Pre-Sales, Solution Design and Bid Management

An Overview
XYZ reports 50% revenue growth and 40% rise in Net Profits during Q1 FY13

Fresh orders of $200mn were secured during the quarter, resulting in $990mn of
executable order book over the next 12 months.

Twenty new customers were added in this quarter.

What all does it take to build order-book and bring new business to the company?

Whether it is one single person or a group of persons, who are working tirelessly day in
and day out to make sure company is sustainable?
1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle

2.
• What is Pre-Sales

3.
• RFx

4.
• Solution Design

5.
• Bid Management
1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle

2.
• What is Pre-Sales

3.
• RFx

4.
• Solution Design

5.
• Bid Management
Its about………………….

…………………….?
Buyer Considerations………….?

Seller Considerations………….?
 S
O P
P
C A
N
 S uspecting

O P
P
C A
N
S

 Suspecting

Generating the sales lead

Marketing Campaigns

Trade Fairs, Industry Forums

Online Marketing, Social Media

Inside Sales Team

 S uspecting

O P rospecting

P
C A
N
S P

 Prospecting

Qualifying the sales lead

For a sales lead to qualify as a sales

prospect, qualification must be performed and evaluated
–

Product Applicability / Fitment of Solution

Ability to afford our solution

Time frame of purchase

 S uspecting

O P rospecting

P
C A nalysis

N
S P A

 Analysis

Taking the qualified prospect through a question and

answer session to identify the requirements

Help the buyer identify and quantify a business need

or a ‘gap’ between where prospect is today and where
it want to be in future

SPIN
S P A

 Analysis

SPIN
 S uspecting

O P rospecting

P roposals

C A nalysis

N
S P A P

 Proposals

Come up with a business proposal suggesting

various products/services that will suffice the need of
the prospect

Includes Cost, Schedule and other information

 S uspecting

O P rospecting

P roposals

C A nalysis

N egotiation
S P A P N

 Negotiation

Negotiate the terms set in the business proposal

Pricing (Technique & Amount)

Scope of the Project

Timeline
 S uspecting

O P rospecting

P roposals

C losure A nalysis

N egotiation
S P A P N C

 Closure

Making the actual sale

Getting the Sign-Off / Purchase Order

Getting the SOW signed

 S uspecting

Repeat O rder P rospecting

P roposals

C losure A nalysis

N egotiation
S P A P N C O

 repeat Order

Maintaining the relationship with client and brining

more orders through

Cross Selling, Other Project Opportunities

Order Renewals
 S uspecting

Repeat O rder P rospecting

P roposals

C losure A nalysis

N egotiation
 Hunters

 Farmers
1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle

2.
• What is Pre-Sales

3.
• RFx

4.
• Solution Design

5.
• Bid Management
 Pre Sales includes the
entire gamut of activities involved in preparing to engage
with prospects / clients,
and includes specific responses to client requests
 Responding to Client
Responding to
Client Requests
Requests
Responding to
RFP, RFI, RFQ

Providing any information

to the client, which helps
him take the buying
decision

General client queries

about solutions and
capabilities
 Supporting Client Visits
Responding to
Client
Requests Prospects / clients may
visit the vendor’s office
Supporting
Client Visit

To see the vendor’s

infrastructure

Gives vendor an
opportunity to showcase its
capability and do cross-
selling
 Visiting Clients
Responding to
Client
Requests Visiting client for
meetings
Supporting
Client Visit

Due diligence – to get a

clear understanding of the
requirement
Visiting
Clients May also include
demonstration of Proof-Of-
Concepts or product

Solution Presentation to
the Client
 Interfacing with Internal & External
Groups to Design Best Fit Solution
Responding to
Client for Client
Requests
Need to interface & coordinate
Supporting
Client Visit
with
Technical Competency
Centres

Visiting Functional SME

Clients

Interfacing &
Legal and Financial
Coordinating
Delivery Teams

Recruitment

Third Party / OEMs

 Marketing Support
Responding to
Client
Requests For various marketing
events, need to support
Supporting
Client Visit
marketing team through

Offering and
Capability related
Marketing
Support Visiting documents, brochures
Clients and posters
Interfacing &
Coordinating Extended capability (if
any) through alliances
with other product
development firms or
niche vendors
 Competitor Analysis & Market
Responding to
Client Scanning
Requests
Clients receive response
Competitor Supporting
Analysis Client Visit
from multiple vendors, so
one must know where does
it stand against competition
Marketing
Support Visiting What is our competition in
Clients an industry / for a specific
Interfacing &
bid opportunity and what
Coordinating are their offerings /
differentiators

Market scanning is done

through market research
reports, analyst reports
 Responding to
Client Requests

Competitor Supporting
Analysis Client Visit

Marketing
Support Visiting Clients

Interfacing &
Coordinating
1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle

2.
• What is Pre-Sales

3.
• RFx

4.
• Solution Design

5.
• Bid Management
 RFI / EOI

Request for Information / Expression of Interest

These are usually relatively short documents that ask

specific questions about the vendor and services vendor
provides

Capability Evaluation

Often used as pre-qualifier to determine which vendors

will receive an RFP or RFQ – Vendor Empanelment
 RFP

Request for Proposal

These are often lengthy documents that provide detailed

information on requirements
functions & workflow,
business goals,
integration specs, etc
to the vendors so they may propose a solution which
meets the Client’s needs and goals

It often includes scope of requirements, pricing

requirements, contract terms & conditions, as well as
detailed case studies & reference requirements
 RFQ

Request for Quotes

Can be part of an RFP or RFI

This is a request for pricing based on what's outlined in

the RFI or specified in an RFP, or can be used as a request
for ala carte pricing for various service options
RFI , RFP & RFQ

A company can do any one or more of the above, usually

in the order shown

Often the RFP may incorporate both the RFI and RFQ as
sections of the doc, and also include other evaluation
steps such as a demo, proof-of-concept or presentation

A big advantage of using RFI, RFP or RFQ in software

evaluation is that it allows vendors to self-eliminate
because they can better assess their own chances

This helps the buyer narrow down the choices to the

most feasible solutions
1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle

2.
• What is Pre-Sales

3.
• RFx

4.
• Solution Design

5.
• Bid Management
?
 Effort Estimation

Estimating how much effort it is going to take to

complete the project

Various industry standard methodologies are used for

effort estimation like FP, WBS, SMC

Given in Person Months

 Technical Solution

Technical Solution, addressing the client’s requirements

Technology Selection

Technical Architecture

Technology Stack

Licensing / Sizing Information

Infrastructure / Hosting Solution

Compliance to NFR
 Functional Solution

Functional Solution, addressing the client’s requirements

Functional Flow

Fitment of any existing frameworks

Compliance to FR
 Project Execution Methodology

Which Methodology will be followed for project

implementation
Waterfall
Iterative
Agile

Client specified or Vendor recommended methodology

Warranty, Maintenance & Support

 Project Plan

Timelines to implement the project

Milestones to complete various stages of the project

Activities to be performed and various deliverables

 Resourcing & Team

Recommended Team structure

Onsite / Offshore composition

Different Roles identified

No of resources for each identified role

Sample CV / Positioning for key roles

?
 Effort Estimation

 Technical Solution

 Functional Solution

 Project Execution Methodology

 Project Plan

 Resourcing & Team

 Executive Summary – Cover Letter

 Value Proposition

 Understanding of Requirements - Client’s Pain Points

 Solution

 Vertical & Technical Capability –

Accelerators, Case Studies & References

 Pricing

 Vendor Information
1.
• Understanding the Sales Cycle

2.
• What is Pre-Sales

3.
• RFx

4.
• Solution Design

5.
• Bid Management
 Bid Qualification Form
1. Project Name/Bid Title

2. Client name

3. Business Domain (Finance / Insurance / Transport, etc)

4. Type of Request (RFP / RFI / Estimation only)

5. Type of Bid (Please mark X in column)

Custom Software Development Workflow Application
Application Support & Maintenance Packaged Software
Systems Integration Enterprise Knowledge Solution
Legacy Modernization & Maintenance Other:

6. Items required from Offshore (Please mark X in appropriate columns)

Complete Proposal Response to RFI
Technical Solution Only Presentation
Project Estimates Only Other:

7. Critical Success Factors for winning the Bid

8. What is the Account Managers assessment of the

probability that NIIT will be selected?

9. What is the budget the client has in mind for this assignment?
10. Technological preferences of client, if any?

11. General Information

Milestone Date
RFP/RFI published by Client
RFP/RFI sent to Offshore
Submission to Client
Response needed from Offshore
Client briefing (if any)
Likely decision by client

12. Main Competitors’

13. Is there a preference for local vendor (Yes/No)?

14. What is Approx. Planned Gross Margin from

Sales Team?

15. Any other Information relevant to this bid

16. Name of Account Manager & Geo

Bid Team Formation
Bid Plan
Kick-off meeting - Roles and Responsibilities

Understanding Business Problem / Requirement Deal Strategy

Document
Win Theme – Differentiators, Value proposition

Technical and Functional Solution

Effort & Cost
Execution Approach Estimation

Estimation, Resource Plan

Proposal Preparation
Proposal
Integration of all information (Commercial part by Sales Team)
Stitching the proposal
Review
s Final Review and Submission
Cycles
• Final Review of Entire proposal
• Submission to prospect
• Archival of proposals
10 tips to prepare a winning proposal

1. Focus on the Customer

2. Customize and personalize
3. Define the Solution
4. Calculate Benefits--Buyer Value
5. Show Non-financial Benefits—Buyer Value
6. Describe the Methodology
7. Include Differentiator
8. Highlight Business Information More Than Technical Information
9. Develop Proposal Standards
10. Ensure the Quality Standards
Presentation
 Know your audience
 Establish the context
 Include only essentials, from customers perspective
 Establish a structure (agenda)
 Ensure a flow, in order of importance
 Use of mnemonics, pictures, graphs – must be relevant
 Using the right tone.
◦ Tone is determined by
 Choice of words, expressions, sentences
 Modulation
 Facial expression, body language
 Voice

“Client buys you first then your company”

“winning isn’t everything
it’s the only thing”.