How to do proposals the wrong way
The problem with best practices is the worst case scenario
The purpose of the recipes in this area is not to teach you the best way to do proposals, but rather to show you how to overcome obstacles, cope, or even cheat when you have to do proposals the wrong way.
Sure, if you want to win you need to do everything you can to achieve the best practices. But what about when you’re starting late on a bid where you don't know the customer, aren't sure what to bid, can't get the information you need to write a winning proposal, have to bid because someone in authority says you have to, and it's all you can do just to survive the experience let alone win it?
We're not talking about lying, breaking laws, failing to comply with regulations, or ignoring ethical standards. We’re talking about leaving the best practices that don’t apply in your circumstances behind, in order to get something submitted. If by some quirk of circumstances you cheat and win, that’s just luck. You can’t cheat on every proposal and be competitive. At least not against companies that are employing the best practices.
Doing proposals the wrong way can help you make a submission on time. The techniques in this area turn the best practices on their head.
But if you cheat on a good proposal, you will probably ruin it. On the other hand, when all the best practices in the world won’t help you, maybe these will. And when you learn to recognize these techniques, it will also help you improve the proposals you are trying to do the right way.
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