Almost every RFP asks you to define or explain your business process for something or other. Here are a few of the recent ones that I’ve seen: What is your business resumption plan? How do you monitor the performance of subcontractors? What is your approach to streamlining? Describe your staffing plan. Summarize your plan to […]
No slides. Really. NO SLIDES. Just TRY it . . . without SLIDES! This post is #2 in my series on 10 Reasons to Rehearse when you are making a large account sales presentation. And Reason #2 is Ditch the Slides! Where is it written that you can’t have a presentation without Power Point? Nowhere. Yet […]
I’m writing a series of posts on “10 reasons to rehearse (and how)” focused on preparing to deliver a group presentation for a large account sale. [Introductory post here] In my scenario, your team has been invited to present in person after the prospect has evaluated your proposal or RFP response, but it’s the same even […]
You’ve made the cut! Your proposal was selected, and now you’re on the short list to present in person. You get the call on Thursday; they want you and your team at their place next Tuesday for a 45-minute presentation. NOW what do you do? Two business days to prepare! If you’re like most midsize […]
Oh, I know, you’re a seller, not a grammarian! You hated English 101—so irrelevant! Well, I was once your English prof*, and here I am, back to remind you of a few key lessons that you’ve forgotten but that will make you a boatload of money! I’m offering you a crash course on four last-minute […]
I did an EDGY Perspectives teleconference on this topic, which is essentially an overview of some of the key principles of Whale Hunting. There's also a discussion of how the RFP process fits into your overall whale hunting process. Here's a link to the audio recording. And my thanks to Dan Waldschmidt for featuring me! I am […]
Today we want to highlight a podcast called “The RFP Whale Hunt.” Take a few minutes out of your day to listen to this podcast. Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith explains 10 ways to win an RFP. As we often say, sometimes the winning strategy may be to walk away. These do’s and don’ts will help you with winning tactics for getting that competitive edge.
When you are engaged in a complex sales process in which you are meeting face-to-face with the potential buyers, you know how to interpret what The Whale Hunters calls “The Buyers’ Table”–the literal and figurative table around which your team interacts with people from the whale’s team who will influence the final decision of whether or not to buy from your company.
But when you are engaged in responding to an RFP or RFQ, are you still paying as much attention to the buyers?
Today’s post is issue #3 of my blog series based on the 2011 edition of the Top Ten Small Business Trends from Small Business Labs. I’m analysing these trends as they apply to entrepreneurs whose companies are whale hunters. Trend #3: “Small Firms Reinvent U.S. Manufacturing: The recovering economy and 4 key trends are driving the growth of small and […]
In July, 2010, The Washington Post released a report called Top Secret America, an elaborate investigative piece about American companies that do Top Secret business with the government and the government agencies that employ them. If your Target Filter includes companies that have federal government contracts, this is an excellent report for you. Reporters Dana Priest […]
The Whale Hunters Expert Series call on Wednesday, November 17, features a discussion of how to sell large contracts to the biggest of all whales–the United States government. My guest is Major General Vincent E. Boles, U.S. Army, ret., who was commissioned second lieutenant of Ordnance in 1976 and was selected as Brigadier General in […]
I circulated a new newsletter article today focused on how small companies can greatly improve their proposals–whether in response to RFPs or simply in their normal sales process–if they invest some time into documenting processes. My all-too-real world example comes from a current RFP that I am working on with a client. $900 million of […]