Blog archive

A selection of past posts on improving proposals.

Welcome to our blog archive 

For years, the Complex2Clear team blogged weekly on specific ideas for improving proposals. This page contains an index of archived posts organized to follow the lifecycle of a typical RFX-response, including: 

  • Fundamentals and Pre-work
  • Strategy making
  • Initiation and kickoff
  • Writing and visualization
  • Content management and reviews
  • Finalization and post submission

We’ve also included sections on:

  • Win-loss reviews and analysis
  • Informal proposals
  • Rebids

Posts are indexed under these themes:

Understanding:   Gathering critical info on projects and prospects
Strategy:   Differentiating your company, team and solution
Management:   Ensuring proposals are complete, on message and on time
Writing:   Achieving clarity and consistency across all sections and writers
Visualization:   Using graphics to sell your solution and differentiators
Design:   Making your proposals look great and easy to navigate

NOTE: How-to posts include steps for accomplishing proposal tasks

Fundamentals and Pre-work U S M W V D H-T
Bidding vs marketing ♦ ♦
Pre-RFP pursuit ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Developing large prospects ♦ ♦ ♦
Analysing large prospects ♦ ♦ ♦
Pre-RFP discovery ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing sales discovery ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Making bid/no-bid decisions ♦ ♦ ♦
Bid/no-bid: Overview ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Bid/no-bid: Familiarity factors ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Bid/no-bid: Competition ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Bid/no-bid: Internal factors ♦ ♦ ♦
Bid/no-bid: Decision-Making Tool ♦ ♦ ♦
The RFP contender spectrum ♦ ♦
Capture planning ♦ ♦ ♦
Understanding evaluators ♦ ♦ ♦
Understanding prospects ♦ ♦ ♦
Profile: Economic buyer ♦ ♦ ♦
Profile: Technical buyer ♦ ♦ ♦
Profile: User buyer ♦ ♦ ♦
Getting the coach’s nod ♦ ♦
Strategy making U S M W V D H-T
Proposal Basics: Strategy ♦ ♦
Differentiators: Understanding ♦ ♦ ♦
Differentiators: Finding ♦ ♦ ♦
Differentiators: Developing ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Differentiators: Expressing ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Key task: Win strategy ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Building strategy on issues ♦ ♦ ♦
Competitive solutions matrix ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Experience and performance ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Showing relevant experience ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Demonstrating performance ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Choosing key individuals ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Taboo subject: Pricing ♦ ♦ ♦
Taboo subject: Risk ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Ghosting your competition ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Value Propositions: Economic Buyer ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Value Propositions: Technical Buyer ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Value Propositions: User Buyer ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Value Propositions: How to use ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Writing strategy statements ♦ ♦
Importance of price ♦ ♦ ♦
Pricing Executive summary ♦ ♦ ♦
Defending your price ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Positioning your price ♦ ♦ ♦
Demonstrating responsiveness ♦ ♦ ♦
Positioning your offer ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
RFQs: General understanding ♦ ♦
RFQs: Showing capability ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
RFQs: Ability to stay aligned ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
RFQs: Expressing one voice ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing reference projects ♦ ♦ ♦
Initiation and kickoff U S M W V D H-T
Mastering the RFP ♦ ♦
Managing structure (ATOC) ♦ ♦
Developing content prompts ♦ ♦ ♦
Kickoffs: Overview ♦ ♦
Kickoffs: Goals ♦
Kickoffs: Preparation ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Kickoffs: Participants ♦ ♦
Kickoffs: Agenda ♦ ♦
Writing, design and visualization
 U S M W V D H-T
Setting direction for writers ♦ ♦ ♦
Using style guides ♦ ♦ ♦
When to use passive voice ♦ ♦ ♦
Cover letter blunders ♦ ♦ ♦
Writing great cover letters ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Cover letter vs exec summary ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Writing executive summaries ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Using section storyboards ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Great visuals, small budgets ♦ ♦
Visualizing with flowcharts ♦ ♦ ♦
Using meatball charts ♦ ♦ ♦
Visuals for informal proposals ♦ ♦ ♦
Writer guidance for plan sections ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Key Individual resumes ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Tips for better case studies ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Organizational chart basics ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Org charts: Showing phases ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Org charts: Showing governance ♦ ♦ ♦
Org charts: Beyond the basics ♦ ♦ ♦
Standardizing content ♦ ♦ ♦
Resumes and project sheets ♦ ♦ ♦
Plans and approach sections ♦ ♦ ♦
Standardizing visuals ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
List editing tips ♦ ♦
How to write captions that sell ♦ ♦ ♦
Writing effective callouts ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Writing clearer narratives ♦ ♦
Preparing narrative writers ♦ ♦ ♦
Visualizing key messages ♦ ♦ ♦
Proposal design basics ♦ ♦
Proposal body style ♦ ♦
Proposal heads and subheads ♦ ♦ ♦
Content management and reviews
 U S M W V D H-T
Basics: SME Alignment ♦ ♦ ♦
Basics: Management ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Basics: Executive buy-in ♦ ♦
Information architecture ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Planning for consistency ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing content drafting ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing compliance ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing early drafts ♦ ♦
Managing proposal graphics ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Editing for evaluators ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Structural editing ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Copyediting proposals ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing the small stuff ♦ ♦
Key task: Red Team review ♦ ♦
Managing large narratives ♦ ♦ ♦
Pre-Red Team management ♦ ♦ ♦
Managing a Red Team review ♦ ♦ ♦
Finalization and post submission
 U S M W V D H-T
Managing the final stretch ♦ ♦ ♦
Presentation stage tips ♦ ♦
Win-loss: Reviews ♦ ♦ ♦
Win-loss: Overview ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Win-loss: Interviews ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Win-loss: Reporting ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Win-loss: Analyses ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Making FOI requests ♦ ♦ ♦
Evaluating rival proposals ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Improving your proposals ♦ ♦ ♦
Informal proposals U S M W V D H-T
Informal proposal basics ♦ ♦
Informal proposal modules ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Informal proposal content ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Informal proposal selling ♦ ♦ ♦
Rebids U S M W V D H-T
Avoiding a lazy rebid ♦ ♦
Start rebid prep now ♦ ♦ ♦
Rebid discovery tips ♦ ♦ ♦
Rebid team preparation ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Focus rebids on the future ♦ ♦ ♦
Stress capability in rebids ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Highlight transition ease ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Dealing with service issues ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Start rebid planning early  ♦ ♦ ♦

Key to column headings:

U =
Understanding the prospect and project
S =
Proposal strategy
M =
Process management
W =
Writing
V =
Visualization
D =
Design and layout
H-T =
How-to post with step-by-step instructions

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