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About APMP Fellows Jon Williams
JonWilliams

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Jon Williams, CPP APMP Fellow (Class of 2006)

Managing Director
Strategic Proposals


Bio

As the head of Strategic Proposals’ UK business, Jon is proud to lead an award-winning 30-strong team of amazing people.

Jon served as the founding chief executive of APMP’s UK chapter – the association’s first outside North America. Jon’s worked with sales and bid teams in over 35 countries, helping them to benchmark and improve their proposal capabilities and to win major deals. He has a particular passion for training: as an APMP Approved Trainer, he’s coached several thousand people through their APMP exams.

An acclaimed keynote speaker, Jon’s also a successful author inside and outside work; he's particularly proud of the bestselling book “Proposal Essentials” which he wrote with BJ Lownie. One of only ten winners in thirty years of APMP’s William C. McCrae Founder’s Award, Jon’s a Fellow of APMP, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Institute of Sales Professionals.

Jon's passions outside work include theatre, travel, and fine wine. He has a wonderful wife, two amazing children (aged 23 and 4), two beautiful Maine Coon cats, and a ridiculously lively Bombay kitten.

What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?

Everything. Recognition from my peers that I've strived to shape best practices in our profession over nearly a quarter of a century. And a platform and duty to promote the importance of bid and proposal management and to help others to develop rewarding careers.

What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?

"The Fairytale Proposal" - a keynote speech that BJ Lownie and I gave at a Bid & Proposal Con in Arizona. We'd written the story of a team of scribes in a royal palace who were struggling against the odds as they transcribed royal proclamations in dragon's blood - until the magic fairies appeared. And. in parallel, we told the tale of a proposal center experiencing the same pressures - under-resourced and under-valued, until they managed to turn their situation around!

I read the fairy story to my four-year-old daughter recently. I can attest that it works as well at that level as it did for hundreds of bid and proposal people!"

What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?

We are the job protection and creation engine for our organizations! Never be afraid to advocate at the highest levels for anything you need to perform your role brilliantly.

And never allow others to compromise your life/work balance. Every deal is "strategic" and a "must-win" for the sales lead. That's fine, and we often willingly go the extra mile to help. Proposal people are characterized by their warmth, commitment, and generosity. But always remember that your well-being is the most important thing for you, your family, and your friends.

Anything else you would like to share?

#ProudToBeAPMP

This was my first APMP event, and I was wholly impressed. The energy in the room reignited my passion for this industry, and I can't wait to get back to my team to implement what I have learned.
Brittany Guzman
Brittany Guzman, CF APMP
Being a part of APMP, I get access to the knowledge and experience of great leaders and mentors from the community. I have learned a great deal from the webinars and conferences I attended on diverse topics from career progression in Proposal Management, trends (such as automation) in PreSales to achieving work-life balance, and handling burn-outs – all real-life experiences.
Kulkarni Shubhada photo
Shubhada Kulkarni, CP APMP
Achieving the Executive Summaries micro-certification will support me in persuading Sales to create a better Executive Summary.
Gerald Stein
Gerald Stein, CF ES-M APMP
The Executive Summaries Micro-Certification exam was easy to follow and clear in what was required. I found the learning materials to be very informative, and they will be a great tool to use while in the exam and for future executive summary tasks.
SarahChapman
Sarah Chapman, CP ES-M APMP
The Executive Summary is the key element of each proposal, literally the most important part of the response next to the price – this is why my focus was on this micro certification. Understanding the principles of Deal-Strategy, Win-Strategy, Competitor-Analysis, Ghosting, Persuasive Writing, Features/Benefits/Discriminators, and many more is essential and beneficial for so much more than just the Executive Summary.
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Florian Lamisch, CF ES-M APMP
The time was a good investment, and I expect to reap benefits now and in the future!
Kelly Erickson
Kelly Erickson, CF APMP
APMP's techniques on proposal writing are meticulously engineered with real-life examples, and the extensive information available in their Body of Knowledge is a goldmine for bid & proposal professionals.
AnantShukla
Anant Shukla, CF APMP
Certification has enhanced my worth as a bid professional. It has validated the skills and experience I have and is proof of my bid management qualities and capabilities. It has given me a springboard to develop my career and aim for Professional certification.
Aynsley Davidson v2
Aynsley Davidson, CP APMP
This topic, Executive Summaries, is way underrated. The Executive Summary is the most eye-catching document, which almost everyone on the customer side reads. Yet, in most bid teams, we don’t dedicate the attention it deserves. I want to learn about something I can immediately put into practice at my workplace, which provides a “quick win” to the team and is a long-term benefit for the company.
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Dénes Máthé, CF ES-M APMP
You can expand your network by attending the local Chapter webinar and events. They provide an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals locally to create and share consumable content, ideas, tools, and resources.
Sonal
Sonal Bhatnagar, CP APMP, PMP