Starting to prepare for the APMP Foundation Certification is an overwhelming task. Understanding the Key Competencies for Foundation level, the Skills needed for each competency, the Knowledge Areas from the APMP BOK, Topics, Best Practices... In this webinar APMP Certified Practitioner and Mentor Abhijit Majumdar shares his expert guidance on how to get started in a planned way, he also shares the exam pattern and how to answer the questions right so that you successfully qualify.

1. Demystifying the APMP
Foundation Certification
Host : Abhijit Majumdar CP.APMPThis webinar is sponsored by:
16th June, 2018
Webinar starting at 11 am.

2. Demystifying the APMP Foundation
Certification – How To Prepare and
Qualify APMP Foundation Certification
Examination Without Any Stress.
Purpose:
A planned and structured approach for imbibing the Best
Practices from the APMP BOK and preparing to qualify the
online certification examination.
Audience:
Bid and Proposal Management professionals interested
in moving up in their professional career path and earning a
global industry recognition.
Time Slot:
a. 40 minutes on APMP Foundation Certification
b. 10 minutes on Preview of our upcoming Bootcamp
c. 10 minutes on Q&A related to APMP Certification

3. Why APMP Foundation Certification matters for Bid & Proposal
Management professionals?
3
As per Hiring Managers, certified professionals are 90% more productive and 60% more efficient compared
to those without. (source: IDC report)
Certification enables an employer to recognize and understand that a potential employee's skills adhere
to a certain professional standard.
A professional qualification clearly demonstrates a high level of skill and gives an employer instant faith in
your abilities. It also differentiates one employee from another in a competitive environment.
A certification not only provides a qualification, but also ensures an improved level of knowledge in a
specialist area of Bid & Proposal Management.
Having a certification that is recognized globally gives a professional chance to move roles to progress their
career.
A
B
C
D
E
3

4. How to prepare for the APMP Foundation Certification
Examination?
44
Understand the
APMP Foundation
Certification
assessment model
Understand the Key
skills, competency
area, topics related
to the competency,
best practices
related to the topic
Understand the
structure of the
APMP Body of
Knowledge (BOK)
and Foundation
Guide
Planned Study
and Practice
Relate to your
workplace situations,
roles and processes

5. Understand the APMP Foundation Certification
assessment model
55
The purpose of the APMP Foundation
certification
Measure whether a candidate has sufficient knowledge
and comprehension of Bid management and Proposal
development role to act as an informed and contributing
member of a Bid and Proposal team within their
professional work or in their organization.
High-Performance Definition of a
Successful Foundation Candidate
The successful candidate should be able to Recall,
Recognize, and Demonstrate Comprehension of the
Skills, Competencies, Knowledge Areas, Topics and
Best Practices outlined in the APMP Foundation Syllabus,
Guide and BOK.

6. Foundation Exam Candidate Guidance
66
The objective of the examination is to enable you to
demonstrate an understanding of the theories,
concepts, best practices, genres, and approaches
used in Bid and Proposal management.
The Foundation exam is a one hour, open book,
75 questions, multiple-choice, pass/fail exam.
Uses objective test questions, which require you to
choose a response to a question from a set of choices,
for which the correct answer is pre-determined.
You need to answer 42 questions (56%) correctly to
pass the examination.
Exam preparation is determined by level of
experience, knowledge of best practices, and
participation in training opportunities.
A
B
C
D
E

7. Key Competencies Areas
77
Inform ation
Research and
M anagem ent – IR
• Inform ation
G athering
• Knowledge
M anagem ent
Planning
• Schedule
Developm ent
Developm ent
• O pportunity Q ualification
• W inning Price Developm ent
• Team ing and Partner
Identification
• Proposal Strategy Developm ent
• Executive Sum m ary
Developm ent
• Content Plan Developm ent
• Requirem ents Identification
• Com pliance Checklist
Developm ent
• Persuasive W riting
• G raphics Developm ent
M anagem ent
• Review
M anagem ent
• Kickoff M eeting
M anagem ent
• Risk M anagem ent
• Production
M anagem ent
• Lessons Learned
Analysis
• Process
M anagem ent
• Virtual Team
M anagem ent
Sales O rientation
• Custom er
Interface
M anagem ent
• O pportunity Plan
Developm ent
• Sales Participation
Behaviour and
Attitude
• Com m unicating
with others
• Q uality O rientation
• Building Strategic
Relationships and
a successful team
• Decision m aking
and Delegating
responsibility

8. The Body of Knowledge (BOK) consists of 7 Categories of Knowledge Areas
Understanding the structure of the APMP BOK
88
Understand business
development
Focus on the
customer
Create
deliverables
Manage
Processes
2 3 41
5 6 7Use Systems and Tools Lead your team Train your staff

9. 51 Topics in the 7 Knowledge Areas are structured as:
9
Introduction–Ahigh-level content summary that explains thetopic's importancetotheproposal or business development process.
Best Practices–Key points that business development professionals shouldknowabout aparticular topic.
ApplicationinDiverseEnvironments–Implications of atopic insmall, medium, andlargesettings; worldwidegeographies; andindustry,
commercial, andgovernment settings worldwide.
Recent Trends–Emergingtrends or challenges uniquetothis topic, includingnewapproaches that streamlineprocesses andimprove
competitiveness.
CommonPitfallsandMisconceptions–Anoutlineof commontraps toavoid.
9
Summary–Aquick overviewof themost important informationpresentedinthetopic.
TermstoKnow–Terms relatedtoatopic that proposal developers shouldknow.
ToolsandTemplates–Templates, charts, andexamples that youusefor your ownwork.
SeeAlso–Other sections of theAPMPBOKthat relatetoatopic.
References–Research-basedreferences usedtocompilethis information.
Further Study–Additional sources readers caninvestigatefor moreinformationonatopic.

10. Styles of Questions
1010
There are a number of different test styles used within the test. All test styles are based on the
selection of the correct answer from a choice of 4 options.
Standard
example
Negative
example
What sort of document is
a proposal?
Youmay chooseonly one
a. Inform ative and persuasive
b. Inform ative
c. Persuasive
d. M arketing
Which of the following is NOT generally
considered as a reason for teaming?
You m ay choose only one
a. Elim inate a com petitor
b. O btain access to m arket
c. Share financial risk and cost developm ent
d. To find out com petitive approaches
Select (list, evaluate) example
Who is responsible for ensuring that the
proposed solution is capable of achieving
the benefits in the Business Case?
You m ay choose only one
a. The Proposal M anager
b. The Program m e / Project M anager
c. The Business Developm ent M anager / Salesm an
d. Senior M anagem ent

11. Styles of Questions
1111
There are a number of different test styles used within the paper. All test styles are based on the
selection of the correct answer from a choice of 4 options.
When estimating proposal costs,
which of the following would you
include as elements of the Cost
Budget?
You m ay choose only one
a. Cost of producing the RFP
b. Cost for all elem ents of the technical
solution
c. Expected Revenue for the technical solution
d. Contributors, Reviewers, Production and
Delivery costs
Which of the following are
valid techniques for the
determining a Price-To-Win?
You m ay choose only one
a. Com petitive Analysis
b. Expert Judgem ent
c. Bottom -Up Techniques and
Top-Down Techniques
d. All the above
Select (list, evaluate) example
Which of these is a recognized
approach to analysis of your
capability relative to the
competition?
You m ay choose only one
a. Statem ent of W ork Breakdown
b. Scotsm an Test
c. SW O T Analysis
d. Technical Specification

12. How to pass the exam (Self-Study Mode)
1212
(MapKeyCompetencyCategorywithCompetencies,
APMPFoundationGuideKnowledgeAreas, Related
Topics&Best Practices)
Example :
Bid Management Lifecycle Phase Key Activities Related Topics
Opportunity Assessment Bid / No-Bid Decision • Opportunity Plan (BOK - Use
Systems and Tools)
• Customer Analysis and
Competitive Intelligence (BOK
– Focus on the customer)
• Gate Decision (BOK – Manage
Processes)
GroupTopicsinasequenceasper your organization’s
real-lifebidmanagement andproposal development
lifecycle.
WEEK 1 WEEK 2

13. How to pass the exam (Self-Study Mode)
1313
Start reading the
APMP Foundation
Guide in the
sequence of the
Group of Topics,
relate the best
practices with your
work place situations,
get acquainted with
the Terms to know
and try to use the
tools and templates.
Start working through
the Practice
Questions – Focus on
the Planning,
Development and
Management Topics
& Best Practices
Appear for the
examination
WEEK 3, 4, 5
WEEK 6, 7
WEEK 8
Phases Bid
Decisions
Team reviews Major Outputs
Market
Identification
Market Entry
Decision
Market Assessment - An analysis of market potential and requirements vs.
corporate capabilities
Strategic Plan
Market Strategy
Account
Planning
Opportunity
Qualification
Decision
Account Review - Periodic reviews of opportunity potential within targeted
accounts
Account Plan
Opportunity
Assessment
Bid Pursuit
Decision
Competitor Review - An assessment and analysis of competitors' likely strategies
and solutions
Competitive Assessment
Opportunity
Planning
Bid / No-Bid
Decision
Opportunity Plan Review - An assessment of the opportunity plan and validation
of the win strategy and required actions documented in the opportunity plan
Opportunity Plan
Pricing Strategy
Proposal
Planning
Bid Validation
Decision
Proposal Strategy Review - A review of the content plan to validate the execution
of the bud strategy for writers and verify compliance with customer requirements
Proposal Strategy Plan
Proposal Responsibility
Matrix
Proposal
Development
Final Review Final Document Review - A comprehensive review of the proposal by
independent reviewers who emulate the customers evaluation team
Business Case Review / Senior Management Review - Includes all the internal
milestones and approvals (internal governance) required to sign off on the
solution, pricing, and legal requirements
Proposal Outline
Response Matrix
Style Sheet
Content Plan
Proposal Budget
Executive Summary
Proposal Plan
Proposal
Negotiation Lessons Learned Review - An assessment of the proposal development /
management process and results, conducted after completion of a proposal to
identify areas for improvement on subsequent projects
Best and Final Offer
(BAFO)
Delivery Project Review - Periodic status reports and performance reviews with customer Products and Services

14. Tips
1414
Put some effort into your preparation.
Even if you are experienced Bid
Manager, without putting some effort
into your exampreparations you will
likely to fail. If you think that you can
just go on the training course for a few
days and then do an examwithout any
preps or homework then you will be
surprised when you get your results.
I have seen people much more
experienced than myself failing APMP
exammiserably. Just my two cents,
the choice is of course yours.
When studying, think about what do
you do at work, how your company or
organisation functions, what
procedures do you have in place. The
more you relate to your work the easier
it is to remember and understand
things. Think about real life examples
and your own experience.
Get a print copy of APMP Body of
Knowledge or Prepare a Cheat Sheet.
Refer to it during you preps when you
feel you need more clarification or
information.
I suggest you to read at least twice
sections associated with APMP syllabus.
In order to generate ‘list’ for the
questions APMP Glossary definitions
can be quite helpful/useful.
Watch your time during the exam.
Skip Questions if you are not sure about
and revisit themafter you have reached
the last question.
A
B
C
D
E
F

15. NO MAGIC OR
SHORT CUT
LOSING MOTIVATION…
THINK THE BENEFITS
AND IMAPCT
GET IN TOUCH
WHEN IN DOUBT
Conclusion
1515
Thereis nomagic way or short cut in
passingAPMP, I’mafraidyouhave
toput someeffort intoit. At theend
of theday youcanbecomebetter,
moreknowledgeableBidand
Proposal Manager whowill makea
differencewithinyour own
organisation.
Whenyouarelosingyour
motivation, think about reasons why
youaredoingthis examandwhat
benefits andimpact it might have
onyour career, what doors it might
openfor you, what differenceit will
maketoyour organisation.
If youhaveany questions, please
feel freetoget intouchandI will try
andhelpyouif I can. I approached
quitealot of peoplewhopassed
APMPandaskedthemlots of
questions duringmy preparationfor
APMP, I feel that nowit’s my turnto
returnsomethingback.

16. A Sneak Preview of Bid & Proposal Management Bootcamp
A 3-Day Intensive Workshop for Bid Management Professionals

17. How we have structured the Bid & Proposal Management
Bootcamp?
17
Based on the Key Skills and Competencies needed for a career progression and professional growth.
Covers every Knowledge Area from the APMP BOK applicable across all types of competitive bidding and
industry.
Structured the Learning Objectives and Outcome oriented towards the APMP Foundation Certification.
Mock-test questions related to each topic and knowledge category. Simulated Practice Test and
Assessment Scores with identified areas for improvement.
Continued guidance till certification, Community Support for professional development and growth.
A
B
C
D
E
17

18. An approach aligned with workplace scenarios
and examples

19. Bid & Proposal Management
Bootcamp Session 2
B&P Management Lifecycle Phase – Proposal Development

20. Competency Category –
Focus on the customer

21. Topic – Executive Summaries

22. EXECUTIVE
SUMMARIES

23. Create a compelling sales document that
addresses the customer’s key issues01
Present a value proposition that shows why
your solution is the best choice for the
customer
02
Make it easier for the evaluators to digest
the key messages in your proposal03
By the end of this topic you will be able to:
Learning Objective/Learning Outcomes
23
Create a roadmap for your proposal team to
follow04

24. Introduction
24
Executive summary is a
standalone, concise,
informational, persuasive
document aimed for the
senior management of the
customer
Assume that your executive
summary is the only
document the decision
makers will read
Executive summary is not the summary
of your proposal, but a sales document
that illustrates that you:
§ Grasp your customer’s vision
§ Understand the customer’s explicit and
implied needs
§ Have built a solution that satisfies
those needs
§ Offer better value than any competitor
Write the executive summary in the
opportunity planning phase, before
a kickoff meeting.

25. Best Practices

26. Best Practice
Keep executive summaries customer-focused
Your Executive Summary should:
26
Use tools like SWOT analysis and Bidders Comparison Matrix to plan your Executive Summary
Demonstrate
understanding of the
customer’s motivation
and vision for a bid
Confirm that the
solution satisfies each
hot-button issue from
the customer’s
perspective
Use the customer
name more frequently
than the bidder’s name
Avoid technical
content that obscures
customer benefits
Articulate
understanding of the
customer’s hot buttons
Focus on benefits to
the customer, not the
underlying products or
services
Be written in a concise
tone and style that
decisionmakers can
understand
Ghosts the
competition

27. Best Practice
Keep executive summaries customer-focused
Draft your Executive Summary by answering 7 key questions
27
01
What are the
customer’s
problems?
02
Why did these
problems
arise?
03
What results
do they want to
achieve by
solving the
problems?
04
Which outcome
or result is the
most important?
05
What solutions
can you, or your
competitors,
offer?
06
What results
will each
solution
produce?
07
Which is the
best solution
and why?

28. Best Practice
Keep executive summaries customer-focused
Define a structured approach for your Executive Summary
28
Opening Paragraph
Connect with the
customer
Next Paragraphs
Demonstrate your
understanding of the
customer’s
Following
Paragraphs
Present your
solution with proof
points
Final Paragraphs
Review why the customer
should choose you and
the roadmap for the
proposal organisation
with the win theme
01 02 03 04
If a customer does not specifically ask for an executive summary, include one anyway.

29. Best Practice
Write and review early
29
An early Executive summary provides a baseline to your
proposal strategy
Test your value proposition on the client before starting
your proposal effort and refine it to match the client’s
needs.
Be careful not to do this after the RFP has been issued
or you may risk being disqualified.
Prepare your draft Executive Summary early and use it
in your kickoff meeting
Align your proposal team on the proposal strategy so
that contributors link their sections to the overall win
themes, where possible
Avoid costly rework of your solution at a later stage
when mistakes may be too late to correct
Give senior management time to review and support
your strategy
Allow time for better graphics and production methods
that will be more persuasive to your client
Obtain approval for your executive summary by the
relevant person in your organization as soon as possible
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09

30. Best Practice
Use your executive summary to make an impression
30
Make sure that
your executive
summary is
professional and
persuasive,
reviewers are
likely to expect
the same from
the rest of your
proposal
A good
executive
summary is
unique to
each opportunity
because
solutions, client
requirements,
and competitors
differ from one
opportunity to
the next.
Include graphics
to add emotional
appeal and use
a professional
layout that
makes the key
points easy to
see.
Explain what
value your
customer gets
for investing in
your solution,
but avoid too
much technical
detail
Focus on
benefits and
clear
discriminators
and quantify the
payback where
possible
Exclude pricing
only if prohibited
by the client

31. Best Practice
Clearly indicate your proposal’s responsiveness and compliance
31
Implementation
Tailor your executive summary to match the priorities of key decisionmakers:
Cite the origin of needs or hot buttons you mention in your proposal to provide context and allow
your executive summary to stand alone
Motivators
What the customer
is trying to achieve
to realize its vision
Issues
The things that
worry the
customer.
Hot buttons
A combination
of issues and
motivators.
+

32. Best Practice
Assign writing and review responsibilities strategically
32
Implementation
Allow time for changes in the
executive summary as your
proposal effort progresses
Make sure you have a good mix
of client knowledge, competitor
knowledge, solution
capabilities, past performance,
and executive and writing skills
Articulate the customer’s needs
and explain how your
organization can solve its
problems
Check the readability statisticsWrite clear, direct sentences in
active voice

33. Best Practice
Mirror your executive summary themes in the proposal cover, title, and cover letter
33
Implementation
The title of your proposal should
§ Describe your recommendation
§ Start with an active verb that
stresses benefits to the customer
§ Focus on results or benefits, not a
product name
§ Avoid jargon
Design a customer-focused proposal
cover
Include a cover letter

34. Executive Summaries > Summary
A good executive summary provides a value proposition that helps evaluators
choose you.
Always include an executive summary as a standalone document unless the proposal is
very short. Follow instructions if provided.
Write a draft executive summary before kickoff and get it approved early. Use it as a
briefing tool to drive the direction of the proposal team. Allow time for changes and be
sure to do a final proofread, while keeping production schedules in mind.
Plan before writing. Adapt your approach to the time available.

35. Executive Summaries > Summary
Write executive summaries for nontechnical, upper-level decisionmakers.
Tie major discriminators explicitly to customer issues.
Match the goals and priorities of the evaluators. Give them good reasons to select you
by showing them the unique value of your solution with relevant proof points.
Mention the client first and benefits before features. Show your solution’s compliance.

36. Executive Summaries > Summary
Use a clear writing style and include graphics to add emotional appeal. Avoid too much
technical detail. Include high-level pricing and related value propositions unless
prohibited or irrelevant.
Ask the salesperson (or Opportunity Manager) who knows the client best to write the
draft executive summary. Enlist a proposal editor for final edits and a mix of client,
technical, competitor, executive, and proposal skills for reviews.
Keep your executive summary short. Use a structure that works. Each executive
summary differs for each opportunity because the client, evaluators, competitors, and
solution are all different.

37. Executive Summaries
APMP Foundation Certification - Mock Test

38. Mock Test Questions – Executive Summary
3838
These questions are in a format similar to the test styles used within the paper. All test styles are
based on the selection of the correct answer from a choice of 4 options.
An early Executive Summary helps
you to :
You m ay choose only one
a. Com pare your solution with the com petition
b. Identify the cost elem ents of your solution
c. Align your proposal team on the proposal
strategy
d. Identify the proposal team m em bers
Who is an ideal author of an
Executive Summary?
You m ay choose only one
a. Proposal M anager
b. Executive M anagem ent
c. Sales person or O pportunity M anager
d. Solution Architect
Executive summaries should:
You m ay choose only one
a. Never include graphics
b. Start with an introduction to your
com pany
c. Nam e the seller m ore than the buyer
d. Include the prospect’s vision

39. Mock Test Questions – Executive Summary
3939
These questions are in a format similar to the test styles used within the paper. All test styles are
based on the selection of the correct answer from a choice of 4 options.
An Executive Summary focusses
on:
You m ay choose only one
a. Custom er hot buttons, issues, m otivators
b. Com petitors weaknesses
c. Sellers project team
d. Intangible benefits for the custom er
Executive Summary once
approved by the management
should only change when?
You m ay choose only one
a. New com petitive intelligence arrives
b. Scope is defined and frozen
c. Proposal editor edits
d. Solution approach changes
Executive Summary is NOT a :
You m ay choose only one
a. Roadm ap to guide the evaluators
b. Synopsis of your proposal’s m ain
points
c. Capability statem ent of the seller
d. All of the above

40. Thank you for your time, Open for Q&A.