Consulting Proposal Playbook (PDF)

As we all know, developing effective, convincing and competitive client proposals is crucial to our firm's ability to sell our services to our clients. Since our clients will often rely upon the content of these proposals in making their decisions as to whether they should hire XYZ, these documents need to be prepared in a timely and careful fashion.

The XYZ Legal & Commercial Group (L&C) has designed this document with the following "gameplan" in mind:
•  Help you write a proposal which wins the client's business (the proposal should include a good "offense")
•  Minimize any business or legal risks to XYZ (the playbook should include a good defense")
•  Maintain overall business flexibility for XYZ
•  To educate you and help streamline L&C's involvement in the proposal review process

This document addresses issues which typically arise with proposals and not, for example, issues with contractual this document is not meant to serve as a substitute for actual L&C involvement, we hope that it will be a useful tool for you and your teams. Generally, L&C should be involved when XYZ receives the RFP. If there is no RFP, L&C should be involved before XYZ submits the proposal to the client.

The Consulting Proposal Playbook also delves into confidentiality considerations, providing sample language for non-disclosure agreements to protect both client and firm interests. It emphasizes the importance of copyright notices and the careful use of trademarks and logos to avoid legal pitfalls. The playbook includes detailed exhibits on responding to client terms and conditions, a comprehensive proposal checklist, and guidelines for negotiating prime contracts. This resource ensures that your proposals are not only compelling but also legally sound and strategically aligned with your firm's objectives.