Best Practices

Question 1

What is one impact of not following the customer instructions for the executive summary?

Answer 1

The client may think we don’t listen to them.

Question 2

What takes precedence when it comes to crafting the executive summary, industry best practice or client instructions?

Answer 2

Client instructions.

Question 3

When should an executive summary be included with a proposal?

Answer 3

Always for a proposal over 10 pages, unless expressly forbidden by the customer.

Question 4

Who is in the best position to write the executive summary?

Answer 4

The capture manager should lead the writing, with team members as key contributors. At a minimum, the capture manager can define the customer’s business drivers and challenges, and support the proposal writer in the development of key messages, and then review the work.

Question 5

Who should provide the polish for the executive summary?

Answer 5

Proposal writers, editors, graphic designers.

Question 6

What knowledge should the internal reviewer team possess (collectively)?

Answer 6

Client knowledge, competitor knowledge, solution capabilities, past performance, and writing skills.

Question 7

How should the executive summary be titled?

Answer 7

It must include the name the customer requests in the instructions, but can also include a benefits phrase.

Question 8

When should the executive summary be crafted?

Answer 8

It should be crafted early so it can inform the team. A draft, created early in the bid process, can have bullet points and be developed, improved, and built over time. Ideally the first draft is provided at the bid/no-bid decision gate review.

Question 9

By best practices, what is the first step to developing the executive summary, and when should this occur?

Answer 9

During opportunity/capture analysis, gather necessary inputs.

Question 10

What key questions should the first draft executive summary be built around?

Answer 10

What are the customer’s issues?
Why did these issues arise?
What results do they want to achieve by solving these problems?
Which outcome or result is the most important?
What solutions can you or your competitors offer?
What results will each solution produce?
Which is the best solution and why?

Question 11

What traditional tool can be a good starting place for creating a first draft executive summary?

Answer 11

SWOT analysis.

Question 12

Between RFP analysis and proposal kickoff, the first draft of the executive summary should be prepared, with what tool, prior to starting writing?

Answer 12

A content plan.

Question 13

Why should the draft executive summary be prepared prior to kickoff?

Answer 13

–>It can served as a powerful internal tool to gain senior management endorsement for the opportunity.
–>It can serve as a briefing or alignment tool to get fundamental information across to the proposal team.

Question 14

What should the draft executive summary contain prior to kickoff?

Answer 14

–>A re-phrasing of business drivers and challenges.
–>Key messages/theme statements.
–>Rough Draft Solution.

Question 15

During the proposal process, what activities should occur to the executive summary?

Answer 15

Ongoing updates, and editing/proof-reading.

Question 16

What should occur with the executive summary during color reviews?

Answer 16

Test, review, and approve.

Question 17

What should be added to the executive summary shortly before submission?

Answer 17

Final prices, and other last minute touches.

Question 18

What is the appropriate length for the executive summary?

Answer 18

There is no set rule, but two pages is the typical length.

Question 19

What are factors to consider in determining the length of the executive summary?

Answer 19

–>The length should be relative to the overall size of the proposal.
–>Customer instructions.
–>Don’t prioritize brevity over including information that must be conveyed.
–>Keep as short as possible, and use subheadings when more than two pages.

Question 20

What is the first section of the five-box approach?

Answer 20

Section 1: State the customer’s business drivers, goals, and challenges.

Question 21

What is most important about the first section in the five-box approach?

Answer 21

Only refer to the customer’s goals and challenges. Don’t mention your organization or even your solution.

Question 22

What is the second section of the five-box approach?

Answer 22

Section 2: Introduce your solution (including key benfits).

Question 23

What should be the focus of the second section in the five-box approach?

Answer 23

Benefits and clear discriminators.

Question 24

What should always be included in the second section in the five-box approach?

Answer 24

Concrete proof points to substantiate claims.

Question 25

What is the third section in the five-box approach?

Answer 25

Section 3: The customer’s investment (costs, price, conditions).

Question 26

In what section should you ghost your competition, and how?

Answer 26

Section 2, by indirectly highlighting their weaknesses, without naming them.

Question 27

Why should the price be included in the executive summary (unless prohibited by the client instructions)?

Answer 27

Price is one of the most important pieces of information. The customer may skip from the executive summary to the pricing section if it is not included up front, where allowed.

Question 28

How do you avoid “price shock” when listing the price?

Answer 28

Compare the price to the quantified benefit, highlighting the ROI.

Question 29

Under what circumstances should price be omitted from the executive summary?

Answer 29

When the RFP explicitly requires all pricing information is
contained in the pricing volume.

Question 30

What action occurs in Section 4 of the executive summary?

Answer 30

Show your customer the next steps (express that you are actively thinking ahead about next steps).

Question 31

What happens in Section 5 of the executive summary as a way to wrap things up?

Answer 31

Review why the customer should choose you and communicate your willingness to ensure a successful collaboration.

Question 32

What tone and style of writing should be used in the executive summary?

Answer 32

Clear, concise writing in plain English. Precise, engaging phrasing is more important in the summary than anywhere else in the proposal.

Question 33

What is one rule that is especially important for the executive summary?

Answer 33

Be as specific as possible.

Question 34

What purpose do visuals (graphics, charts, images) serve in the executive summary?

Answer 34

They are guideposts - they support the message, add emotional appeal, and make key points easier to see.

Question 35

What is an important and “bonus” place to express theme statements?

Answer 35

In images.

Question 36

What is a final step in the executive summary process prior to submittal?

Answer 36

Review and test the summary. Have it read by a neutral person. Can they reiterate the key messages? Replace the organization name with the competitor’s name to see if it is still credible. Replace the customer name with another customer name to see if it has truly been customized to the customer it is intended for.