Creating Effective Proposals
Proposal Basics
C O N S U L T I N G
Proposal Basics
The Big Picture
“The obvious is obvious…
only after it’s obvious”
C O N S U L T I N G
Proposal Basics
What Makes a Good Proposal?
Is directed to the right audience
Offers a low-risk, well-substantiated solution
to a real (not always stated) need
Is easy to understand
Shows (not claims) competence
Offers distinct benefits over others
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Better, faster, cheaper
Impresses evaluators
Provides tangible value
C O N S U L T I N G
Proposal Basics
What Makes a Bad Proposal?
Hard to understand/hard to score
Not responsive and non-compliant
Fails to demonstrate competence
Solves the wrong problem
Offers an unproven or risky solution
Not differentiated from the competition
Claims are not believable
Grammatical errors/general sloppiness
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Proposal Basics
Why Are So Many Proposals Bad?
They are produced by committees
They are produced under pressure
They show an anxiety to win
The proposal staff is over-committed and/or
poorly prepared
The message is unclear or lacking
KPMG did not listen to the customer
KPMG listened to the wrong people
Unsubstantiated claims
C O N S U L T I N G
Proposal Basics
Ailments of Proposals
MOTION SICKNESS - jumps too quickly from
point to point and is difficult to follow
SENILITY - the same old stuff
AMNESIA - important points omitted
STERILITY - ideas not conceived
NARCISSISM - too much horn blowing
SCARLET FEVER - excessive use of red
GOITER - blown up in the wrong places
C O N S U L T I N G
CONSTIPATION - there may be something
here, but it simply refuses to come out
Proposal Basics
Proposals Answer 9 Basic Questions
Who are we?
What are we selling?
Why are we selling it?
How is it better than the competition?
How are we going to execute it?
How are we going to manage it?
Why are we qualified to do it?
How much is our price?
Can we do it within cost and on schedule?
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Proposal Basics
Six Basic Proposal Principles
You never get a second chance to make a
first impression
A good proposal will not always win, but a
poor one will almost always lose
Bus. Development is doing your homework
(studying); proposals are taking the test
Proposal Management is where
democracy stops
Evaluators expect to see quality reflective
of the time allotted to prepare the
proposal
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Proposal Basics
Typical Opportunity Scenarios
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Opportunity from Partner/BDM/Sr. Manager
C O N S U L T I N G
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No RFP
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No formal requirements statement
Proposal Basics
Reading an RFP: What to look for?
Is the SOW what we thought? Can we do the job?
How many days to prepare the proposal?
How many sections are in the proposal?
Are there 8a or minority-owned business requirements?
What are the staffing/skills/geographic requirements?
Are there extensive customer reference requirements?
Are there technologies requiring other KPMG practices or
outside help (teaming arrangement)?
How is evaluation weighted (technical vs. cost)?
Are there special production considerations?
Existing contract vehicle?
What about contract terms and conditions?
C O N S U L T I N G
Proposal Basics
What to Do When There is No RFP
Refer to the Opportunity Fact Sheet (OFS)
filled out by the KPMG Partner/BDM/Sr.
Manager

Contains much of the information found in an RFP

Serves as the RFP for the proposal
Analyze the Business Opportunity outlined
in the OFS just as you would an RFP
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C O N S U L T I N G
Is there a compelling reason to bid?
Rely on the KPMG contact’s knowledge
about the client, the opportunity, and the
competition
Proposal Basics
Final Analysis: Should We Bid?
Easy to bid, hard not to
Some reasons not to bid:
C O N S U L T I N G
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Strong incumbent (client looking for a “check bid”)
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Client budget vs. project scope doesn’t match
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No knowledge of competition
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No relationships with, or prior knowledge of client/RFP

KPMG project staff either not available or unqualified
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Can’t meet minimum solution/geographic requirements
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KPMG Qualifications not strong/pertinent enough
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Proposal response time too short to produce
a high-quality, competitive document
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Cost to produce proposal outweighs potential award
Proposal Basics
Any Questions?
Carl Rosenblatt
BDST Manager, Public Services
Tyson’s Tower
703 747-6508
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