What if you could convert your technical personnel into good proposal writers?  Can you monetize this?

  1. Get your engineers / SMEs trained in proposal writing. This is something that can’t be done in a day. But, it can be done over time. That is, if the personnel needing the training are willing to try. Some technical specialists don’t like to write. And some of them so sincerely don’t like to write that attempting to train them would be a waste of resources. If you are going to go for the training solution, you could expect to see results with two or three seminars spread over an 18-month period. A good source of training can be found here.
  2. Get consultant assistance. This is the quick solution and is more reliable in the short run. The consultants can use various approaches depending on the situation. They could, for example, debrief the engineers / SMEs and then write the proposal sections themselves. [The problem with this approach is that there is no skill transfer to your personnel.] They could coach the technical personnel in how to structure and write their proposal sections. And / or they could facilitate the writing process by helping the technical personnel to develop their outlines and then iterating their sections back and forth with editorial comments until the material is strong.

Sometimes a combination of approaches will help solve the immediate problem while also developing the writing skills of your technical personnel. For example, you could get training for your personnel while getting a consultant group to assist with the immediate proposal. It especially works to your advantage if you can employ a consultant group that is ready to “lose your business” by training you in the needed skills.

Thus the training helps you get the present proposal done, while the consultant provides mentoring that is designed to transfer the writing skills to your personnel during the consulting assignment.