APMP FOUNDATION CERTIFICATION EXAM
Market Identification - Answers- The ongoing activity that defines and qualifies target
markets for pursuing business.
Opportunity Plan - Answers- A documented plan that is developed during the
opportunity planning phase to identify actions and strategies to position your customer
to be the customer's preferred bidder.
Price-to-Win - Answers- A process for analyzing competitive and customer data to
identify how to package and price a winning offer to a customer.
Hot Buttons - Answers- Singularly important issues or sets of issues that are likely to
drive decisions, usually associated with customer buying decisions. Hot button issues
are items that the customer repeatedly discusses and often are problems with a system,
software, process, or resources inhibiting the success of the customer's organization.
Non-Compliant Bids - Answers- A bid or proposal that does not meet the customer's
requirements.
Protest - Answers- Written objection by an interested party to a solicitation, cancellation
of a solicitation, contract award, or termination of a contract award.
Reponse Matrix - Answers- A derivative of the compliance matrix. It is a roadmap for
evaluators, pointing to specific proposal response for each compliance item. The matrix
may also contain a summary response. It identifies where in the proposal you have
addressed each of the solicitation requirements.
Competitive Intelligence (CI) - Answers- Objectively understanding the strengths,
weaknesses, and strategies of companies competing against your company for
business. CI is a well-defined business practice to understand the competitive forces
and market dynamics that affect your company's viability and long-term profitability.
Customer Intelligence - Answers- An understanding of a customer's needs--spoken and
unspoken--and the capabilities desired of a vendor/contractor to support requirements.
It is a key element of the sales and opportunity development process that occurs well in
advance of responding to a bid or RFP.
Clarification - Answers- Communication to eliminate minor irregularities or apparent
clerical mistakes in an RFP or in a proposal.
Compliance Matrix - Answers- A list of specific customer requirements, often splitting
complex, multi-part requirements into sub-requirements. It helps proposal managers
and internal reviewers verify that the proposal meets all the requirements.
,SWOT - Answers- The analysis performed by organizations to address competitive
positioning and identify the outcomes needed to develop a compelling proposal
response that wins the business. It emphasizes the internal environment.
Benefit - Answers- Results from a feature of an offer that resolves a customer issue and
demonstrates the value the customer can achieve from resolving the issue.
Customer Focus - Answers- A customer-focused bid clearly addresses the problem the
customer has agreed they are trying to solve and demonstrates how your solution
meets their goals.
Customer Issues - Answers- Customer concerns that the offer will resolve. Issues may
be the business outcomes the customer is trying to achieve.
Customer Requirements Feature - Answers- The attributes and specifications of a
product or service as determined by the customer.
Compliant versus Responsiveness - Answers- Compliance is the act of meeting stated
requirements. Responsiveness goes beyond compliance and addresses customer
goals, underlying concerns, and key issues and values that might not be spelled out in
the solicitation.
Executive Summary - Answers- A short abstract of the main points of the offer aimed at
the senior-level decision makers in the customer's organization. It is the section of a
proposal that provides an overview of the offer and highlights the key selling points for
customer decision makers.
Account Plan - Answers- A sales plan that is specific to one customer and covers
multiple opportunities with that customer.
Action Caption - Answers- A short, informative statement associated with a graphic that
provides additional information to help the reader understand what the graphic means.
Active/Passive Voice - Answers- Sentences written in active voice have a clear subject
and verb. They make it clear who does what. Passive-voice sentences are considered
weaker because the subject receives the action instead of performing it. Passive
sentences usually contain a form of the verb "to be".
Advantage - Answers- How, in the seller's opinion, a product or service may benefit the
customer. Advantages are potential benefits and are more powerful than features.
Aesthetics - Answers- A set of principles regarding the nature and appreciation of
beauty. The study of aesthetics increases the validity of many critical judgments
concerning art.
, After-Action Review - Answers- A systematic process to extract the learning from an
event or activity. The process addresses the questions, What should have happened?
What actually happened? What can we learn and apply for the future?
Annotated Outline - Answers- A simple writing or content plan. This is a structure for the
proposal that is usually derived from the customer requirements documentation. It
amplifies a topical outline and helps determine whether opportunity planning activities
have made it into the planned propels outline and placed you in a position to win.
Appendix - Answers- Supplementary material included at the end of a proposal that
contain specialized, relevant information that facilitates the decision making process.
Assumptions - Answers- Conditions that the bid team assume exist for the purpose of
providing a price or terms of service in a proposal.
Balance (Visual) - Answers- Balance is achieved when the visual "weight" of both
halves of a graphic is similar, giving a sense of equilibrium. Unbalanced graphics
convey a sense of uneasiness.
Benchmarking - Answers- A systematic process for comparing your processes with
those of other recognized leaders in your field or industry to identify and close gaps.
Best and Final Offer (BAFO) - Answers- A customer request for a document that
describes your organization's final price. There may be more than one request for a
BAFO. The customer requests a BAFO after the proposal has been submitted to select
the final companies to negotiate with or go directly to award.
Bid Decisions (General) - Answers- Bid decisions are aimed at eliminating opportunities
or sales leads with a low win probability, this permitting a stronger focus on
opportunities with a higher win probability.
Bid Decisions Tree - Answers- A tool used to help you make an informed bid decision
based on positive and negative indicators. It results in a yes or no response leading to a
qualified pursuit decision.
Bid/No-Bid Decision - Answers- A milestone after the opportunity plan is substantially
complete. It validates that you are properly positioned to win based on the opportunity
plan.
Bid or Proposal Center - Answers- A support organization dedicated to generating
proposals and other response documents for customers.
Bid Pursuit Decision - Answers- Generally the first decision milestone to verify that the
opportunity fits your strategic direction and capability.
Market Identification - Answers- The ongoing activity that defines and qualifies target
markets for pursuing business.
Opportunity Plan - Answers- A documented plan that is developed during the
opportunity planning phase to identify actions and strategies to position your customer
to be the customer's preferred bidder.
Price-to-Win - Answers- A process for analyzing competitive and customer data to
identify how to package and price a winning offer to a customer.
Hot Buttons - Answers- Singularly important issues or sets of issues that are likely to
drive decisions, usually associated with customer buying decisions. Hot button issues
are items that the customer repeatedly discusses and often are problems with a system,
software, process, or resources inhibiting the success of the customer's organization.
Non-Compliant Bids - Answers- A bid or proposal that does not meet the customer's
requirements.
Protest - Answers- Written objection by an interested party to a solicitation, cancellation
of a solicitation, contract award, or termination of a contract award.
Reponse Matrix - Answers- A derivative of the compliance matrix. It is a roadmap for
evaluators, pointing to specific proposal response for each compliance item. The matrix
may also contain a summary response. It identifies where in the proposal you have
addressed each of the solicitation requirements.
Competitive Intelligence (CI) - Answers- Objectively understanding the strengths,
weaknesses, and strategies of companies competing against your company for
business. CI is a well-defined business practice to understand the competitive forces
and market dynamics that affect your company's viability and long-term profitability.
Customer Intelligence - Answers- An understanding of a customer's needs--spoken and
unspoken--and the capabilities desired of a vendor/contractor to support requirements.
It is a key element of the sales and opportunity development process that occurs well in
advance of responding to a bid or RFP.
Clarification - Answers- Communication to eliminate minor irregularities or apparent
clerical mistakes in an RFP or in a proposal.
Compliance Matrix - Answers- A list of specific customer requirements, often splitting
complex, multi-part requirements into sub-requirements. It helps proposal managers
and internal reviewers verify that the proposal meets all the requirements.
,SWOT - Answers- The analysis performed by organizations to address competitive
positioning and identify the outcomes needed to develop a compelling proposal
response that wins the business. It emphasizes the internal environment.
Benefit - Answers- Results from a feature of an offer that resolves a customer issue and
demonstrates the value the customer can achieve from resolving the issue.
Customer Focus - Answers- A customer-focused bid clearly addresses the problem the
customer has agreed they are trying to solve and demonstrates how your solution
meets their goals.
Customer Issues - Answers- Customer concerns that the offer will resolve. Issues may
be the business outcomes the customer is trying to achieve.
Customer Requirements Feature - Answers- The attributes and specifications of a
product or service as determined by the customer.
Compliant versus Responsiveness - Answers- Compliance is the act of meeting stated
requirements. Responsiveness goes beyond compliance and addresses customer
goals, underlying concerns, and key issues and values that might not be spelled out in
the solicitation.
Executive Summary - Answers- A short abstract of the main points of the offer aimed at
the senior-level decision makers in the customer's organization. It is the section of a
proposal that provides an overview of the offer and highlights the key selling points for
customer decision makers.
Account Plan - Answers- A sales plan that is specific to one customer and covers
multiple opportunities with that customer.
Action Caption - Answers- A short, informative statement associated with a graphic that
provides additional information to help the reader understand what the graphic means.
Active/Passive Voice - Answers- Sentences written in active voice have a clear subject
and verb. They make it clear who does what. Passive-voice sentences are considered
weaker because the subject receives the action instead of performing it. Passive
sentences usually contain a form of the verb "to be".
Advantage - Answers- How, in the seller's opinion, a product or service may benefit the
customer. Advantages are potential benefits and are more powerful than features.
Aesthetics - Answers- A set of principles regarding the nature and appreciation of
beauty. The study of aesthetics increases the validity of many critical judgments
concerning art.
, After-Action Review - Answers- A systematic process to extract the learning from an
event or activity. The process addresses the questions, What should have happened?
What actually happened? What can we learn and apply for the future?
Annotated Outline - Answers- A simple writing or content plan. This is a structure for the
proposal that is usually derived from the customer requirements documentation. It
amplifies a topical outline and helps determine whether opportunity planning activities
have made it into the planned propels outline and placed you in a position to win.
Appendix - Answers- Supplementary material included at the end of a proposal that
contain specialized, relevant information that facilitates the decision making process.
Assumptions - Answers- Conditions that the bid team assume exist for the purpose of
providing a price or terms of service in a proposal.
Balance (Visual) - Answers- Balance is achieved when the visual "weight" of both
halves of a graphic is similar, giving a sense of equilibrium. Unbalanced graphics
convey a sense of uneasiness.
Benchmarking - Answers- A systematic process for comparing your processes with
those of other recognized leaders in your field or industry to identify and close gaps.
Best and Final Offer (BAFO) - Answers- A customer request for a document that
describes your organization's final price. There may be more than one request for a
BAFO. The customer requests a BAFO after the proposal has been submitted to select
the final companies to negotiate with or go directly to award.
Bid Decisions (General) - Answers- Bid decisions are aimed at eliminating opportunities
or sales leads with a low win probability, this permitting a stronger focus on
opportunities with a higher win probability.
Bid Decisions Tree - Answers- A tool used to help you make an informed bid decision
based on positive and negative indicators. It results in a yes or no response leading to a
qualified pursuit decision.
Bid/No-Bid Decision - Answers- A milestone after the opportunity plan is substantially
complete. It validates that you are properly positioned to win based on the opportunity
plan.
Bid or Proposal Center - Answers- A support organization dedicated to generating
proposals and other response documents for customers.
Bid Pursuit Decision - Answers- Generally the first decision milestone to verify that the
opportunity fits your strategic direction and capability.
