This workshop shows how to write one of the most critical proposal elements: a highly persuasive executive summary. The course starts with the common executive summary mistakes, and shows how to avoid them. It then walks the participants through when and how to develop executive summaries, who should develop them (and various management strategies for making it happen), optimum length, and other vital considerations. This course has adapted its effectiveness to the government and corporate arenas. It provides the six-part formula for winning executive summaries based on direct response, a marketing-related persuasion technique that fuels a trillion-dollar consumer market. Read the rest of this entry »
Intelligence gathering permeates every capture activity. It not only overlaps with the first capture aspect—knowing your customer—but is part and parcel of everything that drives capture – since the best informed wins!
So recently, when a LivingSocial adventure for a day in weapons training and extreme driving crossed my inbox, I jumped at the chance. I have written numerous proposals for the Department of Defense and other agencies, and figured it was time to have a first-hand experience living the subject matter I’ve written about. The morning of my outing, I drove down to G4S ITI in Shacklesford, VA—a training facility for people deploying to conflict zones, special ops, SWAT teams, police, and assorted other pro warriors. With my husband on kid duty at home and my dad in tow, I ventured to try something I thought I would never do. 
This workshop offers valuable skills in win themes development as the most important element of proposal persuasion. The course walks you through the purpose of win themes and their building blocks. Then, it advances the learning beyond the mere mechanics to the inner core of win themes. It shows how to design win themes that deeply touch the customers exactly where and how it is necessary, in order to become memorable and influence them to select your company. It demonstrates how win themes morph into win strategies, and help increase win probability. 
