NOTE: This post is the second in a series of three posts expanding on ideas in a recent webinar I conducted for the APMP California chapter with the same title.

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customized standardization

In today’s fast-paced world, being able to provide high-quality, repeatable processes can be the difference between success and failure. Nowhere has that trend seen greater resonance than in dining. People, especially millennials, are abandoning both ends of the spectrum (fast food and traditional sit-down dining) in favor of “fast casual” establishments. Firms like Roti and Chipotle have benefited from filling this space.

Each of these companies has a limited number of individual options that, when combined, equal endless possibilities. They allow the customer the ability to get something completely different from anyone else while allowing the store to maintain quality standards over a limited number of products. For Roti, you start with a rice plate, wrap, pita, or salad. Then, add proteins, sides, sauces, and toppings to make your unique creation. Chipotle also starts with four simple items (burrito, burrito bowl, tacos, or salad). According to Business Insider, in 2013 you could end up with 655,360 combinations based on the individual options available! And that was before they added chorizo and queso to the menu, so there are multiple additional combinations you have now.

Proposal organizations, especially busy ones, need to have the same mentality. The number one thing we can do is make the job easier for our writers to develop great, personalized content that speaks to the needs of the client. In my last blog post, and in my guest post for RFPIO, I talked about developing building blocks to allow your team to put together high-quality, client-centric content quickly.

A second approach is to develop repeatable templates. This approach works well on contract vehicles that have the same requirements on each task order. We can build a standardized template, and even populate it with relevant building blocks, to allow our teams to hit the ground running. It also helps the proposal manager by decreasing the turnaround time on getting a template to the writers.

it’s all about the client

For me, the best example of being focused on your customer/client is the Walt Disney Company. They believe in the customer experience model, which means Disney makes sure every interaction with a customer is memorable and of the highest quality, and sees each of these touchpoints as part of building a relationship. They even wrote the book about it – Be Our Guest provides insights for those looking to focus on making each experience memorable.

Some examples from Disney include:

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  Each “cast member,” even corporate executives, have only their first name on their name tags. This makes guests feel like they are talking to a friend

• The resort hotels are a fully immersive experience – places like the Art of Animation resort make sure everything, from the bed linens to the hallways to the pools, are fully in line with the theme of that particular location
• When my family went to Walt Disney World this year, we had reservations for breakfast at Cinderella’s Castle. Before our reservation, we had time to squeeze in a visit with Cinderella in the meet-and-greet location next door. When we got in line for our reservation we realized we would be meeting Cinderella again. A quick word to the photographer about our last stop led to a whisper in Cinderella’s ear, and her greeting my 6 and 4 year olds with “well isn’t it nice to see you again so soon!”
• Click here for a heart-touching story from the Disney Institute blog about a family’s visit and how a purple balloon made the day a life-long memory

We have two clients in proposal development – our external client (the organization we are submitting the proposal to) and the internal client (the one we work with to create the proposal). Our proposals must focus on the external client – they need to be built around what the external client needs and wants and provide a solution specifically tailored to address those issues. We need to guide our internal clients throughout the process and make sure they receive the support and commitment required to put together a winning proposal.

It is important to remember, though, that the client is not always right (especially the internal one). To use the Disney example, what if you want to meet Moana, but she is no longer doing meet-and-greets at the park? Disney is not going to have her show up; instead, they will provide an explanation on why they cannot grant your request and offer alternatives.

In proposal development, we face the same issues. For example, a Capture Lead might insist on an outline that focuses on “the story we want to tell” instead of one built around the solicitation requirements. In these cases, you can and should tell your internal client “no.” However, like Disney, you need to have a sound reason for doing so and explain that reason; just saying “we can’t do that” doesn’t satisfy anyone. Lay out the reason why we need to follow your outline, and provide suggestions on how to weave that story throughout the proposal.

I hope you gain some additional professional insight and ideas from these lessons from other companies. In my final post, I’ll talk about being known for something and how to handle a crisis.

Engage in the conversation – tweet me at https://www.twitter.com/DrSwitaj