Model Documents Table of Contents

[Pages:60]Shipley Associates Capture Guide

Model Documents Table of Contents

Model Documents

1. Model Document 2. Model Document 3. Model Document 4. Model Document 5. Capture/Proposal Management Plan 6. Sales Letter 7. Sales Letter 8. Sales Letter 9. Sales Letter 10. Sales Letter 11. Capture Plan 12. Capture Plan

Model Documents

Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)...................................................167 SharePoint Model .................................................................................................190 Database Model ..................................................................................................192 Text Model for Intermediate-Sized Organization...................................................194 Capture & Proposal Planner for B2B Organizations..............................................198 Prospecting ..........................................................................................................201 Follow-up to a Phone Call ....................................................................................202 Follow-up to a Meeting ........................................................................................203 Invitation to a Sales Event ....................................................................................204 Request for RFP Modification ...............................................................................205 Major Program, Text Format ................................................................................207 Major Program, Presentation Format....................................................................223

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Using Model Documents

Shipley Associates Capture Guide

Model Documents illustrate best practices and alternative approaches to capture planning tools and job

aids. The Model Documents Table of Contents (preceding page) lists capture planning-related documents in the Capture Guide and the Proposal Guide. None of the models are intended to be used as is. Use them to improve your understanding of capture planning principles and as a baseline to develop your own documents and tools.

Using Model Documents

Model documents follow the guidelines discussed in this Capture Guide and the Proposal Guide as closely as possible.

Some documents illustrate potential formats; others were altered to disguise the original seller or customer. Some have been shortened or displayed in a reduced, thumbnail form to make this Capture Guide more compact.

The following suggestions will help you use these models to improve your approach to capture planning.

1. Rely on the overall organization to illustrate concepts rather than exact details. Adapt the format, content, and medium to your organization and selling environment.

2. The exact terms and phrases will vary by market and selling environment. Select words that are acceptable and known, and then define terms explicitly for users.

3. Read the notes and adaptation recommendations carefully. Guidelines are not rules, so use sound judgment when tailoring these documents and models.

4. Collect your own models from colleagues, through professional organizations, via industry conferences, and web sources.

5. Refine documents and templates regardless of the source. A best practice is to repeatedly amend and adapt your own documents to make them clearer, easier to use, and more applicable to the immediate opportunity. Consistent with this best practice, we repeatedly amend and improve our models, tools, guidelines, workshop materials, and templates, so the versions shown here might differ from prior or subsequent versions.

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Capture plans evolve as new information is gathered and circumstances evolve. Adapt the medium and format, whether text, presentation, collaborative web site, or on-line database. Suggested modifications to the model presentation format shown in this section apply equally to other mediums.

Capture Plan Template 1-Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)

This presentation model capture plan template is consistent with the one used in Shipley's Capturing Federal Business training workshop. The brief presentation format is designed to illustrate key briefing elements, but it is not intended to be comprehensive or used without adaptation.

The slides on the following pages are aligned with key briefing elements. Review the instructions, tips for completing each element, and potential adaptations for each of five basic selling environments:

NG

Selling to national governments.

The specific elements of this model template are starting points to develop a standard plan that meets your organization's needs and typical business opportunities. Augment or delete content and slides for each briefing element. Adapt the document style if your management prefers to see evidence of detailed reasoning and analysis.

RG B2B Primes

TO

Selling to regional governments.

Selling business to business.

Selling to primes as a 1st or 2nd tier subcontractor.

Selling task orders under master contracts.

The gate review symbols and conventions shown on this page suggest when each type of content might be added, improved, and updated over the life of a capture plan. Tailor these suggestions to match needs and processes of your organization.

Gate Review Conventions

B C

= Gate

1 = Interest Decision 2 = Pursuit Decision 3 = Preliminary Bid Decision 4 = Bid Validation Decision 5 = Proposal Submittal Decision

1B 2 D 3 U 4U 5U

D

Letter = Level of Detail B = Basic D = Detailed U = Updated

Examples:

1B

Indicates basic level content is expected at the first (Interest) gate review.

2D

Indicates detailed level content is expected at the second (Pursuit) gate review.

The gate review symbols and conventions shown above are used in this template to suggest when each type of content might be added, improved, and updated in a capture plan. Tailor these suggestions to match needs and processes of your organization.

Insert this slide if reviewers are unfamiliar with these conventions.

B The numbered circles indicate the decision

gate review at which particular content is usually first introduced. The numbers correspond to the decision gates listed below but should be adapted to your organization's decision gate milestones:

1 = Interest Decision

2 = Pursuit Decision

3 = Preliminary Bid Decision

4 = Bid Validation Decision

5 = Proposal Submittal Decision

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C Colors indicate the phase leading to that

decision gate review.

D The letter next to the decision milestone

number indicates the relative level of content detail for each review:

B = Basic

D = Detailed

U = Updated

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Capture Plan Template 1-Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)

Capture Plan

B Prepared by:

For Opportunity: Last Updated:

C

Interest Decision: Pursuit Decision: Preliminary Bid Decision: Bid Validation Decision: Proposal Submittal Decision:

Yes No NA mm/dd/yy Yes No NA mm/dd/yy Yes No NA mm/dd/yy Yes No NA mm/dd/yy Yes No NA mm/dd/yy

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B Identify opportunity

? List preparer. ? Update frequently. ? Consider a system that highlights

changes for those familiar with prior versions.

C Gate decisions

? Record gate decisions on the title page, including dates milestones were passed.

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Summarize key program elements. Adapt the level of detail to the medium. If presented as a slide, use the Notes feature to add detail for individuals who cannot attend the briefing. Adapt or transfer information from the account plan, if available.

Create the capture plan executive summary after the rest of the plan is as complete as possible. Then update it frequently, at minimum, before each gate and color review. Repeat, support, and expand on executive summary items in the capture plan.

Note: Do not confuse the capture plan executive summary, shown here, with the proposal executive summary.

Capture Plan Template 1-Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)

Executive Summary B Program Overview C Customer

Overview

D Competitive Position Summary

E Summary of Our Solution

F Capture Strategy

G

Status

B Program overview

? Summarize the services and products sought. Note the estimated contract value and duration.

C Customer overview

? Summarize key customer information.

D Competitive position summary

? List and rank competitors from the customer's perspective.

? List incumbent(s) and teaming combinations, as applicable.

? Link rankings to the Bidder Comparison Chart.

1B 2 D 3U 4U 5U

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E Summary of your solution

? Outline major solution elements. ? Indicate the potential or actual team, as

appropriate.

F Capture strategy

? List 3-5 over-arching approaches planned to position your organization and solution as the preferred option.

G Status

? Summarize current capture efforts. ? Highlight near-term critical tasks,

milestones, and required decisions. ? Update frequently.

NG

RG B2B Primes TO

Selling Environment Adaptations

Adapt to internal organizational standards. Some managers will insist on having additional summary information for large, complex opportunities. If so, overview the opportunity, then add slides or pages with more information. Remember this is only an executive summary, and the plan includes more information on every topic. Do not pack too much information onto dense, unreadable presentation slides. Consider adding detailed information in slide Notes.

Same as for NGs

Keep it succinct. Resist adding information. Management focus declines as the length increases. Further, commercial opportunities often proceed at a pace that places a premium on action rather than lengthy analysis.

In Customer Overview, list the end customer, the prime, and intervening subcontractors, as applicable. If the prime is targeting end customers beyond this procurement, list potential end customers.

Focus on the individual organization, division or department, and buyer. Naming a large organization is not that helpful.

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Capture Plan Template 1-Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)

Describe what the customer wants to buy. Consider the Buying Cycle depicted in the top line of figure 2, Color Team Reviews. The customer's concept of the desired solution evolves over the buying cycle. A primary capture goal is to collaboratively shape the solution with the customer. The earlier in the buying cycle, the greater your opportunity to influence the preferred solution.

EXTERNAL ANALYSIS

Opportunity Description

Elements

B Customer C Program Summary D Key Requirements

E Deliverables F Budget and Fiscal-Year

Funding Profile

G Schedule H Type of Contract IOther: (Specify)

See Customer-Focused Capture Skills and Tactics.

B Customer

? List the buying organization. Be specific, citing the agency, branch, division, or department. Cite the parent organization, if applicable.

C Program summary

? Summarize what is wanted, the customer's envisioned services and/or products.

? Cite the customer's vision and desired outcome: What problem is being solved, pain alleviated, or need satisfied?

? Cite program objectives, if available.

D Key requirements

? List requirements by category: ? Technical ? Management ? Key personnel ? Past performance ? Cost/price, terms, warranties ? Security

? Add or delete categories as appropriate.

Description

1B 2 D 3U 4U 5U

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E Deliverables

? Services ? Products ? Data

F Budget and fiscal year funding profile

? Amount ? Sources (who pays or has the budget) ? Types of funds ? Timing of funding

G Schedule

? List known buying milestone dates: ? Industry day ? Bidders' conference ? Site visits ? Draft and final solicitation release ? Question deadline ? Proposal submittal ? Oral presentations ? Contract award ? Project initiation

? Highlight near-term dates and update frequently.

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Capture Plan Template 1-Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)

H Type of contract

? List the type of contract. ? Note if a single or multiple award(s). ? Provide actual or estimated total contract

value. ? Specify contract value by time period. ? Identify length of contract and renewal

options.

I Other

? Cite special provisions (data rights ownership, warranties, performance warranties, bonding, insurance).

? Organizational conflict of interest.

? Small, minority, or disadvantaged business requirements.

NG RG B2B Primes TO

Selling Environment Adaptations

Modifications and additions could be extensive for large, complex opportunities. Cite where additional data is available for review rather than inserting all data in the opportunity description. Remember the capture plan is a plan, not an encyclopedia. Maintain your knowledge base separately.

Adapt plan elements to be consistent with your typical business opportunities. Maintain summary-level information, and reference detailed support documents.

The type of funding will seldom be an issue. Focus on the funding source and availability. B2B customers often seek information for a subsequent purchase or for negotiation leverage with a preferred source.

List the end customer, the prime, and intervening subcontractors, as applicable. If the prime is targeting end customers beyond this procurement, note those as well. Be realistic about the potential of the opportunity, as customers often hint at multiple purchases in order to obtain volume pricing and better terms.

Do not rehash your original efforts to win the master contract, which may be with a separate organization entirely. Focus instead on the specific task and buying division or department.

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Capture Plan Template 1-Presentation Model (with tailoring annotations)

Extend the customer profile from the account plan, when available. Add detail as you collaborate with the customer, vendors, and anyone who knows or offers information about the customer.

EXTERNAL ANALYSIS

Customer Profile B Organization and Key

Personnel

C Purchasing or Buying Process

D Evaluation Process

E Buying History and Trends

B Organization and key personnel

? Describe the organization. Insert or reference organization charts. Good general sources are often available on customers' websites.

? Ask customers to describe their internal structure, especially the immediate buying and user organizations.

? List key personnel. ? Classify personnel as decision makers,

influencers, gatekeepers, or potential coaches.

C Purchasing or buying process

? Outline this customer's buying process and how it is managed.

? Note the current position in the buying process.

1B 2 D 3U 4U 5U

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D Evaluation process

? Describe or diagram evaluation steps. ? Link dates to the steps. ? Name and describe probable evaluators. ? List potential evaluation criteria.

E Buying history and trends

? List similar purchases made by this organization or individuals who might influence the purchase decision.

List key parameters of those purchases: program name, location, value, common elements, winners, losing bidders, publicly and privately stated reasons for the selection, and outcomes (performance, schedule, quality, and cost compliance).

NG RG B2B

Primes TO

Selling Environment Adaptations

Do not assume all national government processes are similar. Stated processes might not be actual processes. Look for hidden influencers. Consider cultural norms, adding cultural elements to customer profiles.

As with NGs, expect different processes and deviations from stated processes.

Purchasing and evaluation discipline ranges from undefined to highly defined and strictly followed. Reflect customary practices of the customer. B2B buyers are free to deviate from stated processes, so determine if such deviations are common practice. Historic buying trends, a significant installed base, and preferences for key individuals who now work for a competitor are strong no-bid indicators.

While the immediate customer's approach is paramount, consider which of the related customers might influence the evaluation and buying decision. Is the purchasing process open to audit or likely to be reviewed by the end or prime customer?

Focus on the individual organization, division, department, and buyer. Naming a large organization is not that helpful.

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