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Jim Keifer
Treasurer
Proposal Manager
Sprint
Atlanta, GA
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APMP Question.
How long have you been a proposal manager/specialist/writer?
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Jim: I’ve been a proposal manager for about 13 years (1½ years before that as a proposal specialist)
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APMP Question.
How did you become involved
with proposals?
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Jim: Lateral move within Sprint that lasted much longer than expected. First proposal experience was in the Air Force …I wrote RFPs and managed the evaluation of proposal submissions from bidders.
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APMP Question.
Do you work in a “corporate office” or “home office” environment?
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Jim:
Both …I can work from home or at the office
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APMP Question.
What do you like best about working in your current environment?
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Jim: Flexibility …working from the office provides a faster communication environment; working from home saves (gas, clothing)
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APMP Question.
What do you like least?
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Jim: The hassle and expense of the commute to the office; the isolation when working from home
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APMP Question.
What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of your job?
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Jim:
#1 - Providing coherent responses to increasingly poorly crafted RFPs
#2 – Proposal team members are becoming increasingly less engaged
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APMP Question: What shortcuts or helpful best practices about working with proposal teams could you share?
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Jim: Focus and perspective …do the best you can with the resources you have in the time allowed; don’t shoot for perfection unless you’ve been blessed with a perfect RFP – a satisfactory proposal on time is superior to a perfect proposal that’s too late.
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APMP Question.
When did you join APMP?
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Jim: Networking and sharing experiences/ideas
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APMP Question.
What is your method for successfully working with your proposal teams?
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Jim: Help them to do their jobs without doing their jobs for them …creating the impression that what you want them to do is either their idea or at least in their best interests.
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APMP Question.
Which type of proposals do you do most? Commercial or government?
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Jim: Almost exclusively commercial proposals …the very few exceptions have been for non-federal public sector and quasi-government (typically highly regulated) organizations.
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