The most vulnerable point in the business development continuum is the handoff from capture manager to proposal management. This transfer to the proposal team seems to fail often. But why is that?
We see this time after time- the capture team creates a strong, defensible win strategy that by all measures should give the company an excellent chance of prevailing over the competition, but it never gets fully implemented by the proposal team management despite best intentions by all parties.
People in our industry are wondering to what extent today’s government contracting market conditions represent a “new normal.” And, if not, they wonder how soon can we expect a return to the “good old days?”
The government's use of oral presentations as part of the proposal process rises and falls like waves in the ocean depending on the prevailing philosophy at the moment.
We are often asked, sometimes too late, if the incumbent program manager should be assigned as the Capture and/or Proposal Manager for the recompete.
The best Capture Managers are not made in a classroom. The best capture techniques are learned from a mentor in the heat of battle.
Capture Management is too important to be delegated to the last individual standing when all of the direct charge numbers are handed out elsewhere. Inexperienced Capture Managers need tips, tools, methods, processes and insights on how to conduct effective capture.
Successful proposals respond to the needs presented in the RFP. However, successful proposals also respond to “invisible” issues that influence decision-makers: their “wants.”
No doubt about it, proposals are hard! Tight deadlines, incomprehensible and inconsistent RFP requirements, lack of sleep, high carb diets and the need to demonstrate to the government that not only are you qualified for the award, but you are the best choice, hands down. Many of these factors are outside of our control. Unfortunately, in many cases companies hamper themselves further by selecting a proposal team that is dysfunctional.
