EP061: RFP Strategy, Trends and Professionalism, Part 2 – with Ajay Patel
In the last 20 years, proposal professionals have done a lot of work in developing best practices around the proposal process, defining the skills and competencies required to craft a winning RFP. But we have yet to clearly define what professionalism means for our trade craft in terms of mindset or attitude. So, how has the proposal industry evolved over time? How can our community set the trends for a better future? How do we want others to see us?
Ajay Patel has an extensive history in the proposal space, developing expertise in entrepreneurship, strategic partnerships, and business development. Today, he serves as the President and CEO of SMA, a management consulting firm that helps its clients compete to win business. Ajay received an MBA in Strategy and Finance from USC’s Marshall School of Business and a BA in Physics from Johns Hopkins.
On this episode, Ajay joins us to share a historical perspective on the evolution of the proposal industry and weigh in on the areas the community should look at moving forward. He explores the possibility of creating a process for proposal strategy, the development of visual literacy, and the pivotal role narrative plays in the RFP response. Listen in to understand the five models of nonfiction storytelling and learn Ajay’s take on what professionalism means in our trade craft.
Key Takeaways
A historical perspective of the evolution of the proposal industry
The industry leaders who facilitated the shift from art to process
Ajay’s view of the proposal community as would-be trendsetters
The areas of the RFP space Ajay wants the community to explore
Strategy
Graphics
Role of narrative
Professionalism
The growing importance of visual literacy in an Instagram world
The potential applications of AI on the evaluator side of RFPs
Adler and VanDoren’s 4 levels of reading
1. Elementary
2. Inspectional
3. Analytic
4. Synoptic
The data around a reader’s mental capacity for processing
Ajay’s 5 models for nonfiction storytelling
1. Iconic social science argument
2. Medical rounds approach
3. Inductive reasoning
4. Deductive reasoning
5. Ethnographic
Why SMA hires for attitude first and fills in skills gaps