using stories in proposals: a cross-industry inquiry
Post on 22-Oct-2014
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I've been quizzing proposal pros, both employees and consultants, about their use of stories in proposals. How are companies capturing, using and showcasing stories to stand out in the competitive crowd?TRANSCRIPT
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APMP Greater Houston Chapter – August 6, 2014
Using Stories in ProposalsA Cross-Industry Inquiry
Presented by:
Julie WickertTrue Story Communication
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“If stories are in the heads of people on the
team, when those people walk away—retire,
win the lottery, go to work for the
competition—those stories walk away with
them.
Stories are intellectual capital the company
should be trying to figure out how to own.”
-- Amy McGeady Ph.D., CPP APMP Fellow
© True Story Communication 2014
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Story cross-pollination
© True Story Communication 2014
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Jeannette Waldie, CPP APMP
Owner, J. K. Waldie & Associates
The participants:
Various industries
© True Story Communication 2014
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Amy Mills
Dep. Dir. Proposal Development, RTI International
The participants:
Research and
technical services
© True Story Communication 2014
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Robert Lohfeld, AF.APMP Fellow, APMP International
CEO, Lohfeld Consulting Group, Inc.
The participants:
Various industries
© True Story Communication 2014
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Amy McGeady, Ph.D., CPP APMP Fellow
Business Development and Proposal Consultant
The participants:
Various industries
© True Story Communication 2014
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Diane Autey
Proposal Manager, RedBrick Health
The participants:
Health engagement
technology
© True Story Communication 2014
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Dee Hutchison
VP, IE Federal Proposals , URS – Austin
The participants:
Engineering,
construction, and
technical services© True Story Communication 2014
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Lorre Walker
Sr. Marketing Coordinator/Proposal Manager, URS
The participants:
Engineering,
construction, and
technical services© True Story Communication 2014
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Betsy Cummings, CF.APMP
Proposal Manager, L3 Aerospace, Army Sustainment
The participants:
Defense and
space
© True Story Communication 2014
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“Before we start the questions, I would like to
ask you a question. What do you mean by
‘stories?’”
-- Jeannette Waldie, CPP APMP
© True Story Communication 2014
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What do you mean by “stories?”
• Customer success stories
• Anecdotes that provide insight into the
character of key proposed personnel
• Accounts of improved performance
• Others? __________________________
A narrative telling of an experience, used persuasively
© True Story Communication 2014
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1. Types of stories? Vary from market to market?
2. Formal story-gathering or story-banking process?
3. How do you gather the stories?
4. How do you store and access them? Any special tools?
5. Other groups use the stories? Stories repurposed for non-proposal uses?
6. Competitive difference?
The questions:
© True Story Communication 2014
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What makes a good story?
“Act I: Get your hero up a tree.
Act II: Throw rocks at him.
Act III: Bring him down.”
Robert McKee, screenwriting instructor
to 26 Academy Award winners
and 125 Emmy Award winners
© True Story Communication 2014
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How do teams capture stories?
• Interviewing customer-facing team
members, customers, or other stakeholders
• Soliciting online submittals
• Mining existing proposals, marketing
materials, annual reports, press releases
(use Google Alerts), etc.
© True Story Communication 2014
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How do they store them?
• Structured folders
• Databases
• Collaborative tools such as Privia, Salesforce,
Pardot, or wikis
© True Story Communication 2014
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How do they showcase
them?
• In the executive summary
• Woven throughout the response
• In a graphically noticeable way
• During orals
© True Story Communication 2014
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“If businesses would prioritize the gathering
of stories, they’d begin to own their own
reputations.”
-- Amy McGeady Ph.D., CPP APMP Fellow
© True Story Communication 2014
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Resources
Stories that Sell, Casey Hibbard (and associated Success Story Marketing LinkedIn group)
“Winning Federal Government Contracts through Fact-Based Storytelling,” Robert S. Frey, M.A. APMP ProposalManagement, Spring/Summer 2005.
“Creating Preference,” Terry R. Bacon, Ph.D. APMP ProposalManagement, Fall/Winter 2002.
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting, Robert McKee.
© True Story Communication 2014Image courtesy of Anna Cervova (http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/)
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Julie WickertTrue Story Communication
512-914-6882
Twitter: @juliewickert
I’d love to hear how you are using stories in
your proposals; get in touch!