Building the Dream Proposal Team

Proposal creation and writing is truly a collaborative journey, and the more extensive the proposal, the larger the proposal team.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the essential members you’ll want on your proposal team. In real-world scenarios, one person might take on various roles – for instance, the Proposal Manager could also double as the Proofreader/Editor, the Capture Manager might also play the part of a Book Boss, and so forth. This is particularly common in small businesses, where individuals often wear multiple hats and perform various roles.

Who is in the Dream Proposal Team and What Do They Do?

Capture Manager – The Opportunity Finder:

The Capture Manager, often known as the Business Development Lead, is the person who’s on the hunt for opportunities. Their role involves building strong customer relationships, understanding their needs, and positioning our firm for success even before the Request for Proposal (RFP) hits the scene. Drawing from their deep customer insights, they collaborate with the Proposal Manager to craft the proposal strategy and winning themes. Sometimes, if our firm already holds the contract, the Program Manager for that contract might step into the role of Capture Manager.

Proposal Manager – The Proposal Guru:

The Proposal Manager is the captain of the proposal ship. They’re the ones in charge of dissecting the RFP, creating compliant templates, managing the proposal timeline, leading Color Team Reviews, ensuring everything aligns with the rules, and handling other vital tasks.

Proposal Coordinator – The Task Wizard:

Proposal Coordinators are the helping hands that support the Proposal Manager. They assist in tasks such as crafting, distributing, and tracking data requests, developing templates, and other related duties.

Book Bosses – The Content Commanders:

Each section of the proposal has its own dedicated Book Boss, like a Technical Book Boss, a Past Performance Book Boss, or a Pricing Book Boss, to name a few. These Book Bosses work under the Proposal Manager and are responsible for the content within their sections. They might write content themselves or delegate it to others as needed, but their job is to make sure every section gets filled in. In cases of conflicting approaches between writers, the Book Boss steps in to decide how to proceed.

Subcontractor Leads – The Liaison Link:

When working with subcontractors, it’s essential to have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) at each subcontractor company. These individuals are the go-to people for anything related to the proposal, responsible for obtaining all necessary information and support from their respective companies.

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)/Technical Writers – The Content Crafters:

Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) are the wizards who conjure up content for different proposal sections as assigned by the Book Bosses. In some cases, dedicated Technical Writers may lend a hand to the SMEs.

Color Team Reviewers – The Expert Reviewers:

Every proposal needs a few rounds of review and refinement. Ideally, these reviewers are experts in the field who weren’t part of the initial writing process. However, in smaller businesses, the SMEs and Technical Writers may also double as Color Team Reviewers. In such cases, the Proposal Manager strategically assigns reviews so that writers of Section A review Section B, writers of Section B review Section A, and so on.

Proofreader/Editor – The Language Polisher:

The Proofreader/Editor is the guardian of proper grammar, consistent style, and a unified voice throughout the proposal. In practice, the Proposal Manager and/or Proposal Coordinator often wear this hat as well.

Graphic Designer – The Visual Wizard:

The Graphic Designer brings life to the proposal with visually captivating graphics, turning concepts and sketches from SMEs, Book Bosses, and the Proposal Manager into compliant and engaging visuals.

Desktop Publisher – The Formatting Magician:

The Desktop Publisher ensures the final proposal documents are ready for digital submission. They make sure the formatting is correct and consistent, files meet size requirements, and everything looks just right. They are usually very efficeint in formating in multiple systems and programs (Microsoft, Adobe, etc). Typically, the Proposal Manager or Proposal Coordinator takes on this role.

Hard Copy Publisher – The Print and Ship Maestro:

While less common nowadays, some agencies still request hard copy proposals. In larger organizations, their in-house print shops may handle this task, but smaller organizations might outsource it to an external vendor. Regardless, the Hard Copy Publisher is responsible for printing, binding, and shipping the proposal to the customer.

Need help how to best tackle a proposal? Contact our team to support your needs!