Prioritize Your Bid and Proposal Training Budget Now

Staying ahead of the curve isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. But with limited training budgets, how can you equip your team with the right skills to stay competitive? Imagine being able to predict the industry’s future and tailor your training budget accordingly. We did that by polling industry experts across LinkedIn groups to answer one crucial question: “What type of training do you think is most beneficial for your bid and proposal organization?” The responses from 134 professionals revealed the following trends.

The Results:

• Capture/Proposal Management (61%)

This result isn’t surprising, given that effective management can significantly increase win rates. Comprehensive training in this area covers everything from capturing and managing proposals to proposal strategy, writing, and reviews.

• Project Management/Schedule Management (15%)

Project management skills are crucial for keeping bid and proposal projects on track. This training ensures deadlines are met, resources are allocated efficiently, and potential risks are mitigated. Mastering project management and scheduling can streamline processes and improve overall efficiency.

• Generative Artificial Intelligence (15%)

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is transforming the bid and proposal landscape. Training in this area can help you automate repetitive tasks, enhance proposal quality, and gain insights from data analytics. As GenAI technology advances, staying updated in this field will be increasingly important.

• Oral Coaching/Training (9%)

Although less emphasized, oral presentation skills remain essential, particularly for final pitch presentations. Training in this area can boost confidence and improve the delivery of your key messages.

Crafting Your Training Budget

Given these insights, how should you allocate your training budget? Here are a few suggestions to guide you:

• Assess Current Skill Levels: Evaluate your team’s competencies in each area. Identify any skill gaps and prioritize training that addresses these weaknesses.
• Align with Organizational Goals: Ensure your training investments align with your company’s strategic goals. If capturing more contracts is a top priority, focus on enhancing your team’s capture and proposal management capabilities.
• Incorporate Emerging Technologies: With AI’s growing impact, investing in generative AI training can future-proof your team.
• Balance Soft and Hard Skills: Soft skills, like communication and project management, are crucial and can help improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Implement Succession Planning: Unpredictability is a hallmark of the bid and proposal industry, so verify you have the primary and backup staff to support every skill requirement and handle work surges.

Conclusion

Are you ready to optimize your training budget and boost your team’s performance? Start by evaluating your current training programs and identifying areas for improvement. Invest in the training that will provide the most significant returns and keep your team ahead of industry trends. By doing so, you’ll not only enhance your proposal success rates but also ensure long-term growth and competitiveness in the GovCon market. Dive into these training areas and watch your win rates climb!

Related Content

Lohfeld Consulting Public Training Class Schedule: Training & Events

By Brenda Crist, Vice President at Lohfeld Consulting Group, MPA, CPP APMP Fellow

Lohfeld Consulting Group has proven results specializing in helping companies create winning captures and proposals. As the premier capture and proposal services consulting firm focused exclusively on government markets, we provide expert assistance to government contractors in Capture Planning and Strategy, Proposal Management and Writing, Capture and Proposal Process and Infrastructure, and Training. In the last 3 years, we’ve supported over 550 proposals winning more than $170B for our clients—including the Top 10 government contractors. Lohfeld Consulting Group is your “go-to” capture and proposal source! Start winning by contacting us at www.lohfeldconsulting.com and join us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube^(TM).

Brenda Crist

See Full Bio