Thinking capture is just about crafting killer proposals? Think again!

This interview with NextGen capture expert, Linwood Walton, digs into education and staying ahead of the curve despite change. Caution: career advice ahead.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing capture professionals today? How can folks stay ahead of the curve?

One theme I see is “doing more with less.” Companies are being pushed to maximize EBIT while bidding more new business opportunities to enable growth. This is putting increasing pressure on staffing levels for BD, capture, and proposal professionals. A closely coupled theme is the drive to leverage technology to enhance efficiency and productivity. To stay ahead of the curve, we must keep ourselves aware of what’s coming and selectively find time to get up to speed on new technologies as they are implemented at our companies and across our industry. APMP is a great asset for maintaining industry trends awareness.

Share an example from your career where a unique capture strategy or approach led to success.

While working on capturing a large consolidation contract for mission support services, we knew there would be strong competition. We had a strong technical and management approach, but we were concerned about our ability to outscore the competition. We needed a strong pricing strategy. I realized that the winner would essentially control the labor market for the skill sets required on this contract. Therefore, we could propose a lower price than competitors, knowing that the workforce would have to come to us if they wanted to stay in this field.

What one piece of advice can you offer to prepare for the future of capture management?

Learn how to leverage generative AI. It won’t replace you, but someone who is better at using it could.

BONUS question: Capture is everyone’s job; how does this change impact proposal professionals, pricing strategies and marketing?

It means we must invest time in educating the workforce. All marines carry a weapon. Every Marine is trained how to use it.

Sneak Peek! A Chat with NextGen Capture Leader Linwood Walton. In this exclusive chat, Linwood discusses:

🧐 The technology trends driving productivity demands
🤩 Outscoring the competition
😍 Education, education, education

Listen now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LswWEjWDFBY for insights.

Future-proof your capture and proposal skills at the Capture Power Breakfast on April 25th. Spots are limited! https://apmpnca.org/event/2024-capture-breakfast/

About Linwood: Linwood started his career as a US Navy nuclear engineer on submarine duty. After separating from the Navy, he worked for Lockheed Martin, The Aerospace Corporation, SAIC, Leidos, TASC, and Engility, and now is a Senior Capture Manager at CACI assigned to lead corporate strategic pursuits. Over his 40+ year career, Linwood has worked in a variety of roles, including chief systems engineer, program manager, capture manager, proposal manager, director of proposal quality, director of proposal operations, director of business development training, VP for operations, and VP for growth strategy. He holds a bachelor degree in physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a masters degree in management from the University of Southern California. Residing in Northern Virginia with his wife, Karen, and two Labrador Retrievers, he enjoys sailing on the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.

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