Zombies and a Good Spaghetti Sauce (The Business Development Spaghetti Sauce Principle)

2015 SMPS NERC Boston, MA

Brian Murphy, PE, President The Pursuit Coach, LLC

Pursuit Anatomy 101

If you understand the anatomy of a system you can

Operate it Fix it

Modify it

CSM, PM and Sr. Level Mtgs. w/ Clients

24 months

12 months

6 months

1 week

4 months

1 month

Client Evaluation Workshop

Proposal

Interview Team

Practice Interview

Team Meetings w/ Client Interview

Rehearsal

RFPCIP Budgeting and Project ID

Drafting RFP

Consultant Short-listing

Client Activity

Consultant Activity

Anatomy of a Pursuit

Conceptualization

Eva

luat

ion

Integration Implementation Choreography

Com

mun

icat

ion

Pursuit Progression

ConsultantTeam ID

Pursuit Strategy Workshop

Interview Planning

Proposal Strategy

Workshop

Interview Strategy

Workshops

RFP

RFP

Mom, I have practice in an hour Sauce

Grandma Maggio’s Perpetual Sauce

Mrs. Leoni’s Saturday Sauce

Not All Sauces Are Created Equal

Pursuit Activity Timing and Duration

Act

ivity

Inte

nsity

Baseline

Previous Project Proposal ZoneRapport Zone

(Period Between Projects)New Project

Issued

Incumbent

Zombie

New Strategic Client

RFP

Issu

ed

Prop

osal

Due

Business Development Spaghetti Sauce Principle

Pop-up

Zombie

Extermination

Team

Pursuit Activity Timing and Duration

Act

ivity

Inte

nsity

Baseline

Previous Project Proposal ZoneRapport Zone

(Period Between Projects)New Project

Issued

Incumbent

ZombieNew Strategic Client

RFP

Issu

ed

Prop

osal

Due

Business Development Spaghetti Sauce Principle

Pop-upOpportunity Zone

Questions?

Brian Murphy, PE 503.866.2203

brian@thepursuitcoach.com www.thepursuitcoach.com

Bonus! Bonus! Bonus!

What are three core objectives of a pursuit?

To Engage interest To Communicate information To be Remembered

Zombies and a Good Spaghetti SauceVS

A Comparative Analysis of Competitive Pursuit Positioning Models Relative to a

Public Sector Capital Improvement Project Development Chronology

An effective metaphor: • MUST be understood by the audience. • MUST be appropriate for the audience. • Should draw in the listeners. • It should not alienate anyone.

Brian Murphy, PE 503.866.2203

brian@thepursuitcoach.com www.thepursuitcoach.com