SMPS Central PA Members Benefit:  Free SMPS Webinars!

Members and non-members alike can take advantage of this no-cost/low-cost training opportunity, as SMPS Central PA hosts a site for the viewing of SMPS National's webinar, titled: RFPs Suck! How to Develop Winning Proposal Strategies, combined with a round table Marketers Forum. 

Come explore all things RFPs. In this Marketers Forum, we’ll dive deep into the Request for Proposals (RFP) cycle from the go/no-go process, to winning the project, and positioning yourself for repeat business.

 As a group of A/E/C business development professionals, we will watch the webinar, RFPs Suck! and hold a round table forum immediately following.  Don’t miss this opportunity!

Member cost: FREE!

Non-member cost: $30.00

 Agenda

8:00-8:30 – Registration and Networking

8:30-8:40 – Welcoming Remarks

8:40-9:40 – Webinar: RFPs Suck! How to Develop Winning Proposal Strategies

Tom Searcy, Hunt Big Sales

RFPs are a very significant effort for firms seeking sizable contracts in both the public-bid and private-contract marketplace. Although they are intended to provide an objective way to evaluate potential service providers and contractors, in fact they are inefficient, ineffective, and in some cases potentially detrimental. This webinar peels back the veneer to provide insights into how the processes are designed in order to help you develop strategies to win.

9:40-10:00 – Break and Networking

10:00-11:00 – Proposal Open Forum: Andrea Marsters, GeoDecisions

Facilitated by a seasoned business development professional, a group discussion will encompass the scope of the RFP process. Come prepared with questions to ask the group or just participate in the post webinar talks. In a comfortable, relaxed environment, we will share best practices, provide tips and tricks, and prepare you to tackle that next RFP.

 About the Speakers
Tom Searcy, CEO and Founder, Hunt Big Sales

Tom Searcy is the foremost expert in large account sales. Author, speaker, consultant, and founder of Hunt Big Sales, Tom has helped clients land over $5 billion in new sales. Having led four companies to grow earnings from less than $15 million to as much as $200 million, each in fewer than five years, Tom has perfected the process for consistently landing large accounts, which is documented in his books, Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company and RFPs Suck! Searcy is a blogger for CBS' MoneyWatch and Inc.com. He's been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times UK, and Inc. Magazine.

 Andrea Marsters, Manager of Business Development, GeoDecisions

Andrea Marsters joined Gannett Fleming in 1998. By 2001, she was leading the development of all proposals for the GeoDecisions division. Spearheading these efforts, she researches business development opportunities, reviews RFPs, participates in go/no-go discussions, leads kick-off meetings, assembles proposals, provides editing and review of copy, and ensures that proposals comply with RFP requirements. Prior to her time at Gannett Fleming, Andrea worked as an aide to Congressman Robert J. Lagomarsino and as a legal assistant at the law firm of Ange Gordon.