Caught My Attention

Posted by BJ on 30 March, 2007 under Word play & writing | 1 Comment

“Company Sticks By Employees During Peanut Butter Fiasco.”

I couldn’t say why but I really like when a title plays with words like that.

Missing quotes? A trick of the trade

Posted by Jon on 28 March, 2007 under Processes & best practice | 1 Comment

“But we can’t get any client quotes!”

Most proposal teams understand the value of using customer quotes in their proposals to substantiate their claims and add credibility to their story. You know the sort of thing:

“Our requirements were identical to yours. This supplier – or should I say, ‘partner’ – have done truly fantastic things for us. They delivered early, exceeded all expectations, and charged a pittance. Our users are delighted. Our customers are ecstatic. Our revenues have shot up, and our costs declined drastically.

We trust them completely. They’re a joy to work with. I’ve personally been promoted, twice, since they did the work for me. I would recommend them wholeheartedly: I think they walk on water. Please feel free to call me at any time of day; I’d be delighted to chat to you.”

But what if you’re writing a proposal and you simply can’t get a customer quote – or (perhaps as powerfully in some circumstances) a comment singing your praises from a market analyst, benchmarking report or press article?

One simple tactic – not ideal, but better than nothing – can be to use internal quotes. Consider the relative impact of the each of the following:

1
We are committed to ensuring that our project managers are trained to the highest standards.

2
“We are committed to ensuring that our project managers are trained to the highest standards”
- Vic Williams, Senior Vice President, Programme Management Office

Neither’s a perfect piece of proposal prose – but the personalisation of the latter gives it a certain extra credibility and impact.

Differentiation

Posted by BJ on 26 March, 2007 under Musings | 2 Comments

While on a visit to Miami and strolling down Ocean Drive, as one does while in that lovely city, at various points I would pass one of several young men on the street selling CD’s of their own music.

One of these gentlemen obviously understood the need to focus on the customer’s concerns and promote those qualities which provide a benefit which is aligned with those concerns.

And he’d found a statement that differentiated him from the others in his chosen market as he was prompting people to buy his CD with the ‘theme statement’:

“Hey. I ain’t never shot nobody.”

Where the cool stuff comes from

Posted by Jon on 22 March, 2007 under Musings | Add your comment

I mentioned before that BJ and I approached our proposal careers from different angles: I started in purchasing; he came from journalism and management.

We were chatting about some course material recently, and it reminded me that our different backgrounds are often what make us work successfully together. We instinctively agree on 80% of the topics we discuss (especially as we’ve worked on proposals together for eight years or so, now). We’ll debate the rest, and find that we quickly reach agreement on a further 10%.

And then we’ll still disagree. Clients with whom we work are often surprised when we set off on long walks, shaking our heads at each other having spent the previous quarter-hour tussling over the flipchart pens and crossing out the other’s work – only to return, smiling and laughing an hour later, problem resolved. And usually, it comes down to our backgrounds, meaning that we approach the topic at hand from different perspectives. Once we’ve listened and understood, we can usually find a way through. Actually, it’s often these debates that lead to some of the real magic in terms of new techniques and fresh thinking.

(Then, of course, there are the 2% of issues on which we have never agreed, and never will. As I say to BJ, I can accept that he’s wrong 2% of the time… and at least I know he feels the same about me!).

Who do you have who approaches proposals from a different angle? Who’s your sounding board? Perhaps APMP can help? Is there someone in your business or outside to whom you turn to as a trusted adviser?

Getting Someone To Respond To Your E-Mail

Posted by BJ on 20 March, 2007 under Musings | Add your comment

I had written to a colleague/friend 3 or 4 times over as many weeks. My final note, to this person, a copy of which follows with the name changes to protect this particular individual’s reputation, garnered an almost immediate response. Feel free to copy the technique.

To whomever may be reading this note,

Please accept my sincerest sympathy on the loss of Bill. He was a good man, a happy man and an attractive man (well, if he stretched his neck just right and turned his head so you caught just the right profile of him.)

I’m writing to you because he has obviously met his demise as he hasn’t responded to any of the NUMEROUS, heart felt notes which I painstakingly  took the time to write (and it ain’t like I ain’t busy too pal!).

I’m saddened to think of a world without Bill’s joy and laughter. (I’m also wondering what you are planning to do with his motorcycle and if you’re planning to sell it, please put my name on the list. By the way, he did say that if he ever sold it to me it would be at a great discount.)

Please DO reply to this note (something HE never did while HE was alive the bas@#$!) and let me know the details of his untimely departure from this world (and if it was REALLY horrific, please feel free to provide graphic details and if available audio or video).

Also, if there’s a list being developed of people to whom he still owed funds, please place my name on it. I’d also be interested in any ‘class action’ suits which might be under consideration.

Again, my sincere sympathy on your loss and I look forward to your prompt reply.

Regards,
BJ

The shorter the better

Posted by Jon on 16 March, 2007 under Processes & best practice, Purchasing insights | Add your comment

I present to groups of purchasers on a fairly regular basis. I’ve taken to asking for a show of hands: “Tell me if you’ve evaluated proposals in the past six months for a particular purchasing project.” Ninety per cent of hands go up.

“Keep your hands up if the longest proposal won the deal.” Like a flash: not a hand left in the air.

I’m reminded of Ambrose Bierce’s wonderful phrase, “The covers of this book are too far apart,” and also of the occasion when Mark Twain’s publisher sent him a telegram insisting

“NEED 2-PAGE SHORT STORY TWO DAYS.”

Twain’s reply?

“NO CAN DO 2 PAGES TWO DAYS. CAN DO 30 PAGES TWO DAYS. NEED 30 DAYS DO 2 PAGES.”

Accentuate the Positive

Posted by BJ on 14 March, 2007 under Word play & writing | 2 Comments

More and more often these days the response I receive when I say “thank you” to someone is, “No problem.”

In our workshops, one of the writing tips we present is “Accentuate the Positive”. Within this we highlight that often times a statement will leave a negative impression.

A favorite example is a statement made repeatedly by a certain world leader (who shall remain nameless but you’ll know right away who I mean) as he attempted to defend himself. Each time he was confronted he would reply with, “I did not have relations with that woman.” As we point out, what the listener is likely to remember from such a statement is “relations, woman” or exactly the opposite of what this person hoped might be remembered.

Had Bill, uh, I mean… this person… used a positive statement such as, “I have always been faithful to my wife.” – the listener would likely remember “faithful, wife”.*

I think the same holds true with the, in my opinion all too common these days, response “not a problem”. What I’m left with here is “problem”. I immediately think, with some resentment/sarcasm (if thinking can be said to be sarcastic), “Glad to know my purchase didn’t cause you any problem.”

I much prefer and will continue to use the positive version and reply with, “my pleasure” to a “thank you” from someone**

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*This is also referred to as “Pink Elephants”. The reader is likely to remember the one thing you’re hoping they won’t. An example of this is having someone tell you not to think about a pink elephant (usually describing in detail the elephant you shouldn’t be thinking about! You know, big, trunk, PINK, big ears, wrinkled, did I mention PINK?) Go ahead. See if you can not think about this pink elephant. I think you’ll find once the idea is put in your head, its likely the only thing you can think about, no matter how hard you trey not to think about it.

**And for those of you who might ask, “Now what does this have to do with proposals?” Well, besides the obvious piece that relates to the content you develop, what was your response the last time someone thanked you for doing a great job on a proposal?