Since 1985 I have been in the proposal business, coming from a technical background but with an equal interest and aptitude for clear and effective writing. On this page you will learn how I, and my associates, approach the business of producing winning proposals.
How did you wind up in this very intense business of developing proposals?
I got paid for it. But the more I got involved the more I encountered approaches that were wasteful, illogical, and sometimes completely nonsensical. Some examples: a proposal manager for a large IT company requiring at least a page written for each outline title, whether there was something to say or not; another prop manager, suppressing or lacking common sense, demanding that some 70 pages of requirements continue to be printed, distributed, and maintained on the proposal wall, although they were simply a copy of RFP Section L.
When I began managing the process I realized how important and effective common sense (and written guidance) was in completing a winning proposal. I also realized how persuasive clear, concise, well-written text was. After all, evaluators are also human beings and appreciate reading something that compliments, instead of insults, their intelligence. They like to get through the process without totally nodding off or taking super doses of caffeine. And there really are alternatives to starting every sentence with “The ABC team will, has, ensures you, etc.
What education gives you the skills to produce winning proposals?
Well, it probably wasn’t the B.A. in math but probably more the B.A. period. Where interest develops, learning follows. In my case, the interest grew in the written word—both consuming it and producing it. Of course, military training is always good, especially if you’re trying to win DoD business, and as an Air Defense Artillery Battery officer in Germany I was able to start the process of eventually mastering German. It’s certainly been an added pleasure to also work occasionally with German firms. But now that I’m started on this subject, I have to give a large plug for self education-–it never ends and, like tennis, it’s a sport you can play your entire life.
What experience qualifies you for managing proposals?
First it was the technical experience of developing and later managing the development of real-time simulators. The technology varied from airport check-in, air traffic control, and military simulators. Then came the direct Proposal Manager and Program manager for telecommunications systems.
There was also the direct Federal Marketing experience as VP of Business development for a Small Disadvantaged Business, which required one-man proposal writing as well. Finally, there were the dues paid in being involved with misled proposal efforts resulting in voluminous, verbose, and losing proposals.
You say associates, but who are these associates?
I’ve met many people in this business and kept track of the few really good ones. To get them onto a job, however, is simply the luck of timing. One associate, however, runs a similar business and we are very effective in working on proposals together, especially if there are business intelligence or data warehousing requirements involved.
That is his specialty and you can read about him at
Could you come in and work easily with our people?
My experience says yes. The occasional exceptions, and there have been some, are rare. Most people react to the way they are treated and so there is no problem. There are some, though, who are problems. With simple professional behavior even these problems do not affect the results. As for me, I can rely on my references to attest to how it is to work with me.
Now that you know the who, what, and how about us and government proposals,
