Chapter 1

THE POWER OF THEA+ PROPOSAL

Art: The faculty of executing well what one has devised.—MERRIAM-WEBSTERS COLLEGIATE DICTIONARY

GOLDEN RULE:

In most cases, proposals do not win contracts, but they can lose them in a heartbeat.

Every year thousands of companies compete for trillions of dollars in contract awards from other businesses or from local, state, or federal agencies. Except for such tangible and easily specifiable commodities as pencils, coffee mugs, and motor oil, most of these contracts are awarded based on competitive proposals.

In fact, the U.S. government has more than 60,000 federal and military specifications to buy goods and services through the IFB (invitation for bid) process. The specs are issued, any bidder that ...

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