Things That Go Bump in the Proposal Process

Being an A/E/C marketer can be scary! Monsters seem to jump out at us from every corner. And they always have solicitations with 12-point font minimums and 13 hard copies due at the exact time you promised to take your kid trick-or-treating.

As Halloween approaches from the shadows, let’s shrink some of these marketing boogeymen down to “fun size” – small enough to manage, friendly enough to face without fear.

The Ghost of Proposals Past

Remember the last six proposals you worked on for this client? Your technical team certainly does. Pull them all – even the one from 2016! They will haunt you with mistakes long past and names of team members you never met.

Banish It!

·         Exorcise your archives. Keep past proposals organized and accessible so you can summon what you need without unleashing chaos. Build a searchable proposal or opportunity library in SharePoint, Unanet, or OpenAsset – or create your own system.

·         Set boundaries. Don’t let the netherworld invade the present. If you switched to InDesign in 2021 or rebranded in 2022 (choose any point of “no return”) and stop calling on outdated ghosts that keep you stuck in the past.

·         Stop the séance. Instead of having everyone conjure old go-bys, ask your technical lead or SMEs what they truly need. Guide them toward the light of newer, livelier proposals that are a better fit.

Our past work shouldn’t haunt us. We can look back at where we’ve been without letting those specters scare us. Let those tired apparitions fade, and move forward.

The Zombie Template

A template created in 2017 has risen once more. It’s slow, buggy, and incompatible with your current software, but it just won’t die. You keep it limping along out of necessity, but it clumsily crashes InDesign and maybe eats some of your work.

Stop It from Rising Again!

• Rebuild from the ground up. Invest in a clean, fully equipped template that works with current tools and tricks.
• Contain the threat. If you must use a zombie file, fix it once, then quarantine it; label it “DO NOT USE” or move it to a damaged-file archive. For InDesign, make it an IDML to help debug and resave as an INDD; for Word, paste content as plain text to clear formatting issues.
• Back it up. Zombies close in when your only working copy corrupts the night before submittal. Save often – and always to a backup location as well as your source.

We can’t keep a good template down. But honestly, eventually, we’re going to have to put it to rest. It can’t drag along forever. Let’s use our brains and prepare a fresh template with new life built into it.

The Frankenstein Boilerplate

A dash of firm overview, drag-and-drop QA/QC and scheduling sections, and some lengthy project management narrative – and voila! You have bunch of non-linear boilerplate stitched together with the power to drive clients (and reviewers) to madness.

Give It Real Life!

• Develop seamless content. Create concise, approved boilerplate that is written to function as a seamless part of the whole body response in a proposal.
• Build in unique expertise. Encourage project managers and technical leads to contribute original and specific insights for every section.
• Give it a heart. Make a human connection, not an unfeeling monster. Tell the story of why you care about this project and why you believe your team is a good fit. Let this flow through your voice, tone, and message across all sections.

Great content doesn’t need lightning to come alive; we can create something authentic through collaboration, clarity, and care.

The Curse of the Problematic Printer

Your in-house printer costs as much as a luxury car but still leaves roller marks on your beautiful pages. Or maybe your trusted print shop had an off day, and your perfect Pantone turned pumpkin.

Break the Hex!

• Test it out early. In house, print one section (or one complete copy) as a proof before running the full set. Using a printing service? Confirm all specs, including paper weight, binding, and color calibration.
• Line up alternatives. Have a secondary print location or vendor ready for emergencies.
• Leave room for the unexpected. If at all possible, plan and schedule to print well in advance of deadline to ensure you have enough time to pivot on the printing process if problems arise.

Printing doesn’t have to be terrifying; if we plan to give ourselves the options and time to succeed, we won’t be cursing ourselves for not preparing a backup plan.

The Portal of Neverending Doom

You have logged in to the client’s bid portal, downloaded the solicitation documents, and confirmed intent to bid. But who knows what lurks beyond the “Bid” button? A maze of additional requirements? More forms? Separate upload sections? Maybe even text entry responses?? Did you click something and time-travel back to a blank bid page?!

Escape the Trap!

• Survey the pitfalls. Log in as part of parsing RFP requirements, and tour the procurement portal page/tabs. Peak behind the bid button and map out upload sections and requirements. Capture all intel you gather to guide you when submitting – file size limits, naming conventions, text-entry fields, etc.
• Get one step ahead. Submit early (try for at least four hours in advance of the deadline), if at all possible, to avoid panic-inducing glitches or server delays. If the portal has text-entry fields, have your response in a saved Word document ready to copy and paste.
• Leave breadcrumbs. Keep notes on the idiosyncrasies of each client’s portal, mapping the maze to save your sanity next time – and so the next marketer doesn’t fall victim to a bid portal hazard.

Procurement portals can be ominous, but preparation helps turn unforeseen conditions into a strategic condition assessment.

The Vampire Pursuit

This proposal was powerful, alluring, and horrific – and it completely drained you. The whole pursuit effort took everything you had. You waltzed with it, wrestled with it, lost yourself in it – and eventually emerged on the other side of this effort with lessons (and scars) you will have forever!

Protect Your Energy!

• Ward against the uninvited. Plan a primary course of action and a few backups. Define action items and responsible parties. Identify all necessary resources and available support early to prevent late-night bloodletting. Communicate and provide status updates/reminders often.
• Break the thrall. Build in breaks – a short walk, lunch away from your laptop, a moment to reset – to stay sharp throughout the proposal process. When the fog clears (and you have a confirmation of receipt), take time to recharge and recover.
• Check your reflection. Capture what you see when you look back. Hold internal debriefs soon after submission to discuss areas of improvement for next time.

Demanding pursuits test your limits, but they shouldn’t consume you. Define your boundaries, respect them, and emerge from each challenge sharper and more resilient.

The proposal process is a bit like a haunted house, full of jump scares, eerie silence, and the unexplainable. But every fright is also an opportunity to shed light on the darkest corners, strengthen bonds with the team, and solve the mysteries that vex us.

A/E/C Marketers are unstoppable forces! There’s no monster in this industry that we can’t tame! With teamwork, humor, and a few fun-size fixes, even the scariest proposal challenges can become sweet victories. Happy hunting!

By: Mary Hazlett, Tetra Tech