How to Develop and Coach Winning Oral Proposals
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Oral proposals are timed, solution-focused “team job interviews” that either substitute or augment written proposals. They allow the Government to evaluate your solution through the people presenting it. An oral presentation to the Federal Government is not a traditional sales pitch, investor presentation, or summary of a written proposal—it’s a unique hybrid that combines elements of all of these and presents distinctive challenges in design, organization, and delivery.
This self-paced course provides the complete knowledge needed to coach your team to excel in oral proposals, including challenging formats such as GSA FEDSIM Orals. It covers key areas such as managing blended written and oral proposals, developing effective slide decks, crafting persuasive content, and applying proven techniques for orals preparation and delivery. The course also explores different oral formats—including in-person, virtual, teleconference, and recorded video—and demonstrates how to tailor your approach according to RFP requirements.
How to Develop & Coach Winning Oral Proposals
$2,995.00
The course explains how to prepare effectively within the time allotted for orals, brainstorm solutions, and develop supporting graphics that reinforce your message. It also covers how to plan and manage rehearsals, coach presenters, and excel during Q&A sessions. You’ll learn how to prepare for scenarios, live task responses, or technical challenges, as well as strategies to ensure your team presents as a cohesive unit.
This self-paced course also provides guidance on orals-day logistics and best practices to help you perform at your best. You’ll gain proven techniques for crafting compelling oral presentations, delivering them with confidence, and avoiding common pitfalls that can undermine your success.
Course Curriculum
Learning Objectives
Day 1
- Understand the orals requirements in the RFP and ask questions from the Government
- Plan the oral proposal process and schedule
- Lead the orals
- Select the presenters
- Plan your slides, including the right content and the number for the time allotted
- Brainstorm on the solution
- Develop the scripts
- Work with graphics and design
- Succeed at FEDSIM
Day 2
- Plan orals rehearsals and reviews
- Structure and lead each rehearsal
- Coach your presenters in the principles of delivering an effective presentation and presentation skills
- Get presenters to perform
- Coach for video and audio orals
- Excel during the Q&A
- Prepare your team for a scenario, live sample task response, or tech challenge
- Make a team come across as cohesive
- Complete important preparations as the Orals deadline approaches
- Game Day and the time after
Day 1 Highlights
Module 1: Oral Proposals Overview
- What Are Orals
- FAR 15.102 Oral Presentation
- Unique Challenges and Idiosyncrasies of Oral Proposals
- Many Flavors of Orals
- Varied Orals Delivery Format
- Quiz
Module 2: Oral Proposal Process, Schedule, and Requirements
- Orals: Running Multiple Processes Simultaneously
- Modifying the Process Based on the Orals Type
- Oral Proposal Schedule, Including the Timing for Bringing in an Orals Coach
- Timing for Evaluating Scripts, Talking Points, and Slides
- Dealing with a Compressed Schedule: Minimum Coaching Required
- Reading Between the Lines of the Orals Requirements and Posing Questions
- Discovering Virtual Technology Challenges Early and Asking Questions
- Quiz
Module 3: Orals Leadership
- Proposal Manager’s Authority and Other Leadership Roles
- How to Conduct an Effective Orals Kickoff to Successfully Integrate the Effort and Prevent Problems Down the Road
- What Kind of Just-In-Time Training Should You Provide to Your Orals Presenters, and When
- Discussion
Module 4: Selecting the Presenters
- Selecting the Presenters
- Other Personnel That May Be Allowed to Attend the Orals
- Presenter Best Practices
- Assigning Presenters to Speak
- Slides Are Not All-Important
- Quiz
Module 5: Planning Your Slides
- Determining the Number of Slides and Presentation Structure Based on the Requirements and Time Allotted
- Creating a Presentation Outline
- Outline Example and Optional Slide Worksheets
- Dense Slides vs. Sparse Slides?
- Adjusting the Outline Based on Time of Delivery for Each Slide
- Exercise
Module 6: Solution Brainstorming
- Solutioning for Orals (Six Methods)
- Brainstorming on Customer’s Challenges and Developing Themes
- Making the Slides Compelling
- Exercise
Module 7: Developing the Scripts
- Script Development Process
- Weaving Graphics into a Script
- Presenters Must Believe in Their Slides to Be Compelling
- Quiz
Module 8: Working with Graphics and Design
- Developing Compliant, Effective, Easy-to-Brief Slides That Will Serve as Effective “Leave Behinds”
- How to Coach a Graphic Artist to Produce Persuasive and Memorable Graphics
- Four Design Methods and the Rule of Thirds
- Principles of Effective Presentation and Slide Design
- Alternatives to Builds – Using Layering and Repeat Images to Tell a Story
- Ensuring Slide Consistency Stylistically and Across Different Tasks
- How to Coach a Graphic Artist to Produce Persuasive and Memorable Graphics
- Exercise
Module 9: Succeeding at FEDSIM
- FEDSIM Orals Process
- FEDSIM Orals Day
- FEDSIM Presentation
- Live Virtual FEDSIM Orals
- Recorded FEDSIM Orals
- FEDSIM Slide Format
- Quiz
Day 1 Take-Aways
Day 2 Highlights
Day 1 Recap
Module 10: Planning Orals Rehearsals and Reviews
- Rehearsal Types
- Orals Rehearsals Scheduling
- Organizing and Conducting Oral Proposal Reviews and Mock Orals
- Mock Panel Review
- Ensuring the Reviewers Come Prepared to Offer Constructive Feedback
- Quiz
Module 11: How to Structure and Lead Each Rehearsal
- Developing Speaking Points
- Steps of Rehearsing and Learning the Content
- Challenging Presenter Scenario
- Preparing Presenters When Writers Develop the Slides
- Adding Anecdotes to Substantiate the Points in the Slides
- Making Benefits Explicit to Engage Evaluators
- How to Provide Constructive Feedback to Presenters After Each Rehearsal
- Most Important Factors That Help Create Effective Practices
- Exercise
Module 12: Coaching Your Presenters in the Principles of Delivering an Effective Presentation and Presentation Skills
- Ways to Relax the Speakers
- Vocal Warmups for Speaking
- Coaching for a Conversation with the Evaluators, Even If It’s Audio or Video
- Coaching Presenters to Speak Up to Come Across as Assertive
- Dealing with Presentation Time
- Exercise
Module 13: Getting Presenters to Perform
- The Importance of Voice
- Making Eye Contact
- Posture, Hands, and Deliberate Movements
- Dealing with Heavy Accent or Stutter
- Rules of Comportment When Not Speaking
- How to Overcome Challenges in Coaching Presenters with the Fear of Public Speaking
- Overcoming Nervous Habits
- Exercise
Module 14: Tips for Coaching for Video and Audio Orals
- Tips for Video Orals
- Coaching for Audio Orals
- Coaching for Orals over the Teleconference
- Quiz
Module 15: Techniques for Excelling During the Q&A
- Purpose of the Q&A Session
- Preparing for the Q&A Session
- Process for Responding to Questions
- Avoiding Q&A Session Pitfalls
- Handling Tricky Questions
- Fielding Questions in Virtual Environments
- Exercise
Module 16:How to Best Prepare Your Team for a Scenario, Live Sample Task Response, or Tech Challenge
- What Evaluators Want to Learn from a Scenario or Live Sample Task Response Preparing for a Demo or a Technical Challenge Prepared in Advance
- Preparing for a Technical Challenge or a Solution Prepared on the Spot
- Assigning Roles
- Preparing a Visual Collaboration Workspace for a Scenario or Tech Challenge
- Preparing a Slides Template for a Pop-up Scenario
- Solutioning Using Flip Charts and Incorporating Them Via Video
- Technology for In-Person Demos
- Quiz
Module 17: How to Make a Team Come Across as Cohesive
- Team is More Than Important
- How to Make a Team Come Across as Cohesive
- Coaching Presenters to Come Across as Enthusiastic and Gracious Team Players
- Team Building Exercise/Ice Breaker
- Making Sure Everyone Contributes Equally
- Knowing When the Team Peaks
- Exercise
Module 18: Important Preparations as the Orals Deadline Approaches
- Logistics of the Presentation Day
- Logistics Checklist
- Setup for Virtual Orals
- Background for Virtual Presenters
- Pre-Test the Setup and Getting Peripheral Equipment
- Preparing Well with the Right Technology
- Evaluators’ Feedback During Orals: What to Expect
- How to Dress for the Orals
- Mistakes to Avoid Prior to the Orals
- Game Day Considerations
- Discussion
Module 19: Game Day and the Time After
- How to Best Support the Presenter Team on the Presentation Day
- How to Tell if the Presentation Was Successful
- Steps to Take After the Presentation
- Discussion