Know what they bid.

When the RFP limits you to 20 pages in Arial 10pt, layout matters more than you think. A professional desktop publisher can fit up to 30% more content on the same page than a standard Word template — without breaking any rules. More content means more evidence, more proof, more reasons to say yes.

Evaluators read dozens of proposals. If your executive summary starts with "Founded in 1998, our company..." — they've already stopped reading. Open with what makes you different on this specific contract. The first paragraph decides whether they lean in or skim.

A reference that says "City of Springfield — IT Support" tells evaluators nothing. A reference that says "Reduced system downtime by 40% for a 2,500-employee municipality" tells a story. Structure every reference around need, outcome, solution, and evidence.

Generic resumes lose bids. Tailor every team member's experience to match the specific skills and certifications the RFP asks for. If they want cloud migration experience — lead with cloud migration, not a chronological career overview.

One of the most common gaps we see in losing proposals: no transition plan. Winners almost always include a detailed 30, 60, or 90-day plan with milestones. It signals that you've thought beyond winning the contract — you've thought about delivering it.

Your competitors are writing about you in their proposals, whether you realize it or not. "Unlike smaller firms..." or "Our proprietary technology, unlike open-source alternatives..." — these are ghost themes aimed at your weaknesses. When you know what they say, you can preempt it.

If you don't know what your competitors typically bid, you're guessing. And guessing usually means either leaving money on the table or pricing yourself out. Understanding the price spread in your segment — across multiple contracts — is the fastest way to find the sweet spot.

Most proposals ignore risk. Winners address it head-on. Include a clear risk and mitigation matrix that shows you've anticipated what could go wrong — and that you have a plan. It tells the evaluation committee you're thinking about their problems, not just your solution.

The evaluation committee isn't one person — it's a public works director, an IT manager, a procurement officer, and maybe a finance lead. They all have different concerns. The public works director cares about implementation impact. The IT manager cares about integration. Speak to each of them. Show you understand their specific problems and that your solution addresses all of them.

A well-designed process diagram, project timeline, or organizational chart communicates more in one glance than two pages of text. Evaluators are human — they skim. A clear visual stops the skim and anchors your message. Use them strategically: one strong visual per major section beats five mediocre ones.