How to Shape Solicitations

What is Business Development?

The best business developers win before RFP.

How do they do it?

The ancient Chinese warrior, Sun Tzu, said “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

BD calls it "shaping the solicitation."

Here's how...

1. PLANNING PHASE

BD works with Marketing to ensure you're top of mind when prospects become problem aware and begin their Market Research.

This is the best time to influence the prospect to pick...

a. Contract Terms, Conditions, Clauses, and Requirements your competitors can't do.

b. Contract Vehicle with small number of viable competitors.

c. Set-Asides that match your company like Woman Owned Small Business, VOSB, 8(a), etc.

d. Contract Type competitors will have difficulty bidding.
Ideally, Sole Source contracts to completely eliminate competitors.

Influence decreases as prospects engage more competitors with...

• Pre-Solicitation Conference or Industry Day presentations

• Request For Information (RFI) from competitors about their solutions

• Draft Solicitation and acquisition strategy feedback

2. SOLICITATION PHASE

BD influence decreases as communications become formal.

In highly regulated industries, the prospect and bidders are restricted from any free flowing discussions. Competitors are required to formally submit questions to the prospect's Contracting Officer.

Answers to questions (Q&A) are shared with all competitors to ensure a fair, equitable, and ethical acquisition process.

BD can shrewdly word questions to favor your unique competitive advantages, confuse competitors, or call out competitor weaknesses (ghosting).

WARNING:
Failure to comply with the formal communication processes can result in severe penalties and even jeopardize the entire opportunity with complete cancellation of the acquisition.

3. AWARD PHASE

The prospect may down-select bidders and narrow their choice to a small number of remaining bidders and commence formal negotiations.

BD can help emphasize valuable competitive differentiators that substantiate your price.

4. ADMINISTRATION PHASE

You won!...

But, so many miss the golden opportunity to continue BD influence like..

• Identify customer unment needs that may convert into upsell opportunities

• Showcase contract successes as proof points for customer surveys, referrals, and bids

Most importantly, this is your best chance to influence your customer's planning for recompete of the contract.

If you do it right, it won't be a fight.

Tony Gray, BDP
Author of the Business Development Body of Knowledge

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