http://www.theproposalguys.com Jon and B.J.'s Proposal Blog Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:00:15 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Many of our readers have attended a training course (or courses) that Jon or I presented. Those who have attended one of our workshops may recall that we usually ask participants to share what they have learned during the session. We typically hear such things as, “I now ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/03/10/significant-learnings/ Before setting off on a ridiculously early train into London this morning, I devoured a selection of the reports on the web of The Hurt Locker's Academy Award success. When the movie came out, I'd read a glowing review of it in The New Yorker - the sort of exceptional commendation ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/03/08/hurt-equals-delight/ I just love it when a typo creates a word which changes the meaning of a sentence in a humorous way and, as the saying goes, “You just can’t make this stuff up folks.” In a recent AP article on the Westminster Dog Show being held this week in New York ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/03/02/going-to-the-dogs-2/ Today's post marks something of a milestone, as it's the 500th post that BJ and I have made here at The Proposal Guys. We're rather proud of reaching this landmark - and want to say thank you to our readers. We hope you've enjoyed our first 500 - and that ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/26/500-posts-and-still-going-strong/ “Responders are invited to attend the opening of bids.” Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? If you haven’t been to a bid opening, this might conjure up images of a red carpets, various dignitaries, maybe a celebrity or two, the press standing by and flashbulbs popping.*  If you have attended a bid ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/17/grand-opening/ So enough of sales for a moment: what about other types of proposal? Consider the following, if you will: “Hola! You’re very pretty! God, I realy luv beautiful hot cuties like u!” An amusing study at dating site “OK Cupid” has analysed the language used by their members when first making contact ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/15/proposal-words-that-work/ As a music lover, I was so excited when I arrived in Nashville “Music City U.S.A.”, Tennessee to visit Jeff Elkins and Robin Davis, both independent proposal consultants.  I arrived just before Christmas and it was very cold so my first stop was the Goodwill store to pick up this ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/11/proposal-panda-visits-nashville/ What do evaluators really think of the proposals they receive from bidders? Prior to presenting to a recent UKAPMP chapter meeting alongside Steve Mullins (Chairman of Strategic Proposals), we conducted a survey to canvass the views of senior figures in the world of procurement. We posed three questions to them: how ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/09/the-buyers-guide-to-bidding/ Between some down time over the holidays and a fair amount of traveling since the New Year began, I’ve had a good deal of time for reading. That means I have a few recommendations for our faithful readers. As a previous post stated, I read Tried by War: Lincoln as ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/05/recommended-reads/ I found myself standing in the middle of a hotel corridor recently, ironing a shirt for the following day's meeting. "We can't send an iron to your room, sir. Health and safety," the reception staff had explained. Clearly, the real reason was different, but "We didn't want to spend the ... http://www.theproposalguys.com/2010/02/03/lies-they-tell-in-hotels/