Pinpoint Your Proposal Review Focus for Winning Results

Proposal reviews are a cornerstone of crafting winning proposals. They offer a systematic way to catch mistakes and refine your message before it reaches the client. Proposal reviews help detect errors early, improve clarity and persuasion, provide new perspectives, and ensure the proposal is clear, compelling, and aligned with the win strategy. Companies often benefit from pre-request for proposal reviews as well as early draft reviews, known as Pink Team reviews, and final proposal reviews, known as Red Team Reviews.  In addition, executives commonly review the final proposal during the Gold Team Review, and offerors also perform White Team reviews to verify compliance.

Linked Poll Results Say…

We wondered if companies place more emphasis on one of these common reviews or if they find iterative reviews more profitable. So, Lohfeld Consulting took a LinkedIn poll that asked respondents which review team has the most impact on improving their proposal quality and score, with the options of Pink, Red, Gold, or White Team. Here is the result:

• 57% Pink Team
• 34% Red Team
• 6% White Team
• 3% Gold Team

A significant 57% of respondents championed the Pink Team, which specializes in early draft reviews. This overwhelming majority suggests that catching issues early—when there’s still time to rework structure, messaging, and strategy—can set the foundation for a truly exceptional proposal. The Pink Team’s role isn’t just about proofreading; it’s about instilling strategic clarity and identifying strengths, weaknesses, and risks right from the start.

Not far behind, 34% of our poll participants credited the Red Team with making the decisive final impact. These professionals believe that a thorough final document review is indispensable, ensuring that the proposal is not only error-free but also polished and persuasive before submission. The Red Team’s input often serves as the final seal of quality assurance, bridging the gap between a solid draft and a winning proposal.

The White Team, responsible for compliance checks, was chosen by 6% of respondents. Their role, while essential for ensuring adherence to regulations and standards, appears to be seen as less directly influential on the score and persuasive elements of a proposal’s quality and score.

Interestingly, only 3% of respondents felt that the Gold Team—a review conducted by executives or leadership—was the game changer. While high-level insights are undeniably valuable, this small percentage indicates that executive reviews, though critical in setting strategic direction, might be more beneficial as occasional checkpoints rather than the primary engine for iterative improvement.

Iterative Reviews

We also asked respondents if they preferred frequent iterative reviews. Several respondents indicated that the earlier reviews (pre-request for proposal) were essential to winning bids. In addition, if you are working on a large, complex bid, you don’t want to wait for these key review milestones before examining and scoring proposal content.

Unpacking the Proposal Review Implications

What do these results tell us? First, the Pink Team’s dominance underscores the importance of early and iterative reviews. Initiating the review process at the draft stage allows for early detection of potential pitfalls and fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Frequent, iterative reviews can also transform the development process, turning each draft into an opportunity for refinement and innovation.

On the other hand, the substantial vote for the Red Team highlights the critical nature of the final review. Even when proposals are built on a solid foundation, the final polish can make all the difference in ensuring clarity, coherence, and impact. It’s a reminder that while early input is vital, the finishing touches are equally indispensable in sealing a proposal’s fate.

Conclusion

The insights from our LinkedIn poll reveal a clear trend: a robust review process that kicks off early—with the Pink Team at the helm—can dramatically enhance proposal quality and scoring potential. While final reviews by the Red Team ensure perfection, the relatively lower emphasis on the Gold and White Teams suggests that strategic and compliance reviews, though necessary, should support rather than overshadow the core iterative process. This balanced, stage-driven approach is the key to unlocking proposal success in an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Contact us to learn more about Lohfeld Consulting’s proposal review services and training.

Further Reading

• How to Double Win Rates with Seven Quality Measures

• Why Proposal Reviews Fail and How to Fix Them

• Pink Team Perfection: How to Avoid Common Mistakes and Win

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).