Advice from a Government Contracting Officer—with Kevin Jans - EP121
Release Date: 01/04/2023
This Week on The RFP Success® Show: Mastering the Response Maze! EP143
The RFP Success Show
What is the #1 question we’re getting about RFPs from clients and prospects lately? Is it a tactical question about time management, contradictory requirements, or formatting? Or a high-level question about managing stress and continuous improvement? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Lisa Rehurek tackles some of the most frequently asked questions about navigating RFPs. From mastering time management to handling contradictory requirements and managing stress, Lisa shares her expert advice to help you streamline your RFP response process. Key Takeaways Mastering Time Management ...
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Power Up Your Proposals: Master AI Prompts on This Week's Podcast! EP142
The RFP Success Show
What’s the secret to getting the most out of AI when crafting RFP proposals? Is it about using AI to generate quick responses, or are there specific strategies to fine-tune the AI’s output for high-quality, customized proposals? In this episode of The RFP Success Show, Lisa Rehurik dives into how to create effective AI prompts that will elevate your RFP responses. Lisa explains why the key to strong AI-generated content is in how you prompt it and shares tips on getting the best results by being specific, providing context, and asking for iterations. She also breaks down the most common...
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Dive Into AI Magic on This Week’s RFP Success® Show! EP141
The RFP Success Show
What’s the biggest challenge proposal professionals are facing with AI in RFPs? Is it about how to effectively integrate AI into their workflows, or concerns about losing the human touch in their responses? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Lisa Rehurik discusses the rapidly growing role of AI in proposal writing. She answers some of the most pressing questions about AI’s impact on content generation, data analysis, and personalization, along with addressing common concerns around the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content. Lisa explains how AI can streamline your proposal...
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Discover the Art of Winning RFPs: The RFP Success® Show Returns EP140
The RFP Success Show
Welcome back to The RFP Success Show! After a brief hiatus, host Lisa Rehurik, founder and CEO of the RFP Success Company, returns with key insights from her 30+ years in the RFP arena. In this episode, Lisa takes us behind the scenes to share the most impactful lessons learned from her journey—stories of pitfalls, setbacks, triumphs, and unexpected opportunities. From her first proposal heartbreak to the evolution of her RFP processes, Lisa dives deep into the challenges small businesses face when responding to RFPs. She emphasizes the importance of thorough research, the value of setbacks...
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The FAQs We Get About RFPs, Part II - EP139
The RFP Success Show
What is the #1 question we’re getting about RFPs from clients and prospects lately? Is it a tactical question about insurance requirements, due dates or FOIA requests? Or a high-level question about standing out from your competitors? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I answer five more FAQs we get about RFPs, including our most frequently asked question around distinguishing yourself in the proposal process. I explain what to do if your small business can’t meet the insurance requirements and why you should submit FOIA requests for scoring sheets, proposals...
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The FAQs We Get About RFPs, Part I - EP138
The RFP Success Show
If you had the opportunity to ask an expert questions about winning business with RFPs, what would you want to know? Do you have questions about pricing? Competing with big companies? Or recognizing when an RFP is wired? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I answer five of the most frequently asked questions we get about RFPs, discussing when it’s worth it to bid against the big guys and when it’s not. I explain what to do if your small business doesn’t meet all the requirements in an RFP and how to price your proposal so it’s a win-win for you and the client....
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Distinction with Differentiators (The ‘M&M’ Episode) - EP137
The RFP Success Show
To win business with RFPs, you’ve got to distinguish yourself from the competition in your response. But what if you don’t know what your differentiators are? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share my M&M analogy for discovering what makes your company different and better than the rest. I discuss why it’s challenging to identify the ‘candy coating’ in your own business and explain what question to ask clients and employees to uncover your differentiators. Listen in for insight on what to do if your business lacks a candy coating and learn how to take your business from...
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The Power of Certifying Your Company—featuring Heather Cox - EP136
The RFP Success Show
Are you losing bids because you aren’t certified as a small or diverse business? Heather Cox is Cofounder and President of , a firm that connects corporations with diverse businesses to create economic value and opportunity. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Heather walks us through the five primary demographics for certification, explaining how to know if your business qualifies as small or diverse. We discuss private sector national versus state government certifications, challenging you to be strategic in the certifications you pursue to grow your business. Listen in for...
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Using AI in RFP Proposals—featuring Stephanie Nivinskus - EP135
The RFP Success Show
Can you leverage AI to write RFP proposals for your business? Since ChatGPT came on the scene last November, people have divided into two camps: Some folks are afraid of the technology, and others think it’s a magic bullet that will write all their copy with minimal effort on their part. But Stephanie Nivinskus contends that when it comes to AI, we should be careful but not scared. So, what’s the best way for small business owners use tools like ChatGPT to write better proposal responses? Are there other AI apps that we should know about? Stephanie is the CEO and Certified AI Marketing...
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Elaborating on RFP Response Answers: The ‘Baked Potato’ Episode - EP134
The RFP Success Show
If an RFP isn’t asking a question that you think it needs to ask, is it okay to provide additional information? While it’s tempting to tell a client what you think they need in your proposal response, it’s not always well received. Just like ordering a baked potato with butter and getting a loaded one. So, what is the best approach to elaborating on RFP response answers? So you stand out in a good way? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I’m sharing my ‘baked potato’ analogy for elaborating on RFP response answers. I explain how it might confuse evaluators if you add or...
info_outlineWhat do you wish you knew about government contracting? What if you had access to a seasoned contracting officer, so you could understand the process from their point of view?
Kevin Jans is President of Skyway Acquisition, a team of former COs on a mission to bridge government and industry, helping clients target better and win more contracts. He also serves as host of the Contracting Officer Podcast.
With 16 years of experience as a contracting officer for the Department of Defense, Kevin bought and managed more than $3 billion in products and services.
On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Kevin joins me to discuss the three deciders in every purchase and describe how much control contracting officers have in the decision-making process.
Kevin walks us through the four acquisition time zones, explaining why you need to know about an RFP long before it drops and how to learn more about the budget for a given purchase.
Listen in to understand the #1 thing Kevin feared when selecting a new vendor and learn what a contracting officer looks for—beyond simply meeting the requirements of an RFP.
Key Takeaways
Kevin’s background as a contracting officer for the Department of Defense
How Skyway Acquisition serves as a bridge between government and industry
The 3 deciders in every purchase—economic decider, customer and procurer
How much control contracting officers have in the decision-making process
What differentiates a technical sale from a business sale
Kevin’s 4 acquisition time zones
- Requirement
- Market research
- RFP
- Selection
Why you need to know about an RFP long before it drops
The best way to learn more about the budget for a particular purchase
3 things you can do to go beyond just meeting the requirements of an RFP
The #1 thing contracting officers fear when selecting a new vendor
The limits of a contracting officer’s responsibility to engage with industry
Connect with Kevin
Connect with Lisa
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Email [email protected]
Resources
Agile Government Contracting by John Stenbeck and Kevin Jans
The 3 Deciders on Contracting Officer Podcast EP118
The Technical vs. the Business Sale on Contracting Officer Podcast EP222
What Is a Mid-Size Business? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP099
The Acquisition Time Zones on Contracting Officer Podcast EP003
Where Do RFPs Come From? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP381
Is Your Price Reasonable & Realistic? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP338
What Is a Red Team Review? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP396
Staffing Is Not Just Staffing on Contracting Officer Podcast EP097
The Execution Time Zones on Contracting Officer Podcast EP372
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