Writing proposals for alternative delivery pursuits (CMAR, CMGC, Design-Build) now involves much more than putting together the lowest bid. As owners and agencies across the country make the switch to qualifications-based procurements, they are increasingly interested in knowing how you plan to approach the project, the technical details and innovations you offer, who your core team for the project will be, and what their qualifications are for performing the work. A traditional construction marketing team may not have the breadth of expertise to tackle these new, highly competitive Statement of Qualification or Statement of Proposal pursuits.
Below, we outline five reasons why you should hire a Pursuit Manager to help you win these pursuits – even if you have an internal marketing team.
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All-in-One Dedicated Team
A true pursuit management agency goes beyond the average construction marketing team’s capacity and provides all-in-one services and unmatched expertise. A dedicated pursuit management team has a whole suite of technical and creative services to take your proposal from the Request for Qualifications/Proposal to submittal. You get a team of designers, technical writers, content specialists, layout specialists, and compliance experts that optimize every aspect of your proposal and guide you through the development and review process – all for less than hiring full-time, in-house marketing personnel.
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Competitive Edge
As Pursuit Managers, we eat, sleep, and breathe construction project pursuits and proposals. We know the field, the competitors, and the trends in procurement. In these increasingly competitive markets, it is critical to not only develop a great proposal but position your firm at the leading edge. Pursuit Managers are the experts that can elevate your submittal and increase your odds of bringing back the win.
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Outside Perspectives
Aside from the benefit of having an all-in-one team, as mentioned above, having a third-party expert in your project pursuit brings outside perspectives that can flush out everything from your technical approach to your project or personnel experience. Your team is so close to your firm and projects that, sometimes, important details slip through the cracks. This is especially true when a Joint Venture team works on a proposal; two teams translating into one voice can be a challenge. Having an outside voice chime in with questions like “Who decides on Option A over Option B and what qualifies them for those decisions?” or even “Why this mix instead of that one?” can uncover a wealth of innovative, partnership- and quality-driven decisions that your team made, and that story can then be shared with the selection committees. A keen, outside eye can identify the unseen opportunities to shine a light on your unique qualifications.
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Maximized Impact
Maximize your impact on the selection committee by leveraging every tool at your disposal. Having a dedicated pursuit management team is the best way to do that! Not only do you get a team of experts and a full suite of cross-platform tools and technologies, but you also get the best practices that leverage those assets to position your proposal to shortlist and win. We make the most of every character and pixel to highlight your qualifications, freeing you to work on the innovative problem-solving and value engineering that will bring the best value to the project.
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Accelerated Timelines
Hiring Pursuit Managers frees up your time to focus on other things, like getting that crisp new headshot or developing the details of your technical approach. You can rest easy knowing people like us make sure that all the boxes are checked and that your proposal is as eye-catching as it is informative. In fact, with an agile team like ours set up to work remotely across time zones, we condense and accelerate the work rate, often churning out documents days or weeks ahead of an in-house marketing team’s timeline.
BONUS! Alternative Delivery Expertise
More and more state Departments of Transportation, municipalities, cities, counties, and airports are moving toward CMAR, CMGC, Progressive Design-Build, and other forms of alternative delivery. This means the procurement processes are different and that the selection committees are looking for something more than just those who can do the job for the smallest budget. With alternative delivery proposals, owners are interested in who you are, how you work, how you partner, and the nitty-gritty of what you bring to the table. You know who you are and what you do, but a Pursuit Manager knows the best ways to communicate that for alternative delivery proposals. We are experts in interpreting RFQs and RFPs to understand what is most important to the procuring entity and ensure those concerns are addressed in your proposal.
In short, hiring a Pursuit Manager gives you an advantage over your competition and can help you succeed on tough “must-win” procurements. If you want to know more about Mission Critical as a pursuit manager, check out our About Us page or Contact us to see if we can help you win your next job.