You left no stone unturned in your quest to ensure the client would select you.

You took the time to presell and build a solid relationship with a prospective client. Your proposal was well-received, you were deemed highly qualified, and you were invited to interview. As the date drew near, you prepared a dazzling slide deck, covering the history of your firm, bios of your key team members, a plethora of relevant previous experience, and a detailed technical approach for successfully completing the project on time and within budget.

Yet in the end, they chose another firm. Sound familiar?

The biggest challenge in a sales presentation isn't convincing the client you're qualified. It's separating yourself from your highly qualified competitors by creating a better connection with the audience. Join SMPS for a highly engaging webinar that focuses on the fundamentals you must execute better than your competition if you want to consistently improve your chances of winning.

Learning Objectives

During this webinar, attendees will learn:

1. Identify and craft simple, listener-centered messages
2. Develop a personal delivery style that allows you to better connect with your audience
3. Prepare for and answer questions in a way that inspires confidence

Too often we're eliminated from the selection process due to a failed proposal submission—a minor technicality, lack of doing our homework, or neglecting to commit the necessary resources. If we don't prepare properly, we set ourselves up for failure from the beginning.

This webinar will help you identify how to get started, what to do to stay on track, and how to help put together a winning proposal. We will identify who must be involved in the process, what information you should keep organized, and key elements of proposals that set yours apart from the competition. You'll learn how to pass the proposal scrutiny process and ultimately win that job.

Learning Objectives

After attending, you'll be able to:

• Define the necessary steps to putting together a winning proposal and getting your team to the shortlist interview
• Understand what separates proposal responses in the eyes of the potential client
• Have the tools to explain to your marketing/BD staff the importance of team participation
• Identify reasons that your proposal could be scoring too low
• Present to your firm the essential difference between a responsive proposal and just making a submission

While most companies agree that their work is the primary focus of any RFP, many create documents that are never read due to non-compliance. Or, they're overlooked due to poor presentation quality and lack of readability. This can become demoralizing for teams who have invested time and energy; it can even bankrupt businesses.

In Proposal Secrets, our presenter will review how to find opportunities, decide whether to pursue an RFP, and choose an effective design for increased readability. She'll also discuss the difference between compliance vs. responsiveness and how to do a competitive analysis against the incumbent and other submitting companies.

Whether you're part of a large company with an internal proposal departments or a small business looking to expand or partner with others to create a team, this webinar will share great insights on how to manage a successful proposal process to increase your win rate.


Learning Objectives

During this webinar, attendees will learn:

1. Best practices and procedures for finding proposal opportunities
2. How to utilize HUB-certified businesses to the advantage of a proposal submission
3. How to evaluate your company's strengths and services in regards to pursuing targeted RFPs
4. Best practices and procedures in assessing which RFPs your company should pursue
5. The importance of design paired with strategy and its impact with evaluators.

The goal of a proposal is to first, convince the client that your firm is fully qualified to do the work—and second, to show the client that you bring something to the table they won't get from anyone else. Most proposals somewhat accomplish the first and fail miserably on the second.

Our January Webinar will introduce you to some very unusual techniques designed to develop a winning strategy, create a stunning first impression, and communicate your value and qualifications persuasively to get you to the top of the short list.

Learning Objectives

During this Webinar, attendees will:

1. Learn a compelling argument to convince your boss to pass on the RFP, if you don't want to go after the project

And if you DO go for it...

2. Develop a project-specific capture plan
3. Create a smack-me-between-the-eyes first impression
4. Use storytelling to grab and keep their attention
5. Transform technical writing into persuasive prose
6. Learn to not gloat obnoxiously when your hit rate doubles

CEU Credits

SMPS Webinars are approved for 1.5 continuing education units for the Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) program and 1.5 learning units from the American Institute of Architects. Recordings of SMPS Webinars are approved for 1.5 CPSM CEUs.

*Remember: Webinars are open to your whole staff. Your team can participate from one location in your office for one fee. Register today and benefit from affordable, convenient, actionable learning and earn valuable CPSM CEUs and AIA LUs!