Your proposal sounds professional. It covers every requirement. It reads like a proposal should.

And it’s losing to companies with the same experience, qualifications, and past performance as yours.

The reason isn’t your writing. You’re losing because you’re neutral.

In this episode, we break down what neutral means in proposal scoring, what it takes to earn a strength instead, and the hidden risk that’s lowering your scores even when everything looks solid.

Rick Porterfield has 40+ years in government contracting — managing and writing proposals, winning many, losing some he should have won, and figuring out why good proposals still lose. He’s helped clients win a nationwide contracts, positions on major federal vehicles including GWACs, and improve scoring outcomes across multiple competitive bids.

In this episode:

• What “neutral” means in proposal scoring — and why it loses
• The three things every paragraph must do to score well
• Why proposal evaluators are risk-averse — and how to use that to your advantage
• Three specific risk signals that lower your score on every bid
• The one test to apply to every paragraph before it goes in the proposal
• Why rewriting usually doesn’t improve your score
• Where AI fits into all of this

📚 Government Contracting Resources: Need more help? My books, field guides, and resources walk you through certifications, proposals, and building a successful government contracting strategy.
→ Explore the Resources by clicking here.
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If you don’t act: Companies that keep producing neutral proposals will keep losing to companies that know how to score.

Don’t be the wallflower. Get on the dance floor!

Resources to help you win government contracts including books, digital downloads, templates, checklists, and more.

Build a stronger government contracting business.

Visit WinningGovernmentContracts.com:

• Free resource: Get The 8 Before You Bid, a one-page checklist to print and share—Click Here.
• Go/No-Go toolkit: Get Should We Bid? The Federal Go/No-Go Toolkit, including its AI companion—Click Here. Save 40% on this toolkit with code PODCAST40.
• Books: Get Rick’s government contracting books on Amazon—Click Here.

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© 2026 Rick Porterfield. All rights reserved. Educational information, not legal advice or a guarantee of contract award. Always verify current solicitation requirements.