Business Development Boot Camp

Dates & Locations

Jan 30-Feb 3, 2023 – Sterling, VA
Mar 20-24, 2023 – Sterling, VA
May 15-19, 2023 – Sterling, VA

Course Information

This Boot Camp provides a unique opportunity to complete all core course requirements for Shipley Business Development Certification in a single week.

Below is a description of each course included in the Boot Camp.

Capturing Federal Business

This workshop will develop your skill leading business pursuits prior to release of requests for proposals (RFP), when your competitive potential and flexibility are highest. Through lecture, presentations, and the simulation of a real pursuit, you will learn to improve your position with your customer and develop your win strategy well in advance of submitting your offers.

You will learn about:

• Making smart pursuit decisions
• Conducting and opportunity assessment
• Preparing a comprehensive capture plan and action plan
• Recognizing customer buying patterns and trends
• Collecting business and competitive intelligence
• Comparing competitor capabilities against you own
• Developing a win strategy
• Supporting the proposal team as the pursuit progresses

You will understand how companies that invest in capture planning before writing proposals can bid on fewer opportunities, spend less, but win more often.

Managing Federal Proposals

This workshop teaches skills for proposal or volume management in the Government market space. It begins by simulating a government source selection evaluation to build detailed understanding of how Federal buying and selection processes impact proposal planning and management. It continues by practicing all steps necessary to manage a successful proposal effort. It wraps up with comprehensive guidance on effective leadership techniques for the fast-paced proposal environment.

You will learn to:

• Assess your own proposals like Government evaluators do
• Create effective proposal strategies
• Develop compliance checklists
• Outline proposals to match government instructions
• Assign requirements to specific authors and contributors
• Prepare for and conduct an effective proposal kickoff meeting
• Lead high-performing proposal teams on fast-paced schedules
• Prepare for effective reviews to ensure compliance and consistency in message
• Prepare for potential interactions with your customer after proposal submittal

Electronic proposal management tools discussed in the workshop will be available for download prior to the first day of the workshop.

Writing Federal Proposals

This workshop equips you to be a productive contributor on a proposal team in the Government market space. Taught from the perspective of a section author, the workshop replicates the experience of planning, organizing, and writing a proposal section, from receiving instructions at a kickoff meeting to incorporating feedback from reviewers.

You will learn to:

• Think like Government evaluators of your proposal
• Make technical information reader- and evaluator-friendly
• Work with subject-matter-experts to develop benefits-focused content
• Incorporate effective graphics and captions
• Develop proposal theme statements that sell your value to the customer
• Organize, write, and revise proposal text
• Collaborate with other team members

In the workshop, you and your team will be assigned to plan and write a proposal section for an actual proposal, gaining insights into processes, tools, and sources of necessary information.