1. Decreasing the number of full-time personnel
  2. Taking a more careful look at selecting which programs to bid
  3. Finding a source of consultant personnel

Companies seeking a source of consultant support have two commonly used options:

  1. Hire independent consultants – This option is cheaper. However, many companies find it inconvenient, because they have to in effect become a proposal services agency. And this involves identifying and qualifying a cadre of talent that can be employed on an as needed basis.
  2. Selecting a proposal consultant agency

Following below are some of the factors a company would want to consider in selecting an agency:

  1. Does the consultant group have a corporate character and “feel” that is compatible with your company? These factors are hard to put in words but easy to sense in a personal meeting.
  2. Does the group have a demonstrated responsive service delivery capability? For example, can they deliver qualified consultants within your typical time frames?
  3. If your group does not have an efficient proposal process, can the consultant group provide a good process?
  4. Do they have a deep bench of talent in the labour categories you will use?
  5. Do they have a pricing scale that is compatible with your needs?
  6. Do they have a record of helping to win a lot of contracts?

In a best of all possible worlds there would be no need to downsize a proposal group. However, in the real world successful groups step up and do what they have to do.