Comments on: What I’d Like To See http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/ Jon and B.J.'s Proposal Blog Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:30:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: BJ http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/comment-page-1/#comment-534 BJ Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:44:14 +0000 http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/#comment-534 Ok. How about a built in mp3 player with the client's favorite tunes? That way theycan plug in haedphones and listen while they review the document. (And we could include the tunes suggested by our associate Graham, 'Love My Tender' or "You Are Always On My Mind" Ok. How about a built in mp3 player with the client’s favorite tunes? That way theycan plug in haedphones and listen while they review the document. (And we could include the tunes suggested by our associate Graham, ‘Love My Tender’ or “You Are Always On My Mind”

]]> By: Jon http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/comment-page-1/#comment-532 Jon Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:54:26 +0000 http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/#comment-532 Mike - when Adobe bring out 9.1 (the 'Sommelier' upgrade), can you let me know? :-) Mike – when Adobe bring out 9.1 (the ‘Sommelier’ upgrade), can you let me know? :-)

]]> By: Mike Hilton http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/comment-page-1/#comment-529 Mike Hilton Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:58:48 +0000 http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/#comment-529 I very much like the idea of including a sandwich in each proposal. However we generally deliver proposals as PDF files, so I've contacted Adobe and suggested they bring out Adobe Acrobat Professional 9.0 'Chef Edition' with the necessary technology to embed tasty foodstuff in PDFs. Keep up the good work! -Mike I very much like the idea of including a sandwich in each proposal. However we generally deliver proposals as PDF files, so I’ve contacted Adobe and suggested they bring out Adobe Acrobat Professional 9.0 ‘Chef Edition’ with the necessary technology to embed tasty foodstuff in PDFs.

Keep up the good work!

-Mike

]]> By: Sandra http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/comment-page-1/#comment-519 Sandra Tue, 21 Aug 2007 13:37:25 +0000 http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/#comment-519 While BJ's answer gets my imagination pumped, Jon, I like your answer. It gives me practical goals and benchmarks. Keep up the great work, fellas. While BJ’s answer gets my imagination pumped, Jon, I like your answer. It gives me practical goals and benchmarks. Keep up the great work, fellas.

]]> By: Jon http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/comment-page-1/#comment-514 Jon Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:37:02 +0000 http://www.theproposalguys.com/2007/08/17/what-i%e2%80%99d-like-to-see/#comment-514 As a purchaser? A few very quick thoughts, conscious it's 6pm on a Friday and my darling wife wants the weekend to start! With a short-term perspective: - A document that's professional and gives my team all of the information I need, in the format I need. - A document that's easy to read - enjoyable, stimulating, well-designed and presented; something that makes me smile! - A document that shows me that the bidder "gets it" - absolutely understands what I'm trying to achieve and why. - A document that makes everyone involved (the evaluation team, senior stakeholders) think that I'm doing the right thing, and going about it the right way. - A document that makes it very easy for me to gain senior exec (and stakeholder) approval to go with this bidder (and to make sure debriefs to unsuccessful suppliers will be easy). - A document full of content that I can steal - sorry, adapt - to sell the story internally. - A document that excites me about working with the people concerned. - A document that makes it very straightforward to move from this 'proposal' to the 'signed contract'. Longer-term: - A document that presents a solution that will make me seem successful internally ("hey, that's the person that led that wonderful project to source XYZ from ABC Corp"). - A document that gives me absolute confidence that the solution and implementation will work, and be painless and free of nasty surprises. - A document that's future-proofed, giving me confidence that the solution will "age well" - i.e. that someone looking at it in a couple of years time will still think it's great And 'on the side': - A nice Montblanc pen to use whilst critiquing the document. - A beautiful folder that I can keep after throwing away the proposal itself. - An attractive CD/DVD; no, I don't want to watch it, but it'll make a nice coffee mat. - The keys to my new villa in France. (Joke! Even if, sadly, I have known at least one buyer who's ethical standards have fallen some way short in this respect). As a purchaser? A few very quick thoughts, conscious it’s 6pm on a Friday and my darling wife wants the weekend to start!

With a short-term perspective:
- A document that’s professional and gives my team all of the information I need, in the format I need.
- A document that’s easy to read – enjoyable, stimulating, well-designed and presented; something that makes me smile!
- A document that shows me that the bidder “gets it” – absolutely understands what I’m trying to achieve and why.
- A document that makes everyone involved (the evaluation team, senior stakeholders) think that I’m doing the right thing, and going about it the right way.
- A document that makes it very easy for me to gain senior exec (and stakeholder) approval to go with this bidder (and to make sure debriefs to unsuccessful suppliers will be easy).
- A document full of content that I can steal – sorry, adapt – to sell the story internally.
- A document that excites me about working with the people concerned.
- A document that makes it very straightforward to move from this ‘proposal’ to the ’signed contract’.

Longer-term:
- A document that presents a solution that will make me seem successful internally (”hey, that’s the person that led that wonderful project to source XYZ from ABC Corp”).
- A document that gives me absolute confidence that the solution and implementation will work, and be painless and free of nasty surprises.
- A document that’s future-proofed, giving me confidence that the solution will “age well” – i.e. that someone looking at it in a couple of years time will still think it’s great

And ‘on the side’:
- A nice Montblanc pen to use whilst critiquing the document.
- A beautiful folder that I can keep after throwing away the proposal itself.
- An attractive CD/DVD; no, I don’t want to watch it, but it’ll make a nice coffee mat.
- The keys to my new villa in France. (Joke! Even if, sadly, I have known at least one buyer who’s ethical standards have fallen some way short in this respect).

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