Formal “color coded” proposal reviews are frequently overdone and can have a negative an impact on profits. Too often people are taken on billable time and they have nothing to contribute.

Involve just the key people (writers and project people) when the proposal manager and chief technical person sees the need for a review of the draft proposal. Send each person the draft proposal and request that they add content and edit content in the draft proposal itself and do not use track changes. Send the changed draft proposal to the proposal manager before the review meeting. The proposal manager should color code all suggested changes in a draft proposal before the meeting use the new draft as the basis for the meeting. Consider dis-inviting any prospective attendees that do not have time to make comments in the draft proposal.

Evaluate proposals from the government’s perspective and answer theses questions:

• Have you redounded to Section L with insights and creativity?
• Is all of your content in sections that will earn evaluation points?
• Have you broken up the key points in the Executive Summary into sections that earn points.
• Have you made unsubstantiated sales points and claims?
• Have you made it easy for the evaluators?
• Can you reduce your price?

Finish all of your proposal reviews several days before the due date.