When Writing Proposals In House Actually COSTS You Money?
By Dan Safford

Many firms claim they keep proposal costs down by preparing proposals during off hours — after work and during weekends. After all, you need to have your staff be as billable as possible, don't you?

On the other hand, are you really saving money by doing this? How productive is your staff going to be on a project during the day if they're staying until eleven at night working on a proposal? And the more fatigued and worn out your staff, the more the quality of the proposal itself suffers. If you insist on doing project work during the day and proposals during "free time" and after hours, the quality of both your billable projects and the proposals will suffer.

The answer to this is straightforward, though it's a tough sell: write fewer proposals, ones that come as a result of long-term pre-solicitation client contact. And when you write them, plan carefully, and draw from your marketing budget to pay for them. Over time, more of your proposals will be winners. And your staff won't be so close to burn-out.