what’s an ignite - california-apmp...

APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 1APMP BID & PROPOSAL CON 2015 | PAGE 1

What’s an Ignite

Presentation?

©2015 SM&A. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


“Enlighten us, but make it quick”

Format

5 minutes long

20 slides

15 seconds per slide (automatic advance)

History

Brady Forrest (O’Reilly Media) & Bre Pettis

(MAKEmagazine) developed Ignite in 2006 for the Seattle

tech community. Now an event in 100 cities worldwide



Ignite benefits

Can prove more fulfilling for the audience

Should leave the audience satisfied but hungry for more

Emphasizes content decisions, not visuals or timing

Forces speaker to explain the main idea, not ramble

Preparation is mandatory!

Even for those that think they can “wing it”

Respects audience time

Speakers are more likely to remain on track for time



Ignite drawbacks

Fixed timing can be a drawback

Not suitable for very complex topics

Does not really work with multimedia

Video, transitions and animations are not recommended

No audience interaction DURING the presentation

But it’s short, so plenty of time afterwards!

Benefits outweigh the drawbacks!



Success at APMP!

From Rick Harris, APMP Executive Director:

“On the last day of APMP Bid & Proposal Con 2015 in Seattle, WA last month, eight brave souls presented at the first-ever APMP Ignite talks. We are looking for up to 10 new presenters for next year’s event at APMP Bid & Proposal Con 2016…in Boston, MA.

The Ignite talks in Seattle were so well received that a number of people approached APMP staff, asking to present at APMP Bid & Proposal Con 2016. The APMP Bid & Proposal Con 2016 Ignite will take place on the final day of the conference.

APMP is accepting up to 10 new Ignite ideas: if you already presented at an APMP Ignite event, we ask that you not apply because we want to give others a chance to participate…”



Use the tool, don’t fight the tool

DICK EASSOM, CF APMP FELLOW

SM&A VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE SUPPORT



From tools of our tools…

“Men have become the tools of their tools”



…to masters of our tools

“The expectations of life depend upon diligence;

the mechanic that would perfect his work must

first sharpen his tools”

孔子 (Confucius)



The investment of your time…

…in learning how to get the most out of the tool of your

trade (Microsoft Word) will make you more efficient,

effective, and lower endgame risk

Or…

Spend your time developing content, not formatting content



Regardless of our roles…

…in our organization, we are all proposal professionals

We have to produce winning proposals, rich in textual and

graphical content…

…using Microsoft Word



Other professionals…

…MUST learn the tools of their trade:

doctors, surgeons, dentists

engineers, scientists

mechanics

This includes other professionals that we work with on

proposals, such as schedulers and planners, graphic

artists…



And yet…

…we are just EXPECTED TO KNOW how to use Microsoft

Word, because it looks deceptively easy to use

We probably spend more time fighting Word than using its

features to our benefit

We need to make Word work FOR US!



So how…

…do we achieve this?

We could take advantage of free Word training videos on

Microsoft’s Office website:

http://office.microsoft.com/training



You can learn how to…

use track changes

create mirror margins

create advanced tables of contents

use landscape and portrait orientations in the same

document

use styles

and, of course, mail merge your holiday card list!



But…

…this is generic training, and will only take you so far

There’s generally not a big requirement for a mail merge

during a proposal…

(unless you know something I don’t!)



So where next?

Somewhere you may not be aware of!

The WORDMAN ARCHIVES on the APMP website:

http://www.apmp.org/?page=WMArchives

or go to Resources > Publications > Additional Resources

> Wordman Archives (you need to be logged in)



What’s there?

Over 40 “Wordman’s Production

Corner” articles from the

APMP Perspective and Journal

written from 2002 to 2013

covering a wide variety of Word

topics directly applicable to

proposal professionals

For example…



#1 Setting up Word

Learn how to

set up Word optimally before you start developing

proposals (or other complex documents)

avoid problems with pasting material from other

documents (or applications, e.g. PowerPoint)

stop Word “helping”!



#2 Develop templates

Learn how to:

create robust proposal templates that you can share with

your team that meet RFP requirements

create page layouts and a robust set of styles that will

result in an attractive, easy to read proposal

create attractive table styles for rapid formatting



#3 Understand numbering

Learn how to:

create headings with automatic numbering

create custom numbering sequences to match your RFP

deal with missing heading numbers in RFPs

create “run on” headings using one of Word’s hidden

features



#4 Use Building Blocks

Learn how to:

create Quick Parts (aka Building Blocks) for rapidly

inserting placeholders for callout/focus boxes & artwork,

foldouts, cover pages, and more



#5 Tips, tips, tips…

Learn how to:

create simple macros to automate repetitive tasks

create a custom ribbon

use Word’s shortcuts to keep your fingers on the

keyboard

understand Word’s myriad formatting symbols…



But in the end…

…if you’re going to master Word, you must find the time to

watch the Microsoft videos

read the Wordman articles

play with Word

experiment with Word

and play with Word some more!



One day…

…you’ll be a Word

ninja – master of the

tool of your trade!


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