Re: Proposals

[John Posada <john -at- TDANDW -dot- COM>]

Gordon...

This is coming from a person that spent 15 years in on the street doing
my own proposals, and an additional 5 years doing other proposals.



That's a difficult question. It's like asking "Is red a good color?"

Much of whether that is a good success rate hinges on at least 4
questions...with about a hundred others having influence.

1) Is your company a "bleeding edge" type of company and are you
proposing "bleeding edge" stuff. If so, 60% is very good. If not, it may
or may not be.

2) Are your sales people beating the bushes for new business and
increasing market share or just answering mail and phone calls. If the
former, the percentage looks better than the latter. Keeping only 60% of
those that came to you is not winning 60%...it's chasing away 40% of
those that WANT to hand you their money.

3) Is your company the "Microsoft" in your field or are you the
underdog. Would Billy G. be happy with only 60%?

4) Are you responding to everything that floats in or are you going
through a pre-bid process to qualify winners and loosers. If you are
winning 60% of everything, very good, though with qualification to
passup the stinkers, you could raise that to 80%.   60% of those that
you've already prequalified as winners...very bad.

That's it for awhile.


TJ Gordon wrote:
>
> I'd be interested in knowing proposal success rates for various
> technical institutions, particularly aerospace. Is a 60% success rate to
> be applauded or contemned?
>

--
John Posada, Technical Writer (and proud of the title)
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