Most authors on federal proposal writing define a defensive proposal as follows:
- Is written not to be eliminated; to be the last proposal standing
- Presents a practical solution from a customer perspective
- Gives the customer what they want; no more and no less
- Meets each and every requirement of the RFP
- Clear, concise and devoid of sales puffery
A defensive proposal is all of these things.
Another definition of a defensive proposal is:
“A defensive proposal defends the position that you have already taken with the customer”.
Ideally, you have met with the customer, defined their requirements, and proposed a solution that meets their requirements.
Then when you write the proposal you prove that you can do what you have said during the sales process. In other words, you close the deal with words and provable facts and assure the customer that they will minimize their risk by going with you.
You may have sold one or more of the people on the evaluation committee, now you sell the rest. It’s just another way of looking at successful proposals.
Don’t bid if you haven’t established a position to defend. You can count on the fact that one or more vendors have established positions.
Will you always win if you pre-sell? No, someone may out sell you.
Will you win any proposals you haven’t pre-sold? Hardly ever!
Why, ever opportunity of any size has been pre-sold by one or more vendors well in advance of the Request for Proposal. Remember, an incumbent contractor is the ultimate pre-seller.
Basis Tenants in Writing a Defensive Proposal
The following basic tenants should be applied when writing a defensive proposal.
- Saying many things usually communicates nothing. After you say it, repeat it again and again.
- Don’t use adjectives, use success stories.
- Don’t just say it, prove it.
- Create the evidence of your service value, and then communicate it.
- Service is a promise; sell the promise that you will solve their problem
- It is far better to say too little than too much. The more you say, the less people listen.
- Words are your most powerful weapon, use few and make them powerful.
- Committed to Excellence, this is a cliché, you won’t listen to clichés, your customer won’t either.
- Get to the point or you will never get to the close.
Tell the customer, in a single compelling sentence or paragraph, why they should buy (how you will meet their needs) and put the statement in the Executive Summary and then say the same thing differently one or more times in each major chapter of the proposal.
Does and Don’ts of a Defensive Proposal
A does and don’ts of a defensive proposal are as follows:
Does:
- Write a proposal to solve the customer's problems as THEY perceive them, not how YOU perceive them.
- Don't try to think for the customer. Give the customer everything asked for in the RFP, down to the tiniest detail.
- Address each and every solicitation requirement, even if it appears to be meaningless on the surface. Remember, evaluators love to eliminate proposals to save time and effort or, sometimes, to help their favorite company.
- Explain how you will meet each and every requirement in a clear, concise manner.
- Explain why you are unique but only when you can be convincing and the uniqueness stands up to scrutiny.
- Give evaluators the material they need to support a decision in your favor.
- Develop a concise staffing and project management plan and avoid any ambiguities in staffing and personnel qualifications.
- Rewrite resumes of staff members to specifically address the RFP requirements. Interview proposed staff members to determine the specifics of their experience and its relevance to the requirements.
- Tailor your corporate qualifications (and general information) to match the specific requirements of the RFP.
- Differentiate yourself from your competitors. Know your strengths and weaknesses and your competitors' strength and weaknesses, and write to all four of these points.
- Find ways to present your solutions as unique while still meeting the requirements of the RFP.
- Write to the specific benefits of your company, your project team, and your solutions and substantiate each of these.
Don'ts:
- Postpone the proposal outline refinement and actual writing of the first draft until there isn't enough time to produce a high quality proposal (probably the biggest single problem in proposal writing).
- Don't get caught in the trap of thinking that your company is the answer to the customer's prayers. Everyone thinks this way but your confidence means nothing unless it's backed up with references, performance data, and facts.
- If you must boast, prove it in words and with statistics.
- Don't overuse boilerplate material, and fine tune it to the customer.
- Don't write a novel; use simple, easy to understand language, avoid long-winded sentences, and run-on paragraphs.
- Don’t present extraneous or marginal material. If in doubt; it's extraneous. Evaluators hate extraneous material.
A defensive proposal is written to give evaluators precisely what they asked for in the RFP. If they ask for resumes for three key persons, give them exactly three resumes; even if you have additional resumes that fit the requirements. If they ask for four descriptions of corporate experience, give them four descriptions; even if you have additional corporate experience that perfectly matches the work requirements. Evaluators hate reading information beyond what they asked for and including it can lose you points rather than impress them.
Compelling Proposal Content
Compelling proposal content comes for an intimate understanding of the customer. The roman orator Cicero said it all in one sentence: “If you wish to persuade me, you must think my thoughts, feel my feelings, and speak my words.
You must think like the customer, develop your persuasive arguments for the customer’s perspective, and present customer-centered insights up front in your defensive proposal. Present a summary of your customer insights in the Executive Summary. Count how many times your name appears versus the customers. The customer’s name should predominate. Focus on the customer’s problem, their needs and desired outcomes and how your solution matches their expectations.
Tell the customer, in a single compelling sentence or paragraph, why they should buy (how you will meet their needs) and put the statement in the Executive Summary and then say the same thing differently one or more times in each major chapter of the proposal.
Establish your credibility. The customer wants to know these things:
- Am I getting what I need?
- Can they do it?
- Is it a fair value?
You must answer these questions with four types of information.
- Evidence that you understand the customer’s problem, needs, and requirements (Not a restatement of the requirements as presented in the RFP but real evidence of your understanding)
- A solution that will solve their problem and produce positive business results (Positive business results are becoming increasingly important in the federal government because of OMB’s emphasis on business cases and measurable results)
- Qualifications, experience, and past performance that proof that you can perform on time and within budget (The evidence must be specific, pertinent, and verifiable)
- Convincing reasons why the customer should choose your solution
