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WELCOME TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY,
SPONSORED BY AOC KEY SOLUTIONS, INC.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY IS THE ONLY TELEVISION PROGRAM
DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE COMPETITIVE AND DYNAMIC WORLD
OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING,
A WORLD WHERE COMING IN SECOND PLACE
IS NOT AN OPTION,
BUT WHERE PRINCIPLE-CENTERED WINNING IS THE ONLY APPROACH.
GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY.
I'M JIM McCARTHY,
THE OWNER AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF AOC KEY SOLUTIONS
AND THE HOST OF THIS SHOW.
NOW, AS OUR REGULAR VIEWERS KNOW,
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY
IS ALL ABOUT HELPING CONTRACTORS WIN OR RETAIN CONTRACTS.
THAT'S ALSO THE MISSION OF KEY SOLUTIONS,
AND I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT TO DATE,
WE HAVE HELPED OUR CLIENTS WIN
OVER $130 BILLION IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
SO WHILE OUR GUESTS
ARE GENERALLY TOP CONTRACTING EXECUTIVES
AND AGENCY PROCUREMENT LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY,
IN TODAY'S SHOW I'M JOINED BY TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES
RIGHT HERE AT KEY SOLUTIONS.
TOGETHER THEY BRING DECADES
OF SUCCESSFUL CONTRACTING EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE
TO A DISCUSSION WE'RE CALLING "TOOLS OF THE TRADE."
NOW, WITH ME THIS MORNING IS RICHARD NATHAN,
THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF KEY SOLUTIONS,
AND KEITH HIGHFILL,
OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER.
NOW, WE'RE GOING TO COVER A LOT OF GROUND,
SO LET'S GET RIGHT TO IT.
FIRST QUESTION IS
WHAT'S THE KEY TO DEVELOPING A WINNING STRATEGY?
Richard Nathan: WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S INTERESTING
IS THAT WE'VE HAD 40, 50 EXECUTIVES ON THIS SHOW SO FAR,
AND WE'VE ASKED EVERY ONE SOME VARIATION OF THAT QUESTION,
AND THEY ALL GAVE THE RIGHT ANSWER,
WHICH IS BASED ON INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE
OF THE CUSTOMER'S NEEDS, WANTS, AND BIASES.
AND TYPICALLY,
WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING A WIN STRATEGY FOR A CLIENT,
WE TRY TO START WITH A STRATEGY CONFERENCE
WHERE WE IDENTIFY, WE PULL OUT FROM THE GROUP,
INCLUDING THE BUSINESS DEVELOPERS,
AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CLIENT'S REALLY LOOKING FOR,
WHAT THEY NEED--
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT'S IN THE RFP--
WHAT THEY WANT,
WHICH ARE GENERALLY THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN THE RFP
BUT WOULD MAKE THEIR LIVES EASIER.
MAYBE IT'S A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
THREE YEARS OUT, FIVE YEARS OUT.
AND ALSO ANY BIASES THEY MAY HAVE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND ONCE WE HAVE THAT SORTED OUT--
Jim: BY BIASES
YOU MEAN PREFERENCES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
Richard: PREFERENCES FOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING.
IT MIGHT BE A MANAGEMENT APPROACH.
IT MIGHT BE A PIECE OF SOFTWARE.
IT COULD BE ANYTHING.
BUT SOMETHING THAT WILL EITHER MAKE THE EVALUATORS SMILE
IF THEY SEE IT,
OR GROAN IF THEY SEE IT.
IT'S EITHER A FATAL FLAW OR A POSITIVE FEATURE.
Jim: KEITH, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
Keith Highfill: OBVIOUSLY I WOULD AGREE WITH ALL THAT.
WHAT I WOULD ADD TO IT
IS YOU NEED TO START EARLY WITH THAT,
AND ALSO NOT TO EXCLUDE.
SO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING THAT STRATEGY,
YOU MIGHT WANT TO INCLUDE SOME TEAMING PARTNERS
THAT YOU'VE ALREADY PRE-SELECTED,
OR SOME OUTSIDERS PERHAPS.
SO START EARLY AND INCLUDE PLENTY OF OTHER OPINIONS.
Jim: MAYBE KEY PERSONNEL AS WELL
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ULTIMATELY BID ON.
Keith: MAYBE A PM THAT YOU'VE ALREADY SELECTED,
A PROGRAM MANAGER OR WHATEVER.
Jim: ALRIGHT. THOSE ARE TWO PRETTY GOOD ANSWERS.
THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. I APPRECIATE IT.
GENTLEMEN, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR FIRST RESPONSE
THE NOTION OF A NOTIONAL WINNER PROFILE, IF YOU WILL,
AS PART OF A WIN STRATEGY.
WHAT IS A NOTIONAL WINNER PROFILE
AND HOW DOES ONE USE IT?
Keith: WELL, THE NOTIONAL WINNER PROFILE
IS FROM THE CUSTOMER'S POINT OF VIEW,
THEIR CONCEPT OF WHAT THE IDEAL WINNER
TO THIS PARTICULAR OFFER IS.
SO WHEN THEY LAY OUT OR THEY WRITE THEIR RFP,
WHAT'S THEIR NOTION OF WHAT THE IDEAL WINNER,
WHAT ATTRIBUTES WOULD THAT IDEAL WINNER OF THAT RFP BE?
WHAT WOULD BE THE ATTRIBUTES THEY'RE SEEKING?
SO IT'S THE CUSTOMER'S NOTION OF THE IDEAL WINNER,
THE ATTRIBUTES THAT THEY HAVE.
Jim: RICHARD?
Richard: AND IT GOES BEYOND JUST WHAT THE RFP SPECIFIES
OR EVEN BEYOND THE SCOPE OF WORK.
A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS THINK
IF THEY LOOK AT SECTIONS L, M IN SCOPE OF WORK OR P, W, S,
THEY JUST HAVE TO FOCUS ON THOSE.
BUT IT GOES BEYOND THAT.
IT MIGHT BE THE PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE KEY PERSONNEL,
CERTAIN EXPERIENCES THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD.
IT MAY BE EXPERIENCE WITH CERTAIN SOFTWARE PACKAGES.
IT COULD BE THINGS LIKE
EXPERIENCE WITH THE UNIONIZED WORKFORCE.
Jim: OK, SO IT'S LIKE A DREAM TEAM, IF YOU WILL,
OF ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS
THAT GO TOWARDS MAKING THAT A WINNER, RIGHT?
SO HOW'S IT USED? LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING. KEITH?
Keith: WELL, THE WAY TO USE IT IS,
ONCE YOU LAY OUT WHAT THOSE ATTRIBUTES ARE
IS TO COMPARE YOUR COMPANY'S ATTRIBUTES
AGAINST THOSE ATTRIBUTES
AND TO SEE WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENCES
OR WHERE YOU COULD MAKE SOME CHANGES
PRIOR TO THE BIDDING OF THAT RFP
TO GET YOU CLOSER TO THAT IDEAL WINNER
THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING FOR.
SO IT ALLOWS YOU TO MAKE CHANGES AND TO MODIFY YOUR APPROACH
TO GET TOWARD THAT IDEAL,
THEREFORE INCREASING YOUR PROBABILITY
OF WINNING THAT OFFER.
Jim: SO IT'S LIKE A BENCHMARK.
Keith: A BENCHMARK, YEAH.
Richard: AND THAT BENCHMARK'S USED FOR LOTS OF THINGS.
AS KEITH SAID, IT HELPS YOU MITIGATE WEAKNESSES.
IT SHOULD DRIVE YOUR TEAMING DECISIONS.
YOU DON'T JUST TEAM WITH COMPANIES
THAT YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH
OR SOMEBODY YOU PLAY SOFTBALL WITH.
IT'S BECAUSE THEIR COMPANIES FILL A GAP
IN THE NOTIONAL WINNER PROFILE.
IT WILL ALSO DRIVE YOUR PAST PERFORMANCE SELECTIONS,
BECAUSE KNOWING WHAT THE KEY POINTS
OF THE NOTIONAL WINNER PROFILE ARE
TELLS YOU WHICH PROJECTS
OR WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECTS
THAT YOU WANT TO REFERENCE.
Jim: COULD IT INCLUDE LIKE BRAND AND IMAGE IN A MARKETPLACE?
IS THAT PART OF THE PROFILE AS WELL?
Keith: CERTAINLY COULD.
Jim: SO IF THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING FOR
A PARTICULAR TYPE OF COMPANY,
THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT PROFILE.
Richard: THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT,
AND IF YOU DON'T FIT THAT PROFILE,
YOU BETTER HAVE SOMEONE ON YOUR TEAM THAT DOES.
Jim: SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A BASIC BUILDING BLOCK, REALLY.
Keith: ABSOLUTELY. Richard: ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.
WORKING IN CONTRACT MANAGEMENT IS A COMPLEX JOB--
CREATING, EXECUTING, MANAGING CONTRACTS.
IT'S AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD,
AND OUR MEMBERS SHARE THE SAME CHALLENGES.
AT THE NATIONAL CONTRACT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
WE KNOW THIS BUSINESS--
GATHERING THE BEST MINDS IN OUR FIELD,
FURTHERING YOUR CAREER
BY PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING.
TOGETHER, WE'VE FIGURED IT OUT.
FEDERAL ACQUISITION AND PROGRAM OFFICES
ARE WORKING EVERY DAY
TO DEFEND AND SECURE THE UNITED STATES.
HELLO. I'M BRIAN NAULT,
PRESIDENT OF BLUEWATER FEDERAL SOLUTIONS.
WE ARE A GROWING SMALL BUSINESS
POSSESSING THE EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES
FOUND IN THE LARGEST FEDERAL CONTRACTORS.
SINCE 2005, WE'VE EARNED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER
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OUR SUCCESS IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS
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TO LEARN HOW WE CAN DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS
ON YOUR MISSION REQUIREMENTS,
GO TO BLUEWATERFEDERAL.COM AND CLICK ON "CONTACT US."
BLUEWATER FEDERAL--
SOLUTIONS, INTEGRITY, RESULTS.
Jim: WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT STRATEGY
AND SOME OF THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE
FOR DEVELOPING WIN STRATEGIES,
LIKE BLACK-HAT AND WHITE-HAT
AND COMPETITIVE ASSESSMENTS AND NOTIONAL WINNER PROFILE.
I WANT TO CHANGE SUBJECTS SLIGHTLY,
AND LET'S TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT OF TACTICS.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSALS.
FIRST OF ALL, COMPLIANCE.
WHY IS IT NECESSARY
AND WHAT DO WE DO TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE RFP? KEITH?
Keith: WE HAVE A VERY GOOD TOOL
THAT WE CALL A PROPOSAL INTEGRATED COMPLIANCE MATRIX,
A PICM, P-I-C-M.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT JUST DOING THE OUTLINE
IS ALL THEY NEED FOR COMPLIANCE,
WHERE COMPLIANCE IS MUCH BROADER AND MUCH MORE COMPLICATED
THAN JUST THE OUTLINE.
THE OUTLINE IS IMPORTANT, BUT IT'S ALSO ALL THE ELEMENTS.
DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PRICING IN THE B TABLES?
HOW DO YOU INCLUDE THE B TABLES?
ARE THERE THINGS IN G AND H? ARE THERE SECURITY REQUIREMENTS?
ALL THESE THINGS ACROSS THE WHOLE RFP REQUIREMENT
NEED TO BE LAID OUT AND SPECIFIED
SO THAT YOU MAKE SURE YOU HIT THOSE ITEMS
IN YOUR RFP RESPONSE.
THAT'S WHAT A COMPLIANCE MATRIX,
OR THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES A COMPLIANCE MATRIX
MORE COMPLETE THAN JUST AN OUTLINE.
AND BEYOND JUST LAYING ALL THOSE THINGS OUT,
IT'S WHERE ARE YOU RESPONDING IN YOUR RFP
TO ALL THOSE REQUIREMENTS?
SO YOU CAN LAY THOSE OUT IN A CHECKLIST FASHION
TO MAKE SURE, ALRIGHT, HERE'S THIS REQUIREMENT FOR SECURITY
THAT WASN'T IN THE OUTLINE, BUT I HAD TO COMPLY WITH IT,
AND HERE'S WHERE I ANSWERED IT IN MY SECTION OF THE PROPOSAL.
SO IT'S COMBINING ALL THOSE ELEMENTS.
Jim: NOT JUST SECTIONS L AND M AND C, FOR EXAMPLE.
Keith: WAY BEYOND JUST SECTION L AND M AND C.
Jim: RICHARD, I WANT TO PUT FORTH A PREMISE HERE.
IT'S ONE THAT I THINK IS TRUE, BUT I'LL GET YOUR REACTION.
AND THAT IS, LEFT TO ITS OWN DEVICES,
A PROPOSAL WILL GO OUT OF COMPLIANCE. TRUE OR FALSE?
Keith: ABSOLUTELY TRUE.
Jim: SO WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Keith: WELL, WE HAVE SOME CONTROL PROCESSES,
TECHNIQUES THAT WE USE
TO KEEP THINGS WITHIN COMPLIANCE.
BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, LET ME ADD TO WHAT KEITH SAID,
AND THAT IS COMPLIANCE SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE
COMPLIANCE TO THE WIN STRATEGY.
SO WE WOULD ADD WIN STRATEGY ELEMENTS, DISCRIMINATORS, THEMES
INTO THE PICM
TO ENSURE THAT THE AUTHORS DON'T FORGET TO PUT THOSE IN.
Jim: SO YOU WANT TO COMPLY WITH THAT AS WELL?
Richard: ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY.
SO, TYPICALLY, IF THE PROPOSAL CAN AFFORD IT,
WE INCLUDE SOMEONE CALLED A COMPLIANCE GURU,
AND ALSO THEY HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR INTEGRATING THE MESSAGES.
SO THEIR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PROPOSAL IS,
AS SECTIONS ARE CREATED BY THE AUTHORS,
TO CROSS-CHECK THEM AGAINST THE PICM, THE COMPLIANCE MATRIX,
AND PROVIDE ANY NECESSARY FEEDBACK.
AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE CONTENT
TO ENSURE THAT THINGS ARE CONSISTENT WITHIN THE PROPOSAL
AND MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE
SO THAT IF YOU PROPOSE A CERTAIN MANAGEMENT APPROACH,
THE ORGANIZATION CHART REFLECTS THAT MANAGEMENT APPROACH.
SO THAT IF IN SECTION ONE
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PARTICULAR TECHNICAL SOLUTION,
IN SECTION TWO, THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE,
THE WORDS SUPPORT THAT TECHNICAL SOLUTION.
ALL NEED TO BE SUPPORTIVE.
SO THERE'S THAT.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT IN THE REVIEWS,
WHICH WE'LL, I THINK, TALK ABOUT IN A FEW MINUTES,
WE MAKE SURE THAT COMPLIANCE, CHECKING COMPLIANCE
IS A KEY ELEMENT, A KEY RESPONSIBILITY
OF AT LEAST SOME OF THE REVIEWERS.
Jim: SO WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT COMPLIANCE IS IMPORTANT,
IT'S NECESSARY.
BUT WHY? WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
WHAT IF YOU JUST DECIDE THAT I CAN WRITE MY STORY BETTER
IF I DON'T FOLLOW SECTION L AND M AND H AND G
AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED?
WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT, KEITH?
Keith: WELL, THE WHOLE POINT OF COMPLIANCE
IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR PROPOSAL
GETS QUALIFIED BY THE AGENCY
BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THROWN OUT
FOR NOT BEING COMPLIANT.
SO SOMETIMES SOME PEOPLE SAY--
WHETHER THE PERCENTAGE IS RIGHT OR NOT IS DEBATABLE--
BUT 70% OF YOUR RESPONSE IS MAKING SURE IT'S COMPLIANT.
Jim: JUST ANSWERING THE MAIL.
Keith: JUST ANSWERING THE MAIL,
MAKING SURE THINGS ARE IN THE RIGHT ORDER,
THAT ALL THE THINGS ARE INCLUDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTS,
THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT NUMBER OF COPIES
OR THE RIGHT NUMBER OF RESPONSES OR THE RIGHT ORGANIZATION,
ALL THOSE THINGS. YOU HAVE TO CHECK THOSE ITEMS
BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT OFTEN
IS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO THROW PEOPLE OUT,
AND COMPLIANCE IS ONE OF THE WAYS
THEY CAN THROW AN OFFER OUT.
SO YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE
THAT ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL THINGS YOU DO
IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PROPOSAL IS COMPLIANT.
Jim: SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THE GOVERNMENT
IS LOOKING FORWARD TO EVALUATING A PROPOSAL
AND FINDING ALL THE GOOD STUFF,
BUT A CASE CAN BE MADE THAT THEIR FIRST TOUR
IS TO SEPARATE THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF.
IN OTHER WORDS, GET RID OF ALL THE PROPOSALS
THAT ARE NOT QUALIFIED
SO THEY CAN ONLY DEAL WITH A SMALL SUBSET.
HAS THAT BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF THIS BUSINESS?
Richard: MANY TIMES,
PARTICULARLY IN THE NEW MULTIPLE AWARD KINDS OF CONTRACTS
WHERE THEY COULD GET HUNDREDS OF OFFERS.
AND THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BE OVERWHELMED.
THEY CAN'T THOROUGHLY EVALUATE EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD THINK THEY'D DO,
THAT I KNOW THEY DO IN MANY CASES,
IS GO THROUGH FOR COMPLIANCE
AND THROW OUT WHAT'S NOT COMPLIANT.
Jim: SO THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED
IS DON'T GIVE THEM A REASON TO THROW YOU OUT,
BE ABSOLUTELY COMPLIANT, ANSWER THE MAIL.
Jim: WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
AND THE PROPOSAL DOCUMENT ITSELF.
NOW I WANT TO MOVE TO ESSENTIALLY THE FINAL COMPONENT
WHICH IS THE REVIEW OF THAT DOCUMENT.
GENTLEMEN, IN OUR INDUSTRY
THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED A RED TEAM OR A REVIEW TEAM.
AND MANY OBSERVERS, INCLUDING THIS ONE,
HAS SUGGESTED ON OCCASION
THAT THE RED TEAM PROCESS AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS
IS FLAWED.
YOUR RESPONSE? WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Keith: I WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S OFTEN FLAWED
OR OFTEN HAS PROBLEMS,
AND THIS IS NORMALLY BECAUSE
THE RED TEAM DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IT,
THEY'RE NOT TRAINED,
AND PRINCIPALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS
THEY OFTEN TEND TO GO INTO EDITING MODE,
AND THE RED TEAM JUST BECOMES BASICALLY A GIANT EDITOR
OR A COMMENTER ABOUT EDITS AND VOICE AND GRAMMAR
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
Jim: NITPICKING, IN OTHER WORDS.
Keith: AND RARELY GETS TO THE BIG ELEMENTS
OF IS THIS A WINNING PROPOSAL?
IS THIS RESPONDING TO COMPLIANCE AND THE NEEDS OF THE CUSTOMER?
AND IS IT SELLING
THE RESPONSE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SHOOTING FOR?
Jim: SO, RICHARD, THE PROMISE OF A RED TEAM IS A GOOD ONE.
Richard: ABSOLUTELY.
Jim: BUT SOMEHOW IN THE EXECUTION,
IT OFTEN FALLS DOWN.
KEITH MENTIONED A COUPLE POINTS.
HAS THAT BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS WELL?
Richard: IT IS. IT IS.
TO ELABORATE JUST A BIT,
OFTEN THE REVIEWERS COME IN UNPREPARED,
THEY HAVEN'T READ THE RFP,
THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW THE PROGRAM,
THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE WIN STRATEGY,
AND YET THEY COME IN, LOOK AT A DOCUMENT,
AND START MARKING IT UP IN RED PEN.
AND THEIR MARK-UPS ARE OFTEN NOT USEFUL.
THEY'LL WRITE THINGS LIKE "NOT TRUE" OR "THIS IS B.S."
OR "REWRITE THIS,"
AND IT LEAVES A STRESSED AUTHOR
WITH LITTLE GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO FIX IT.
Jim: SO IN THE TIME WE HAVE LEFT
I WAS HOPING WE COULD SORT OF GET TO WHAT ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS
THAT YOU MIGHT MAKE IN ORDER TO CORRECT THESE FLAWS
THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN A REVIEW TEAM? KEITH?
Keith: I THINK A COUPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO--
ONE IS JUST FUNDAMENTAL. DON'T CALL IT A RED TEAM.
CALL IT A WIN TEAM.
CHANGE THEIR MIND SET ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THE RED TEAM CONNOTES,
"I'M GOING TO COMMENT ABOUT WHAT'S WRITTEN,"
AS OPPOSED TO "WHAT DO I NEED TO DO
TO MAKE THIS A WINNING DOCUMENT?"
THE OTHER THING IS TO CONDUCT TRAINING OF THE RED TEAM
IN ADVANCE.
MAKE SURE THEY'VE READ THE RFP.
MAKE SURE YOU BRIEF WHAT THE WIN STRATEGY IS
AND THE TOPICS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR
AND WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS TRYING TO SAY
THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COMMENT ON THOSE HIGH LEVEL ITEMS
AND PRINCIPALLY WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO FIX IT,
WHAT THE REVIEWERS, OR WHAT THE WRITERS RATHER,
AND THE PROPOSAL TEAM NEEDS TO DO TO FIX THE DOCUMENT,
AS OPPOSED TO JUST A COMMENT.
Jim: SO KEITH'S SUGGESTION, RICHARD,
IS THAT THE REVIEW TEAM OR WIN TEAM, AS HE CALLS IT,
FOCUSES ON WINNING, NOT NITPICKING.
WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT ON THAT?
Richard: WELL, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY THE CASE.
MAKE THE PROPOSAL BETTER.
JUST DON'T CRITIQUE IT.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I DO
TO MAKE THAT EASIER FOR THEM.
NUMBER ONE IS I DON'T PUT THEM ALL IN ONE ROOM,
WHERE ONE EXTROVERT WHO FEELS LIKE TALKING
WILL DISTURB EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO I SEPARATE THEM SO THEY CAN FOCUS ON THE JOB AT HAND.
AND SECONDLY, I REALIZE
THAT THEY CAN ONLY CONSTRUCTIVELY REACT
TO MAYBE 50 PAGES A DAY EACH,
SO I DIVIDE UP THE PROPOSAL
AND I ALSO MAKE SURE THEY'VE GOT ENOUGH TIME
TO DO THE WHOLE THING.
Jim: GOOD. THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN.
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TO BRING A MAJOR WEAPON SYSTEM TO SHORE-BASED TEST ENVIRONMENT,
WE AT JRC HAVE BECOME TRUSTED ADVISORS TO ACAT1 PROGRAMS.
IN ADDITION TO NAVY SSP,
JRC INTEGRATED SYSTEMS HAS BEGUN PROVIDING SIMILAR EXPERTISE
TO OTHER RELATED PROGRAMS IN THE MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
AND OTHER WEAPON SYSTEMS PROGRAMS.
IF YOU NEED HIGHLY SKILLED SUPPORT
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AND PROGRAMMATIC CHALLENGES,
THEN WE AT JRC INTEGRATED SYSTEMS
INVITE YOU TO CONTACT US AT INFO@JRCISI.COM.
Man #1: SO, DID WE WIN THAT GOVERNMENT CONTRACT?
Man #2: WE DID.
Man #1: AND?
Man #2: AND NOW WE'VE GOT TO DEAL
WITH THE REGULATORY HURDLES.
Man #1: GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.
Man #2: WHEN THE GOVERNMENT'S YOUR CLIENT,
YOU NEED TO PLAY BY THEIR RULES.
Man #1: AND THE RULES CHANGE MORE THAN YOU THINK.
Man #2: EXACTLY.
WE NEED SOMEONE WHO'S DONE THIS BEFORE.
PLUS IT'S COMPLICATED, SO WE'RE GOING WITH BDO.
Man #1: BDO? HMM.
Narrator: PEOPLE WHO KNOW GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
KNOW BDO.
AFCEA HAS BEEN BRINGING GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY TOGETHER
SINCE 1946
BY JOINING AFCEA YOU'LL REACH THE DISCUSSION MAKERS
AND BECOME PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
YOU'LL INCREASE MARKET VISIBILITY,
GAIN MARKET INSIGHT,
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AND MANAGE AND ENGAGE CORPORATE ASSOCIATES.
AFCEA IS THE ASSOCIATION OF CHOICE.
JOIN TODAY AT WWW.AFCEA.ORG.
Jim: OUR REGULAR VIEWERS KNOW
THAT WE HAVE A FEATURE ON OUR SHOW
THAT'S CALLED "KEYS TO WIN,"
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO TURN OUR ATTENTION
TO SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WILL HELP OUR VIEWING AUDIENCE
WIN MORE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
SO, RICHARD, IF YOU HAD TO GIVE ONE OR TWO TIPS,
WHAT WOULD YOUR RECOMMENDATION BE?
Richard: THERE ARE SO MANY I COULD GIVE,
BUT I THINK THE ONE THAT POPS TO MIND
IS FOCUSING RESOURCES.
IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY TIMES I'LL GO INTO A CLIENT
TO HELP THEM WIN A PROPOSAL--
OFTEN IS THE PROPOSAL MANAGER--
AND I FIND THAT THEY'RE JUST UNDER-RESOURCED.
AND WHEN YOU NEED ANOTHER SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT,
YOU NEED ANOTHER SOMETHING ELSE,
WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE,
YOU'RE TOLD, "WELL, THE BUDGET IS GONE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE MONEY FOR THAT," ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND IT REALLY REQUIRES...
SMART BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT REALLY REQUIRES
THAT COMPANIES BE MORE SELECTIVE IN WHAT THEY BID
AND FOCUS THEIR RESOURCES
AND PROPERLY RESOURCE THOSE THAT THEY GO AFTER.
Jim: SO THAT GOES TO THE MATTER
OF YOUR WHOLE PIPELINE MANAGEMENT
SO THAT YOU'RE NOT BIDDING JOBS
THAT YOU REALLY HAVE NO CHANCE OF WINNING
OR YOU DON'T KNOW THE CUSTOMER OR WHATEVER.
Richard: EXACTLY.
Jim: KEITH, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR KEY TO WINNING?
Keith: I THINK A PRINCIPAL KEY IS STARTING EARLY,
PARTICULARLY PRIOR TO THE RFP RELEASE.
IF THERE'S BEEN A DRAFT RFP THAT YOU'VE WORKED ON THAT DRAFT RFP
OR IF YOU KNOW THAT THE RELEASE IS PENDING
THAT YOU'RE GETTING THINGS TOGETHER
PRIOR TO THE START OF THE RFP OR PRIOR TO ITS RELEASE
AND YOU'RE READY TO GO,
SO YOU DON'T SPIN YOUR WHEELS WHEN THE RFP IS RELEASED,
TRYING TO GET YOUR TEAM TOGETHER OR TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TOGETHER
OR PUT YOUR PROPOSAL TEAM TOGETHER.
ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE PRIOR TO THE PROPOSAL RELEASE.
Jim: SO YOU CAN SORT OF HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
AND JUMP START YOUR EFFORT.
Keith: AND NOT WASTE TIME
BECAUSE THESE PROPOSAL RESPONSES ARE LIMITED TIME
SO YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THAT TIME
SO THAT YOU HAVE TIME TO DEVELOP THOSE WIN THEMES
INTO COHERENT STATEMENTS AND A WINNING PROPOSAL
AS OPPOSED TO WASTING TIME
GETTING YOUR PROPOSAL TEAM TOGETHER
OR TRYING TO GET YOUR WHOLE SUBCONTRACT TEAM TOGETHER,
YOUR TEAM.
ALL THAT SHOULD BE DONE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE RFP, OPTIMALLY.
Jim: OK, THANK YOU.
Keith: ANOTHER TIP WOULD BE TO GET--
THAT WHOLE TEAMING IS TO--
THE TEAM BEING TWO THINGS.
NOT ONLY YOUR PROPOSAL TEAM,
BUT THE TEAM ON YOUR OFFER TEAM,
SO ALL YOUR SUBCONTRACTORS OR TEAMING PARTNERS.
YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT TEAM TOGETHER AND IN PLACE
WITH THE TEAMING AGREEMENTS SIGNED
PRIOR TO THE PROPOSAL START.
SO THERE'S THAT TEAM AND THEN YOUR PROPOSAL TEAM--
THE RESOURCES WITHIN YOUR COMPANY
THAT YOU'RE GOING TO COMPOSE THE PROPOSAL WITH.
Jim: MIGHT THERE BE A THIRD TEAM,
WHICH IS YOUR KEY PERSONNEL TEAM?
Keith: ABSOLUTELY. MAYBE A PM
OR THE KEY PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE PERFORMING
ON THE PROPOSAL.
YOU NEED TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE IN PLACE AND PARTICIPATING.
Jim: ASSEMBLE YOUR COMPANIES, ASSEMBLE YOUR PROPOSAL TEAM,
AND ASSEMBLE YOUR KEY PERSONNEL,
AND DO IT EARLY IS YOUR SUGGESTION.
Keith: EARLY AND IDEALLY BEFORE THE PROPOSAL IS RELEASED.
Jim: RICHARD, LET ME TOSS IT BACK TO YOU.
WHAT WOULD BE ANOTHER KEY TO WIN,
ANOTHER SUGGESTION THAT WE MIGHT SHARE WITH OUR AUDIENCE?
Richard: WELL, WE'RE IN THE POLITICAL SEASON
HERE IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW,
AND IF YOU LOOK AT "THE WASHINGTON POST,"
THEY OFTEN LOOK
AT WHAT POLITICIANS ARE SAYING TO THE PUBLIC
AND GRANT THEM PINOCCHIOS.
AND YOU EARN A PINOCCHIO
BY EXAGGERATING OR SOMETIMES TELLING FIBS.
BUSINESS DEVELOPERS NEVER TELL FIBS,
BUT THEY SOMETIMES EXAGGERATE BECAUSE BY THEIR VERY NATURE
THEY'RE OPTIMISTS.
IF YOU WEREN'T AN OPTIMIST, YOU'D GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS.
SO EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'VE GOT A VERY HIGH PROBABILITY OF WIN
OR PWIN AS WE SAY.
SO ONE TECHNIQUE WE'VE USED,
RATHER THAN ASSIGNING PINOCCHIOS,
IS SUGGEST TO OUR CLIENTS THAT THEY ASSIGN A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE.
Jim: A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE?
Richard: A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE.
NOW, ALL COMPANIES GO THROUGH
SOME KIND OF A STEP REVIEW PROCESS
SO THAT AT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CYCLE,
THE CAPTURE MANAGER, BUSINESS DEVELOPER
GOES INTO MANAGEMENT
AND PRESENTS THEIR CASE FOR A PARTICULAR BID.
PROBLEM IS THE LINE MANAGEMENT
ISN'T REALLY IMMERSED IN THOSE PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY'RE TOO BUSY RUNNING A BUSINESS UNIT,
AND THEY DON'T KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
SO THEY CAN BE EASILY INFLUENCED--
I'LL TAKE OUT THE WORD "EASILY."
THEY CAN BE INFLUENCED
BY A PERSUASIVE BUSINESS DEVELOPER OR CAPTURE MANAGER.
AND WHILE THEY DO PULL THE PLUG ON CERTAIN OPPORTUNITIES,
IF YOU ASSIGN SOMEONE AS A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE,
THAT PERSON WHOSE ROLE
IS SPECIFICALLY TO QUESTION EVERY ASSUMPTION
AND NOT LET ANYTHING PASS THROUGH WITHOUT A PROOF,
THEY CAN HELP LINE MANAGEMENT ASSIGN PINOCCHIOS.
THEY CAN HELP LINE MANAGEMENT
FIND THE VULNERABILITIES IN A BID STRATEGY.
Jim: SO THIS IS A ROLE.
IT'S A FORMALIZED ROLE
THAT SOMEBODY IS ASSIGNED TO PLAY
DURING THE PROPOSAL AND CAPTURE PHASE,
AND MAYBE SORT OF BE A CONTRARIAN
AND ALWAYS TO CHALLENGE
THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, THE CONVENTIONAL THINKING
AND MAKE PEOPLE PROVE THEIR POINTS.
Richard: RIGHT. EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND IT HAS TWO FUNCTIONS.
ONE IS, IT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY BECAUSE IT CAN FIND WEAKNESSES
IN OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU SHOULDN'T BID.
BUT IF YOU GO FOR IT, IT CAN HELP THE PROPOSAL TEAM
BY ENSURING THAT THEY DON'T MAKE UNSUBSTANTIATED ASSERTIONS.
IN THIS HYPER-COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE,
AS A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR,
NOW MORE THAN EVER WE NEED TO IDENTIFY, TRACK, FORECAST,
AND ANALYZE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL HELP YOU GROW YOUR COMPANY
BY BETTER POSITIONING YOURSELF TO WIN CONTRACTS.
I'M JAMIE BRATTEN, THE FOUNDER OF EZGovOpps,
AND THAT'S OUR MISSION.
UTILIZING THE MOST INTUITIVE MARKET INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM
EZGovOpps ENABLES CONTRACTORS OF ALL SIZES
TO MANAGE THEIR PIPELINE,
COLLABORATE, AND TEAM LIKE NEVER BEFORE.
EXPERIENCE FOR YOURSELF
THE POWER AVAILABLE TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM
WITH A 5 DAY FREE TRIAL PERIOD
WITH NO COMMITMENT NECESSARY TO BEGIN.
SIMPLY VISIT EZGOVOPPS.COM
TO START YOUR FREE TRIAL TODAY.
JOIN THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS
WHO ARE ENJOYING THE ULTIMATE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
OF OUR UNEQUALED MARKET INTELLIGENCE.
JUST SPEND ONE FREE WEEK AT EZGOVOPPS.COM
AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.
AT KEY SOLUTIONS WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR 30 YEARS
TO HELP GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS WIN AND RETAIN
$130 BILLION IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT COMING IN SECOND PLACE IS NOT AN OPTION
AND THAT PRINCIPLE-CENTERED WINNING IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD.
THAT'S HOW WE HAVE WORKED WITH 87
OF THE TOP 100 GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS
AND LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF SMALL BUSINESSES.
IT TAKES A FRESH SET OF EYES TO HONESTLY SEE THE WEAKNESSES
AND SOMETIMES EVEN THE OUTRIGHT HOLES IN A PROPOSAL.
ONE OF MY PROUDEST RECOLLECTIONS
WAS A TIME WE WERE HIRED BY A CLIENT
THAT HAD LOST THEIR LAST FIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN A ROW.
BUT WITH OUR HELP
IN ANALYZING AND ADDRESSING THEIR SHORTCOMINGS,
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THEY THEN WON THEIR NEXT SEVEN BIDS.
I'M JIM McCARTHY, THE OWNER OF KEY SOLUTIONS,
AND WE WANT TO HELP YOU WIN OR RETAIN YOUR NEXT CONTRACT.
CONTACT US AT AOC KEY SOLUTIONS AND CLICK ON "WIN."
AS PROMISED, WE COVERED A LOT OF GROUND,
SO I'D LIKE TO SUMMARIZE TODAY'S KEYS TO WINNING.
FIRST, YOU MUST FOCUS ON YOUR RESOURCES.
THAT STARTS WITH HAVING ENOUGH OF THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE
AND COMMITTED.
SECONDLY, BE SELECTIVE IN YOUR BIDDING.
DON'T CHASE ALL PROCUREMENTS
THAT DON'T FIT YOUR STRENGTHS TO A TEE.
AND FINALLY, START THE PROCESS EARLY.
AND IN MANY CASES, IF YOU WAIT FOR THE RFP,
YOU MAY ALREADY BE TOO LATE.
NOW, MY THANKS GO OUT TO DR. RICHARD NATHAN
AND TO KEITH HIGHFILL,
AND ESPECIALLY TO YOU, OUR VIEWERS,
FOR MAKING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY
A REGULAR PART OF YOUR LEARNING REGIMEN.
NOW, ON BEHALF OF ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES AT KEY SOLUTIONS,
I'M JIM McCARTHY.
YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY,
SPONSORED EACH WEEK BY AOC KEY SOLUTIONS, INC.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING WEEKLY
IS THE ONLY TELEVISION PROGRAM DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY
TO THE COMPETITIVE AND DYNAMIC WORLD
OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR SUGGESTIONS,
PLEASE WRITE US AT GOVERNMENTCONTRACTINGWEEKLY.COM.