Column: How to use a Black Hat Review Process to Craft Winning Bids for Government Contractors

      Most everyone knows that in our business, identifying the competition and assessing their strengths and weaknesses through a thorough Black Hat review process can help give your organization the edge it needs.

      When it comes to conducting Black Hat reviews, there are various approaches and methodologies. However, the common denominators in these approaches are simple and straightforward: Data obtained and reviewed needs to be quality data; and the process, once started, needs to be seen through to completion.

      To help you win competitive bids, your Black Hat review process should include the following components:

1. Have the Right People in Place.

        Getting inside the minds of your competitors is easier when you have people on your team who either worked for the competition in the past or have experience competing against them.

2. Evaluate Requirements.

        Spend some time getting familiar with the Request for Proposals (RFP), so you have a working knowledge of what the customer is actually looking for and what their budget is. If you miss the mark on key information you are likely to lose the bid.

3. Review Collected Information.

         What do you know about your competition, including the incumbent company providing services (if applicable)? Review and evaluate teammates, competitors, and other general capture intelligence you’ve already collected.

4. Consider Budget Challenges or Preferences.

         You will need to understand the potential client’s budgets and allocations, but you should also consider whether there are government-related issues, challenges or preferences that could impact the way you respond to the RFP – and the potential client’s ultimate decision.

5. Evaluate Your Company - from Your Competitors’ Point of View.

         Next, put yourself in your competitors’ shoes. What information are they reviewing and considering about your company? Who is your real competition? What does your team look like? This exercise can give you insight into what the potential government client will think of your organization.

6. Prepare a SWOT Analysis on Your Organization.

         Still in your competitors’ shoes, prepare a “SWOT” analysis on your company, considering its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. As with the initial competitors’ analysis exercise, the SWOT analysis can be eye-opening, helping you prepare to frame your response to the RFP.

7. Consider Your Relationship to the Customer.

         Next, talk about the potential client from your company’s standpoint (as the competitor). What solution knowledge does the potential client have already? What is your company’s current relationship with the potential client, and how might this impact your bid? Are there other potential issues or challenges that could influence the bid process?

8. Determine Pricing Parameters.

        Earlier in the process, you considered the government client’s budget and allocations. Now, consider how your company’s pricing expectations, as the competitor, would fit within those budget parameters. How much (by percentage) are you willing to come down on your pricing in order to win the contract?

9. Understand if a Win Would Impact Your Staffing Needs.

         You, as the competitor, also need to consider the potential change a winning bid could have on your own staffing needs. If you are successful, will you need to increase staff numbers, or will this be a green initiative? Your potential staffing needs could have a material impact on pricing and profitability, so adjust your pricing parameters as necessary and appropriate.

10. Analyze Collected Information and Craft Your Proposal Response.

          By this point, you likely have collected a significant amount of information. Review and analyze it carefully so you can craft a response that will resonate with decision-makers. All ghosting information highlighting your competitors’ weaknesses, and your company’s offsets to their strengths, should then be disseminated among the contributors and woven into the writing process.

11. Identify Teammates Who Have Strengths Where You Have Weaknesses.

          Next, review and identify a list of potential teammates. Your teammates will be companies that have strengths in areas where your business has weaknesses. When your strengths complement each other, you’ll be able to provide a better client experience when you win the bid.

12. Finalize the Win and Make Your Case.

         Finally, you’re ready to make your case as to why you should win the government contract. Summarize the client’s needs for this project, reiterate your strengths and explain why they should pick you over the competition.

      Of course, simply enhancing your Black Hat Review process will not guarantee you will win that next big contract. Still, having a consistent and repeatable process can help you identify areas for improvement in your own organization and give you the edge to be more successful going forward.

      When your company is bidding on a government contract, your chances of success go up when you are able to conduct a thorough Black Hat review of the competition. Do your Black Hat reviews incorporate these 12 components?

Skip Blackburn is Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of BIT Solutions, LLC. You may contact him at skip@bitsolutionsllc.com.

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Column: How to use a Black Hat Review Process to Craft Winning Bids for Government Contractors

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