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The twelve days of Christmas proposals

12/22/2011

2 Comments

 
Posted by BJ
I received a mail recently, written by our friend Penny B., which had her list of what might be received by a proposal support person during “The Twelve Days of Christmas’. It was quite funny and much forwarded. Thanks for sharing that with all of us Penny.

Penny’s list prompted me to do my own version of the 12 items, included below for your enjoyment and amusement.

The 12 Days of Christmas Proposals
On the first day of Christmas my client said to me,
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the second day of Christmas my client said to me,
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the third day of Christmas my client said to me,
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the fourth day of Christmas my client said to me,
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the fifth day of Christmas my client said to me,
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the sixth day of Christmas my client said to me,
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the seventh day of Christmas my client said to me,
No questions will be answered after the RFP is released
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the eight day of Christmas my client said to me,
You must include a compliance matrix
No questions will be answered after the RFP is released
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the ninth day of Christmas my client said to me,
All fonts must be larger than 9 point
You must include a compliance matrix
No questions will be answered after the RFP is released
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the tenth day of Christmas my client said to me,
Submit financials in a separate volume.
All fonts must be larger than 9 point
You must include a compliance matrix
No questions will be answered after the RFP is released
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my client said to me,
Expect to see additional requirements.
Submit financials in a separate volume.
All fonts must be larger than 9 point
You must include a compliance matrix
No questions will be answered after the RFP is released
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my client said to me,
Good luck and we look forward to receiving your proposal.
Expect to see additional requirements.
Submit financials in a separate volume.
All fonts must be larger than 9 point
You must include a compliance matrix
No questions will be answered after the RFP is released
There’s a bidder’s conference on Monday
Use binders with three rings
Four forms must be completed and signed
Please submit 1 original and 2 copies
It’s due in two weeks.
I’m sending you an R – F – P.
2 Comments
Lauren
3/25/2016 03:23:55 pm

Great stuff, BJ!! Happy Holidays to you and Jon and everyone at Strategic Proposals. Looking forward to another year of sharing proposal best practices.

Reply
The Accidental Proposal Manager
3/25/2016 03:24:16 pm

As always BJ, very funny. I myself had started rewriting ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas but was interrupted when the live RFP was released…

“Twas the night before Christmas, and all thro’ CDS
When the RFP would be released was anyone’s guess

Questions had been posed, with utmost care
In hopes that a reasonable RFP soon would be here

The SMEs had all gone back to their day jobs
Monitoring systems, and tweaking computer knobs

Yet vigilant and alert we rest did stay
On this short, grey, cold winter’s day

When out on the Internet bits and bytes moved
To my computer I sprang my nerves to soothe

I surfed to FedBizOpps to see what had posted
For “surely not on Christmas Eve” I had once boasted

The light from my monitor’s many LEDs
Revealed the outcome of our united silent pleas

Oh no! Not a change! Not from them!
Before me was an RFP and Sections A through M

With a Statement of Work so broad and so vague
The solution team would be haggling for days.

More poorly than mice, the requirements were writ
Volume leads scrambled for the best SMEs they could get

Now Architects! Now Networks and Telephony! Now Analysts!
The product they want is a cloud, not mere mist!

On Executives, on Program Managers, on transition staff
We must execute flawlessly or incur the auditor’s wrath.”

At which point (several weeks before Christmas Eve) we were slightly surprised (as one would expect to be) by the release of the live RFP; haven’t had a chance to go back and finish this and what would be the point?

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!!

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