November Newsletter
In This Newsletter:
- New Article: “Picasso Method” for Great Proposal Graphics
- Calendar of Free December, January and February teleclasses, and new
upcoming five-week teleclasses
“Picasso Method” for Great Proposal Graphics
By Olessia Smotrova-Taylor
Picasso’s famous quote, “Good artists copy; great artists steal,”
might as well have been about proposal art. Great proposal graphics can
be born in various ways, but “stealing” a concept and making
it something that is your own, something completely different from its original
version and uniquely applicable to the current bid, is the fastest way to
create them.
“Stealing” may sound like a negative notion, but it is not—at
least not in the way that Picasso meant it. In the art world as in the
world of proposals, it is “copying” that actually has a bad
connotation. For the purposes of proposals, “copying” means
reusing a graphic from an old proposal by tailoring it slightly to a new
one, which frequently entails using the same boring and worn-out approach.
Many graphics seem like they can be reused with minor adaptation, but
on close examination, they just look like a boilerplate that makes evaluators’
eyes glaze over. After all, these are the types of graphics they have
seen not only in your proposals, but in your competitors’ proposals
as well. “Copying” can also involve testing the waters of
copyright violations by “borrowing” from other sources with
minor changes. “Stealing,” on the other hand, means using
an existing graphic as an inspiration and as a point of departure for
your own work. It means reinventing a concept in a fresh way and creating
your own original art.
The best “stolen” art does not come from your old proposals,
but from sources that may have nothing to do with your particular bid.
Often it will be something created in another industry, or for another
purpose. Bringing such a graphic idea to your proposal and merging it
with information specific to your bid or using it to spruce up your old
graphics will give your proposal a fresh feel and a look that is sure
to differentiate you from competitors.
“Stealing,” or rather, searching for graphic inspiration
is easy these days. Just go to Google and, in the upper left hand corner
of your screen, click “Images”. Google Image Search is marketed
as “the most comprehensive image search on the web.” Try different
word combinations, just as you would with any other research, or use advanced
search options, and you are well on your way.
As a word of warning, make sure that your “stolen” concepts
do not speak louder than your message, and that you do not get too “cute”
with them. In other words, do not get bogged down in metaphors to the
point that your message hits reviewers between the eyes in the wrong kind
of way. Use good taste, and customize the concept or image you have found
to your work so that it is unrecognizable from its original form. When
used in this way, “stealing” graphic ideas will give your
proposal uniqueness and great visual impact, and will increase your chances
of winning.
Click
here to read this article online
Calendar
of Free December, January and February teleclasses, and new upcoming five-week
teleclasses
Click on the Register Link to reserve your space while it is available.
All class times are in "Eastern Time" (Washington, DC).
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December 6, 2007
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern |
Winning More Task Orders
This FREE one-hour Teleclass reveals the secrets to winning more page-limited, fast turn-around Task Order proposals under your ID/IQ and GWAC contract vehicles
Click
here for more information about the class.
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Type: FREE Teleclass
Fee: $0
(Long distance charges may apply)
Click Here to Register
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January 8, 2008
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern
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Conceptualizing and Designing Graphics that Grab Attention
This free one-hour Teleclass provides clear steps and techniques
for quickly conceptualizing graphics that communicate complex concepts.
It also teaches capture and proposal managers as well as technical
writers the very latest best practices for developing graphics that
communicate your win themes. It will increase your ability to produce
high-impact, professional, and persuasive proposals, Broad Area
Announcements, or white papers. Click
here for more information about the class.
|
Type: FREE Teleclass
Fee: $0
(Long distance charges may apply)
Click Here to Register
|
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Five-week Tele-seminar starting January
10, 2008
Dates:
- Jan10
- Jan 17
- Jan 24
- Jan 31
- Feb 7
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern
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Jump-Starting Proposal Efforts for Ultimate Success
This is a five-week Teleclass on how to jump-start proposal efforts
the right way in order to produce winning proposals. It covers all
topics necessary to plan and kick-off well-orchestrated and less
stressful proposal efforts. The class is geared towards capture
and proposal managers, business development leads in charge of their
company’s proposal process, and all key players who participate
in proposal preparation. Click
here for more information about the class.
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Type: Five-week
Tele-seminar
Fee: $189 for one
person
Group Discounts:
- $169 per person for 2-3 people
- $149 per person for groups of 4 or more.
(Long distance charges may apply)
Registration will open soon.
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February 5, 2008
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern
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Preparing High-Scoring
Past Performance and Experience Citations
This is a free one-hour Teleclass on the latest best practices
and techniques in preparing past performance and corporate experience
sections. The class is for capture and proposal managers, other
business development personnel, and technical writers. Click
here for more information about the class.
|
Type: FREE Teleclass
Fee: $0
(Long distance charges may apply)
Click Here to Register
|
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Five-week Tele-seminar
starting February 21, 2008
Dates:
- Feb 21
- Feb 28
- Mar 6
- Mar 13
- Mar 20
1:00-2:00 PM Eastern
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Writing Better Proposal Sections in Half the Time
Throughout the process of writing proposals, white papers, or Broad
Area Announcement responses, the most valuable contributors are
the technical personnel who are the subject matter experts. In addition
to proposal writing, they already have more than full-time jobs
on projects, and are always pressed for time. They are also the
people who are often most uncomfortable with writing, and have been
thrust into proposal work without much training. This Teleclass
is for them. Professional business development staff members will
also benefit greatly from learning the techniques that originate
in journalism and have been honed through years of proposal work.
Capture and proposal managers can carry these techniques into instructing
their proposal teams. Click
here for more information about the class.
|
Type: Five-week
Tele-seminar
Fee: $189 for one
person
Group Discounts:
- $169 per person for 2-3 people
- $149 per person for groups of 4 or more.
(Long distance charges may apply)
Registration will open soon.
|
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Less Used MS Word Shortcuts That Save You Time:
CTRL+Z: Undo the last action. This selection can be repeated several times
CTRL+Y: Redo - After an action has been undone, it can be reinstated in the document.
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