Proposal Win Themes Development Workshop

Classroom Training on July 19, 2012 in Rockville, MD

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.

The workshop helps practice an efficient process of getting to the right win themes within hours instead of spending days in boring and unproductive brainstorming sessions.

This workshop is 30 percent lecture, 60 percent exercises, and 10 percent discussion. Participants will learn how to masterfully facilitate win themes development sessions, and will never have to struggle with creating the right win themes or win strategies.

Date: July 19, 2012 (Thursday). 8:30am - 5:00pm (continental breakfast and afternoon snack included).
Location: Metro Park North Business Center, 7361 Calhoun Place, Suite 560, Rockville, MD 20855 (check our Visitor Guide for location details, driving directions, nearby hotels and restaurants, and more).
Course completion: By attending this class, you will receive 3 CEUs towards your APMP accreditation, or 3 PDUs towards your PMP. At the end of this course you will get a Certificate of Completion.

Learning objectives: Upon course completion, the participants will have learned and be able to put into practice:

• Understanding the goals and the characteristics of effective proposal win themes.
• Knowing the types and categories of win themes.
• Recognizing and applying the building blocks of a successful win theme.
• Identifying customer's hot buttons necessary for win theme development.
• Using a three-session win theme development process.
• Refining and enhancing win themes.
• Deriving a win strategy and developing strategic actions from your win themes.
• Applying advanced win theme development concepts.
• Presenting a win theme effectively in a proposal.
• Facilitating the win theme development process and applying its principles in course participants' organizations.

Course curriculum: Here are some of the topics we will cover in this course.

Module 1: Introduction
- Introductions and learning objectives.
- The purpose of win themes.

 

Module 2: Defining Win Themes
- The purpose of win themes.
- Typical problems with win themes.
- What are win themes.
- Variety of win theme forms and their examples.
- Characteristics of effective win themes.
- Three general categories of win themes.
Discussion: Types and categories of win themes used in participants' proposals.

 

Module 3: The Anatomy of Win Themes
- Building blocks of effective win themes.
- Function of each building block and identifying questions..
- Dissecting each of the win themes building blocks.
- Checklists and questions for defining the building blocks.
- Making your win themes believable..
- Real reasons why people have trouble identifying benefits.
- Identifying the customer's sweet spot.
- Techniques for disciplined construction of win themes.
- Examples of successful win themes.
Exercise: Identify each of the building blocks and their relevancy to the customer. Deconstruct a complex win theme.

 

Module 4: The Secret Sauce – Efficient and Effective Win Theme Development Process
- Win themes development process. - Inputs into a win themes development session 1.
- Outputs from win themes development session 1.
- How to automatically shift focus from you to the customer.
- Definition and types of hot buttons..
- Techniques for identifying hot buttons.
- Framework with a checklist for recognizing hot buttons.
- The secret sauce of win theme development – session 2.
- Examples of win themes that highlight the principle of customer focus.
- Session 3: weeding and refining win themes using a strategic approach.
- Facilitating session 3.
Exercise: Identify customer's hot buttons. Apply next process steps to developing win themes. Refine and enhance your win theme.

 

Module 5: Transforming Win Themes into Win Strategies and Action Items
- Win strategy development using win themes.
- Strategic actions development.
- Types of strategic actions.
Discussion: Derive a win strategy and develop strategic actions from your win theme.

 

Module 6: Advanced Win Theme Concepts
- Flavors of win themes.
- Advanced persuasion techniques applicable to win themes.
- Intelligence gathering to answer the 8Ws.
- Quality check of the win themes.
Exercises: Practice changing the win theme's flavor.

 

Module 7: Placing Win Themes in the Proposal
- Examples of how win themes should appear in a proposal.
- Structure of a win theme in a focus box.
- Structure of a win theme in the text.
- Other instances of win themes.
Exercise: Present your win theme in a proposal.

Module 8: Proposal Team Facilitation in Win Themes Development
- Proposal team facilitation tips.
- Win theme development process application tips.
- Where win theme development fits in the capture and proposal process.
Discussion: How participants will implement win themes development process in their organizations.

Module 9: Summary

- Additional resources and bibliography.
- Summary.
- Recap.

About the instructor: Olessia Smotrova-Taylor is the President and CEO of OST Global Solutions, Inc. She is a currently practicing capture and proposal manager who has won more than $17 Billion in new business. As one of the proposal industry leaders, she is on the Board of Directors of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals' (APMP) National Capital Area (NCA) chapter and is the editor and chair of the APMP NCA Executive Summary e-zine that won 2010 APMP Communications Award. She regularly presents at the APMP's international and other conferences, roundtables, and proposal boot camps, and runs popular training webinars on business development. She is currently designing and preparing to teach a Masters-level course in proposal development for Stevens Institute of Technology. She has 16 years of experience in proposal and capture management, marketing, and communications. She is a prolific author, speaker, trainer, and blogger, and is well-known in the global proposal community. Her self-study course, Executive Summary Secrets, sells worldwide. Prior to starting her own consulting company, she won business for Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, and wrote for the Financial Times of London.

Seating is limited. Do not delay registering.

Fee and registration: For team discounts please change quantity of attendees at the checkout and click "Recalculate" to get the discount. Register 3 weeks before the class date and receive $50 off per attendee as an EARLYBIRD discount!

• $695 per one attendee ($645 if registered 3 weeks before the class date).
• $625 per attendee when registering a team of 3 or more ($575 if registered 3 weeks before the class date ($70 in savings). Discounts apply at the checkout.

For additional questions please call 301-384-3350 during normal business hours. If you'd like to pay by invoice please send an email to service@ostglobalsolutions.com (NOTE: the payment must be received prior to the course start date).

 

Cancellations and rescheduling policy: Cancellation notification must be received 10 business days prior to the training date. Upon notification, your registration fee will be refunded less a $100 non-refundable processing fee. Any cancellations beyond the 10 business days are non-refundable, but the course fee can be applied towards another training course, webinar, or an OST Global Solutions training product. No refunds will be made for the cancellation of a rescheduled course. Attendee substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the course date. No-shows are liable for the full class fee.

P. S. If you think of someone else who could benefit from this course, please forward this invitation to them!