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We are a corporate partner with Association of Proposal Managers Professionals National Capital Area

Self-study proposal training and reusable professional tools:

Blueprint for Winning Government Proposals for Small Businesses
(comprehensive course with videos, manuals, slides, processes maps)

Executive Summary Secrets (manual and audio)

Proposal Resources Estimating Guide (professional toolset-guide)

For more details on these courses and tools please go to self-study courses page.

To read more testimonials about our training and services please go to testimonials page.

How to Succeed as a Proposal Consultant

Get More Work, Higher Pay, and Better Clients

Instantly Downloadable 5-Hour Video Course and Slides (Webinar Replay)

This four-class video course with more than 5 hours of material shows you how to succeed as a consultant in the field of capture management, proposal management and coordination, proposal writing, graphics, desktop publishing, editing, orals coaching, and related proposal professions.

This course is for those who:

• Are considering quitting their full-time job and becoming a proposal consultant.
• Have recently started in the consulting field and would like to speed up the learning.
• May have been in the field for a while but are not getting the results they want.

Many proposal consultants often undervalue their services, settle for lower compensation for fear of the unknown, face treatment as if they were a commodity, and let more time elapse between jobs than necessary.

Yet, there has been no course or book a proposal consultant could go through on how to overcome these problems. Everyone has been learning by making their own mistakes. Until now.

Our course is chockfull of information vital in the proposal consulting field. Below you can find course topics for each session:

SESSION 1 highlights

• Roadmap to successful proposal consulting.
• Pros and cons of consulting versus working for a company.
• How to start your consulting business and make the transition from full-time job to consulting easier.
• How to set your rates (and what are the going rates in the industry for your type of work).
• How to determine your marketable skill sets, regardless of whether you are just starting out or have been a consultant for a while.
• 10 ways of billing clients.
• The secrets for finding work, quickly.
• How to plan for, negotiate, or even avoid traveling for your consulting jobs.
• What are the IRS rules about consultants and how "what you don't know" will hurt you.
• How to set up your own insurance, benefits, and other necessities.
• The skinny on proposal companies brokering independent consultants.
• The pros and cons of working with a broker versus working directly with companies.
• The ins and outs of negotiating contracts.
• How to avoid being bogged down in the busy work of bookkeeping, invoicing, and other business tasks.
• What tools and technology will make your life easier.
• Strategies for growing your consulting business.

SESSION 2 highlights

• Common marketing mistakes most consultants make.
• How to market effectively on a tight budget using social networking, public relations, sales calls, and other techniques.
• Essential collateral and credentials you have to develop to get better jobs and higher rates.
• How to expand your marketable skills.
• The skinny on win rates.
• How to determine if you need a web site - and how to set up and manage a web site inexpensively.
• How to ensure your prospective customers can find you on Google.
• How to leverage article marketing and other low-cost marketing activities.
• An important technique that will enable you to plan better, get more clients, and stop worrying about getting your next job.

SESSION 3 highlights

• How to avoid undercharging for your services.
• 3 most common problems that lead to low rates.
• Signs of unhealthy relationship with rates.
• 5 proven techniques for getting your rates up.
• How to negotiate better.
• Consultant's ethics and code of conduct.
• How to handle difficult clients.
• How to prevent clients questioning your charges, disputing your bills, or paying late or not at all.
• How to handle overlapping assignments where you have to juggle multiple. proposals, calls from multiple brokers, and periods of drought.

SESSION 4

• Q&A session that delves into the topics above in greater depth.

About the Author: Olessia Smotrova-Taylor, has been winning multiple award contracts and Task Orders since 2001 (almost since IDIQ inception). During her last year working at Raytheon, working under a $450 million dollar per year vehicle, she brought Raytheon every single Task Order. She has collected best practices from consulting for multiple government contractors and has observed common mistakes (and best practices to overcome them) over the last 10 years, which will shared in this class. Olessia Smotrova-Taylor heads OST Global Solutions, Inc. She is a currently practicing capture and proposal manager who 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 the 2010 APMP Communications Award. She regularly presents at APMP's international and other conferences, roundtables, and proposal boot camps, and runs popular training webinars on business development. 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.

Risk-free payment via secure payment portal

$147.00 Instant Download!

What our customers say about this training course:

I highly recommend this course for new and experienced consultants. It offers valuable information that will help you set your rates, market your services effectively, and establish relationships with consultant brokers.
Amy Jackson, Proposal Consultant , Press Proposal Consulting, LLC

 

There really wasn't anything not to like about this webinar. It was incredibly informative, even for someone who has been quite successful in the field for almost 20 years. It immediately proved usefulness of methods for finding additional work from the first session and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is either already consulting in the field or considering it, something I've always encouraged talented employees to at least consider.
Sandra Dickerson, Proposal Desktop Publishing Specialist, Able Support Services

 

The class was very informative, well presented and covered many topics. I would highly recommend the course.
Matthew B. Raynes, FedsConsulting

 

This is the fourth class I've taken from Olessia and she never disappoints. Her material is always very well thought out and organized. She has a very personable and relaxed demeanor that immediately sets you at ease, even if you are brand new to the subject matter. She provides clear and concise answers to your questions and if she's not able to answer a question immediately, she researches it and updates you as soon as she can (usually the next class).
Hawlii Allinson, Partnet

 

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your webinar today. I have been in the industry for a few years now, but am just starting to really increase my knowledge and find my niche. The information you shared today is invaluable! I will be using it as a reference for many years to come, I'm sure. Being so young, it is sometimes difficult to prove myself in an industry filled with very experienced individuals. I have found that being confident in my knowledge is a key to success. Your webinars and resources have gone a long way in helping me achieve further understanding.
Meryl Pikett, Program/Account Manager, Columbus Technologies and Services.

 

Just wanted to tell that your 3 day Proposal Consultant webinar is well worth the money. I have learned so many great tips. I can't wait for Tuesday!
Ilene Giles, Founder, Procurement Source, Solutions

 

OST Global Solutions webinars hit the mark every time. The curriculum is focused on the needs of business development professionals in a hyper-competitive marketplace. They not only identify the most common pitfalls, but also demonstrate in detail just how to write winning proposal sections. The recommendations are succinct and actionable. The webinars provide a fabulous way of learning that fits.
Ciro Pinto-Coelho, Director, Strategy & Business Development, Raytheon Company

 

To read more about what our customers say please go to our testimonials page.

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

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