Bad pricing loses twice: at award and in operations. The fix isn’t a lower number; it’s transparent logic that ties each cost to the service levels and KPIs the agency cares about. When evaluators understand your assumptions—and see an option that improves outcomes—they can approve with confidence.
The Pricing Narrative That Wins
Use this five-part structure:
-
What we’re pricing
Scope highlights in the agency’s words. “24/7 emergency coverage, weekly turns with photo logs, monthly REAC-style audits.” -
Assumptions (show your math)
Coverage windows, vendor cadences, benefits loads, insurance riders, union/prevailing wage—each with a source. -
Baseline vs. Enhancement
-
Baseline: Meets every requirement.
-
Enhancement: A targeted upgrade (e.g., night porter 5x/week) that moves a KPI (e.g., next-day WO aging ↓ 20%). Evaluators love options that de-risk performance.
-
KPI Tie-Back
For each cost driver, state the KPI it protects: response times, turns, delinquency, resident satisfaction, compliance scores. -
Value Statement
Translate dollars into outcomes. “This coverage window + after-hours protocol reduces average response from 8h → 2h and keeps WO aging under 10% >7 days.”
Common Cost Drivers (and how to frame them)
-
Labor: Hours × coverage windows × benefits load. Tie to response SLAs and compliance tasks.
-
Vendors/Materials: Cadence and unit cost; state the operational risk if underfunded (e.g., pests → complaints).
-
Overhead/Insurance: Show policy loads; reference broker language the RFP requires.
-
Revenue / Management Fee: Explain the basis and how the fee funds governance, QA, and reporting cadence.
“Optioned Pricing” Example (how to talk about it)
-
Baseline: Day porter M–F (40 hrs), after-hours on-call rotation, monthly pest control.
-
Enhancement: Add night porter 5x/week + bump pest to 2x/month.
Expected impact: Next-day WO aging ↓ 18–25%; resident complaints ↓ 15–20% within 60 days.
Evaluators can choose value, not just a number.
Free Download
What’s inside:
-
Assumptions Register: Drive the math (coverage windows, vendor cadence, benefits load) with sources.
-
Pricing Matrix: Baseline vs. Enhancement quantities and subtotals with KPI impact notes.
-
Summary: Totals, fee basis, and margin placeholders.
-
Narrative Prompts: Fill-in scaffolding for a clean pricing story.
(Use the matrix as E-08 Pricing Narrative and cite assumptions in-line.)
CTA: Pricing Review with Awarded
Want your bid priced like an operations plan—not a gamble? We’ll calibrate assumptions, build a clean enhancement option, and tune the value story to the agency’s KPIs.
Reply “Pricing” and I’ll drop a quick intake to get started.