business case: define the problem and quantify the value
Measure and reinforce: establish momentum and then keep it going
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
Dr. Tom’s Tips
Are you getting Dr. Tom’s Tips?
Are your competitors?
Get the latest research, insights and
practical pointers to increase
your win rate.
www.persuasivebusinessproposals.com
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
©2016 Tom Sant. All rights reserved.hyde park partners
And good luck… in reengineering your engineering
proposals!
www.persuasivebusinessproposals.com