Key Elements of a Winning Consulting Proposal

I looked at over 100 proposals worth over $500K as a B2B buyer. I only remember a few. Here are 4 ways you can set yourself apart (and why most proposals never get looked at): 1. Built for the buying committee - not just the champion Most proposals assume one person makes the decision. That’s rarely true. The best ones were written with execs in mind. Mobile-friendly, easy to skim, and structured like a story, not a spec sheet. The kind of doc I could forward without rewriting a single thing. (like Qwilr!) 2. Helped me sell internally The proposals that stood out made me look good. They included visual slides I could screenshot into a board deck. Framed the problem. Showed the cost of inaction. Made the ROI feel obvious. They gave me language to use with my CFO, not just the vendor’s pitch. 3. AEs tracked engagement and followed up with a purpose Great sellers didn’t “check in.” They followed up based on what I actually did. They knew when I viewed the proposal, which sections got read, and what was skipped. Every email felt relevant—because it was. They weren’t guessing what mattered. They had data. 4. AEs pre-empted objections I hadn’t even voiced yet Before legal asked for terms, I had a friendly breakdown of the key clauses. Before procurement jumped in, I had a clear explanation of how pricing scaled. It felt like the AE knew my internal process better than I did - and helped me get ahead of it. TAKEAWAY: Most proposals are written to present. The best proposals are built to sell. Qwilr turns your proposal into a selling tool—one that’s interactive, trackable, mobile-ready, and designed for the whole buying committee. It helps your champion make the case. And it helps you win deals - even when you’re not in the room. If you want to stand out, build proposals that do more than inform. Build proposals that close.

Helping Industry Succeed – It Starts with Reading the Solicitation One of my favorite parts of engaging with industry is answering questions like: • Where can we find opportunities? • What is SOCOM looking for? • What do you look for in proposals? The answer to that last one often sounds simple — but it’s the most important: Read and re- read the solicitation. Every solicitation clearly lays out what the Government needs and how we will evaluate proposals. Sections L and M are not filler — they are your roadmap. They tell you: • What to submit • How it will be evaluated • The standards you will be measured against Here’s the advice I give repeatedly: 1. Read the solicitation multiple times. Ask yourself, What is the Government asking for? Did I address that? 2. Cross-check your proposal against the evaluation criteria. If we plan to evaluate it, make sure you included it. 3. Be clear and concise. Avoid filler language. Write to answer the requirement, not to impress with volume. 4. Follow formatting and submission instructions exactly. Page limits, font sizes, file types, and deadlines matter. Noncompliance can get you removed from consideration. 5. Provide evidence, not just claims. Back up capabilities and experience with data, examples, and past performance. 6. Review your final document for clarity. Sentences should make sense, and there shouldn’t be leftover edits from draft versions. 7. Check alignment across all volumes. Your technical, cost, and past performance sections should tell a consistent story. If you plan to identify something as a strength, explain why. Show us why it matters and why the Government should care — don’t leave us guessing. Winning proposals aren’t just compliant — they are clear, well-organized, and directly aligned with the requirements. It never hurts to do a final check to make sure your proposal is a complete package. And if something in the solicitation doesn’t make sense, don’t hesitate to ask the Government. Even we miss things sometimes and may need to issue a revision. What tips would you add for proposal preparation? #GovernmentContracts #SOCOM #Acquisition #SourceSelection #ContractingOfficer

Why Most Validation Proposals Miss the Mark — and How to Win Every Time 🥊 In pharma procurement, I’ve seen it time and again: validation proposals fall flat because they don’t speak the client’s language. As a validation lead, I made sure my proposals did more than just list services — they directly addressed the client’s biggest challenges. Here’s the secret: 1. Start with their pain points. Understand what keeps them up at night — compliance risks, tight timelines, costly delays. 2. Offer clear solutions. Show how your approach solves those problems efficiently and reliably. 3. Back it up with data, outcomes, and realistic timelines. Clients need proof they can trust you to deliver. This approach doesn’t just win projects — it builds lasting partnerships. If you want your proposals to stand out, stop selling services. Start solving problems.

Your past performance matrix can make or break a proposal. But here’s what I see all the time… firms list every project they’re proud of, but half of them aren’t even relevant to the agency or contract at hand. Evaluators will skim right past “impressive” projects because they don’t check the right boxes. It’s not about quantity… it’s about quality alignment. How to fix it (and win more): • Customize for every proposal. Don’t copy-paste. Tailor your matrix to highlight projects that match the scope, size, and complexity of THIS RFP. • Speak the agency’s language. Mirror the terminology + metrics from the solicitation. If the RFP says “rapid deployment,” don’t showcase a project that took 18 months to launch. • Be brutally honest. If you don’t have a perfect match, show how your experience is transferable… but don’t stretch the truth. Evaluators can spot fluff from a mile away. • Add proof. Whenever possible, include measurable outcomes, CPARS scores, or direct client quotes. Your past performance matrix isn’t a greatest hits album. Make every project listed answer the evaluator’s unspoken question: “Can they do this for us, right now?”

Proposals to do work for a company would be more successful if the company bidding on them viewed them as akin to marriage proposals. Hang with me on this. Goal 1: When one proposes, one hopes (I assume) that the person to whom they're proposing will stay with them long-term. The same should be true of a client; as we all know, it's much less expensive to keep current clients than obtain new ones. Goal 2: Ensure the person to whom you're proposing thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. Goal 3: Show (not tell) that person how much you care. Let's unpack these goals. Goal 1: How do you ensure someone stays with you long-term? Solution: Focus on their issues, instead of focusing on yourself and/or your organization.   In terms of proposals, I've seen thousands fail, often because the focus is wrong. Let's be honest: people care about themselves, not you or your organization. The truth: Nobody cares about you and your organization. What can you do or say that will put the focus on the reader? >> Goal 2: Ensure the person to whom you're proposing thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. This may sound contradictory to goal 1, but hear me out: I can make you believe that I'm greatest thing since sliced bread IF and only IF I focus on your issues AND how I can solve them. Solution: Present your solution as a partner in terms of providing a solution, rather than as a vendor or someone who's primary goal is to get them to buy.   If you start with a memoir, your proposal's going in the trash.   >> Goal 3: Show, don't tell.   Yes, you can tell your beloved you cherish them, you love them, blah, blah, blah. But showing them is a different story. Whether it's flowers for no reason, cleaning the house or doing the laundry without being asked, that's showing. Yet, many proposals simply list off achievements without showing *WHY* the information matters. Consider this: "We saved Company X $15,000." Here's the issue: maybe $15,000 is a lot to that company or maybe it's not. What did the $15,000 savings allow them to do? Could they reallocate the money to more profitable endeavors?   And while it might look impressive, it's not enough.   >> Solution: Be specific and provide the "why" it matters.   What will resonate instead is detail: - What steps did you take to solve the problem? - How does that relate to your potential client's situation? - What does that say about your problem-solving process?   If you've researched your potential client, you should have a good sense of the details they'll care about. Make sure you include them.   The common thread among these 3 problems:   Your proposal isn't meeting your reader's needs –   Which is no way to win their confidence.   Or their business.   P.S. What's the hardest part of writing proposals for you?   Tell me in the comments – I bet I can help.