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GETTING INSIDE THE EVALUATORS HEAD
Learn how evaluators really do their job

• How do they view your proposal?
• What are they looking for?
• What are the fatal errors that get you eliminated?

For the last 20 years, Michael Asner has assisted state and local governments and government agencies in major acquisitions using RFPs. As part of his work, he has managed or participated in many evaluations. His experience as an Evaluator has made him an expert on helping vendors create winning proposals.

He also provides advice and assistance to private sector firms to improve their proposal writing skills. He has given his popular workshop on Creating Winning proposals in major cities throughout North America.

Articles:

1. How to Lose Really Big: an Evaluators Advice for Writing Losing Proposals
   
   A discussion of critical success factors. If you don’t handle them properly, you are out of the running. Factors include: use of boilerplate, executive summary, costs, defining “the problem” and following instructions.
   
   
2. Right on Target
   
   The importance of convincing the evaluators that you understand the problem, can solve the problem, can actually do the job, and that you provide value.
   
   
3. Common Errors Can Kill Your Proposal
   
   Some examples of what evaluators consider material deficiencies or fatal flaws – errors that will stop the evaluators from reading any further!
   
   
4. Judgment Day: A Look Inside the Evaluation Process
   
   Ways to improve your score. What evaluators like and what they look for in a proposal.
   
   
5. Five Fatal Flaws that Can Damage Your Chances of Winning
   
   Five of the most common mistakes that can land your proposal in the discard pile.

Workshops:

1. Creating Winning Proposals (half or full day)

This workshop presents the key elements of proposal writing and successful proposals from the evaluator’s perspective. It begins with a discussion of proposal strategy. This is followed by problems in creating a winning proposal including knowing when not to bid, and learning how to convince the evaluators that your solution is the best. You will be exposed to insights into the RFP process and learn how to think like an evaluator when dealing with critical issues.

CDs:

1. An Evaluators Perspective on Creating Winning Proposals (100 minutes)

   This CD is based on a live presentation of our workshop (see the workshop description on this page).

2. RFPs and the Evaluation Process: Getting it Right!! (100 minutes)

This CD is a PowerPoint presentation narrated by Michael Asner. It was originally developed to instruct public procurement officials (the Evaluators) about creating the evaluation process for complex RFPs. However, the information contained in this CD will help your proposal manager understand how proposals are evaluated. You will learn what evaluators look for at each step in the evaluation process.

This CD discusses the key components of an evaluation process. Michael then discusses each of the elements of an evaluation process, such as mandatory requirements, or evaluation of costs. For each, he provides insights into best practices and common problems.

Need some help?

We offer a variety of services designed to improve your in-house proposal writing skills, including:

• training your staff
• working on specific proposals with your staff
• developing a training plan for your staff
• helping design an intranet site on proposal writing and providing content for this site
• reviewing current proposal writing processes and resources
• providing a critique of past proposals

Need more information?

Call Michael Asner @ 604.530.7881 or email him at: michael@rfpmentor.com