Sometimes it is hard to make architects and engineers look good. Let’s face it, they’re not exactly known for being “hotties.” And whether or not you believe in putting people’s photographs in proposals, you’ll eventually have to get someone’s headshot done. Have you ever gone through the trouble of either taking someone’s headshot […]
December 1, 2013 by 22 Comments
The Shocking Proposal Trick You’ll Be Talking About For Weeks
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion for SMPS Philadelphia. One of the panel members was a marketer named Andy. Andy revealed one of his internal proposal tactics and I think the jaws in the entire room collectively dropped. This tactic was shocking for two reasons: The sheer […]
September 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Networking Tactics for Introverts
In this episode of the Design and Construction Marketing Podcast, I have an in-depth conversation with Tim Klabunde, the author of Network Like An Introvert. We talk about a variety of subjects including networking tactics for introverts, SMPS Build Business, and the difference between marketing for large and small firms. If you feel your networking […]
September 15, 2013 by 7 Comments
The Huge Mistake Most People Make When Writing Proposals
When writing proposals, you have to set your firm apart. So, what do we do? We try everything in the book to convince the client we are better. Our work is better, our people are better, and our customer service is better. There is just one problem: that’s a huge mistake. Tying to convince the […]
September 9, 2013 by 12 Comments
The One Question That Can Dramatically Increase Your Proposal Wins
In a fiercely competitive environment, like we’ve been experiencing over the past few years, small differences can play a major role in whether you win or lose a proposal competition. Let’s be honest with ourselves. We all provide the exact same services our competitors do. And for the most part, our qualifications and experience are […]
September 2, 2013 by 14 Comments
3 Advanced Copywriting Tactics I Learned From An Engineer and CIA Agent
Remember that 80s commercial/infomercial about BluBlocker sunglasses? These were the glasses with the funky yellow lens. These were sunglasses so ugly that I can’t imagine anyone putting them on their face. Could you? Yet 20 million people all over the world did just that. This was all thanks to an electrical engineer and CIA agent. […]
August 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
9 Helpful Tutorials For Non-Techie Proposal Developers
You may not be a tech wizard. But these tutorials will help you overcome common technical challenges and show you a few tricks you can use in your proposal development work. Please note that I have links to some of these programs in my Resources page. #1: Clearing Formatting in Microsoft Word Whenever you paste […]
August 4, 2013 by 31 Comments
3 Tragic Misconceptions About Proposal Cover Letters
Cover letters are one of the most important pieces of a proposal. Unfortunately, 99% of the cover letters I’ve seen during my Brutally Honest Proposal Critiques are cr*p. The problem stems from common misconceptions about the cover letter’s place in the current proposal environment. Let us look at three misconceptions that can lead to epic […]
July 28, 2013 by 15 Comments
Determine How Much Time To Spend On Your Proposal Cover With This Formula
It`s always up for debate. You want to create a proposal cover that will pique the client’s interest. You may think you spend enough time on proposal covers. But others may think you don’t spend ENOUGH time on them. Well, who’s right? Or maybe someone else on your team does the covers. How much time […]
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