Proposal writing can be a chaotic experience for federal contractors. Late nights and last-minute crises are frequently a way of life. One of the causes of proposal chaos is the writing effort is not managed by a person of authority so that critical technical and pricing content is routinely postponed until the last minute. Crash writing at the 11th hour results in inferior content. Furthermore, many companies do not have proposal managers or, when they do, these staff members often do not have the authority to assign technical writing tasks and demand that the content be produced on time.

Based on the foregoing, many businesses simply wish that proposal writing would just go away. Talented technical writers are usually income-producing staff members and making demands on them while they also try to service billable clients can be difficult. And when a staff member is devoted to writing a proposal, corporate profits decrease because they aren't billing their time. A common lament from technical staff is: "Why me? I got stuck with the last proposal and I hate writing." Most would agree that proposal writing tends to be one of the most unpleasant aspects of federal contracting.

In order to tame the beast, you must find that rare technical person within your organization who can write, has strong organizational and people skills, and is a meticulous manager. Make him or her the proposal manager who reports directly to the top and make it clear to everyone that the manager has the authority to assign writing tasks and set schedules. Back the manager every time someone doesn't produce. Get involved in proposal writing; it isn't going to go away.

Regards,
Richard White
President
Fedmarket.com
rwhite@thefederalmarketplace.com
301 908 0546 (cell)

Visit Fedmarket
For inquiries, call 888-661-4094. Press 2.