How to Develop an Effective Win Strategy
A question I tend to get when clients are deciding to work with me is: “What’s your win rate?” It’s a fair question but there are several factors that go into it, not just how well a proposal was written or managed. The overall strategy plays a big part in determining if a contract is won or loss.
Of course, you still have to write a good proposal and be compliant. But the work you do before an RFP is released is far more important. This is where a win strategy comes in.
What is a Win Strategy?
“Win strategy” is a term that is thrown around quite a bit in the proposal world. In my early days I had a hard time grasping what it was. I mean the term itself makes sense but what actually made up a win strategy?
I recently watched Air on Amazon Prime. I’m a sucker for a true story that has such a successful outcome. In a nutshell, it’s about how Nike landed the Air Jordan deal back when they were far from the sneaker giant we know today. At the time, Adidas and Converse were the favorites. Nike was the underdog. But, Nike had a clear plan.
They researched their competitors, identified weaknesses, and made personal connections with Jordan’s family. By taking these steps, Nike aligned their pitch to what mattered most and positioned themselves as the obvious choice.
That’s what a win strategy is: a clear, intentional plan to win.
Strategy Begins Before the RFP Drops
A strong win strategy starts months before the solicitation is released.
It’s about understanding what the customer really needs—not just what’s written in SOW. Maybe that means researching past contracts, showing up at industry days, or submitting responses to RFIs. Sometimes it’s as simple as networking and asking good questions before the opportunity is formal.
The teams that do this groundwork walk into an RFP already knowing the customer’s priorities. You can also make a more informed go/no-go decision with this background information.
Research the Competition
Every RFP has at least two players—you and someone else. If you’re the incumbent, your story is about proving you can deliver again (with improvements). If you’re the challenger, it’s about showing why change is worth the risk.
Knowing who else is likely bidding helps you figure out your positioning. Is it your price? Your innovation? Your depth of past performance? Whatever it is, you want to be clear on how you stack up before you start writing.
Define Win Themes
Win themes are the big takeaways you want evaluators to remember after reading your proposal.
They aren’t fluffy marketing slogans—they’re grounded in the RFP evaluation criteria. Strong win themes usually tie back to things like reduced risk, proven experience, or familiarity with the customer’s needs. Think of them as your “why us” messages that flow through every section of the proposal.
Align with the Evaluation Criteria
Once you have win themes, you’ll want to make sure they line up with how the proposal will actually be scored. This can be done early if their is a past RFP or a draft. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until the RFP is released.
This is where a compliance matrix can help. Mapping your win themes directly to the evaluation criteria ensures you’re saying the right things in the right places.