Four Ways Proposals Are Like Backpacking Trips
I recently went on a fairly intense backpacking trip to Havasu Falls,
Arizona. For those of you who don’t know me personally, I am not a big
backpacker, nor am I very outdoorsy. But, I was presented with a trip of a
lifetime, so I decided to stretch out of my comfort zone and prepare for this
somewhat daunting adventure. And through this experience, I discovered that
backpacking is not unlike proposals. Here’s what I learned:
1. Preparation is key
Like with proposals, preparing for an intense overnight hike requires
the right preparation. The more work you do up front, the smoother things go
when things go live. With our backpacking
trip, the better we prepared in terms of researching the environment, having
the supplies we needed, breaking in our shoes, and making sure our bodies were
trained and ready, the smoother things went on the trip. Similarly, with
proposals, preparation goes a long way. A well researched and implemented
capture plan, a pre-trained proposal team, and having the right resources
before the RFP is released all help the proposal process go smoothly.
2. Checklists can prevent
missteps
Like with proposals, preparing for a backpacking trip has a lot of
moving parts. When we were doing our final bag pack, we accidentally brought
two camping stoves, but only one propane tank. Such a simple mistake wasn’t a
fatal flaw for our trip—it simply meant we had to limit the amount of hot food
we ate over the course of three days—but for a proposal, this mistake could
cost you the win. A simple checklist would have ensured that we had packed
everything we intended on the trip. Likewise, a simple quality control
checklist can help ensure you include all the required items in your final
package that you deliver to the customer.
3. The right attitude goes a
long way
Like proposals, long, difficult hikes can be somewhat painful. One key
difference is that typically on a hike, the hikers have chosen to be there. On
a proposal, not all parties are necessarily willing participants. However, a
hiker that is constantly complaining about aches, pains, blisters, and being
too hot or cold can ruin the experience for the other hikers and negatively
impact the positive momentum. Similarly, a proposal team member that is
constantly negative can ruin the positive progress of the proposal. When on a
hiking trip, you can’t necessarily remove the negative Nancy from the group once the trip has started, but on a
proposal, sometimes you have the capability to remove toxic team members from
the process. This will make the experience better for everyone involved and can
help translate to a better proposal overall.
4. The end result is worth it
Somewhat like proposals, our trip had two ends: our destination (the
campgrounds and falls), and then two days later, our cars. Similarly, with
proposals, there are also two ideal ends: the submission, and then (hopefully)
the win. The hike into Havasu was exhausting, through what seemed like never
ending canyons, but in the end, we were rewarded with beautiful falls and
amazing scenery. On our way out, we had more hard work hiking back out of the
canyon. With the final push up two miles of switchbacks, we kept the final end
goal in mind: the warmth and comfort of our cars—and the promise of an eventual
shower. With proposals, the initial development process is often grueling, but
with hard work, the result is typically well worth it: a solid and
well-developed proposal. Once evaluation notices or requests for clarification
come, there is more hard work—but like with our trip, it’s critical to keep the
end goal in mind: a contract win for the company.
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