It is difficult to pick a favorite Optimetra experience, but one does stand out. In 2010, I was the solo proposal consultant assisting a healthcare technology client in revising the RFP response database for its care management software. The client’s success in responding to potential customer inquiries was diminishing. The answers in the database were either nonresponsive or had so much technical jargon that the average proposal evaluator was soon lost. Both extremes were ineffective in selling the product features.

I set up recurring web meetings with different subject matter experts (SMEs). During these meetings, I would walk the SMEs through the document, explaining the problems and asking them to explain the system functionality. Soon, I no longer had to explain why the answer was poor. The SMEs jumped right into discussing the key information needed to improve the responses.

Near the end of the project, the SMEs thanked me for the improved responses and acknowledged the positive change they noticed in their own writing skills. They no longer viewed the project as just something else to cram into a busy day, but a valuable exercise that resulted in an immediate improvement in software sales.