What Readers say about the Compendium

"Worth every penny, a real MUST HAVE for every bid an proposal manager."

Thomas Moritzer, CP APMP, Senior Proposal Manager bei Thales Nederland B.V. (LinkedIn post from November 2022)

"It is my deepest pleasure to write this review of “The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium” because this is a new “must-have” resource for Bid and Proposal Management.
This book is a masterwork and quite easily one of the very best of a short list of books that everyone in the business of winning business should own and reference often. In the very short-term, I fully expect this book to become one of the cornerstones to every successful individual’s and organization’s business library. With its breadth and scope, it truly can be considered the “Swiss Army Knife” for Bid and Proposal Management."

Frank M.

"The bid bible: Christopher S Kälin walks the talk and has composed perfect best practice bid bible with clear charts, tables and checklist for every step in a client centric bid & proposal process. The illustrations, figures and pictures are great and easy to understand. The best book on the subject I have read in my bid management career ."

Amazon customer (5 stars on Amazon.de), February 2022

The compendium should be on the desk of every bid and proposal professional!

Udo Keuter, Head of Combat Aircraft Training Delivery and Op. Support, Airbus Defence and Space, Germany

“The book covers in detail all the elements that a company needs to establish and staff a successful proposal organization.”

Dick Eassom, CF APMP Fellow, Vice President at SMA, Inc., Former CEO of APMP International, Past Chair of the APMP California Chapter, United States

"Just as the title indicates 'The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium' is concise, but detailed. Don't let the 450+ pages fool you, this guide is very easy to navigate and not meant to be read cover-to-cover. This is the perfect desk guide for bid and proposal novices and professionals alike.
Written for an International audience, the terminology isn't the same as the US Federal Government uses, but the BidMaster Framework is applicable for all bids and proposals worldwide. The Appendices are worth the price of admission providing a glossary, sample documents, checklists, and tools/links. I am APMP certified at the Professional level, and still find myself reaching for this Compendium!" (5-star Amazon Book Review)

Kristin (Baron) Dufrene, CPP APMP Fellow and former Chair of APMP International, Strategic Capture, Executive Director at CACI International Inc. (USA)

For me, it is the best and most complete book about Bid Management.

Werner Siedl, CPP APMP, former Board Member APMP DACH, Germany

“Looking for a great document with bid and proposal best practices?
My colleagues over at CSK Management have just released The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium, which offers a top-notch reference guide for winning bids, tenders, and proposals."

Kathryn Bennett, CPSM, Director of RFP Excellence at Loopio | Marketing Automation Evangelist | National-Level Strongwoman Competitor (LinkedIn Post March 2021)

“All information is easy to follow with helpful diagrams and tips with clearly labeled best practices critical for bid professionals working towards certification.”

Colleen Jolly, CPP APMP Fellow, Former CEO of APMP International, United States

"One of the best books I have ever read about Bid Management!"

Sandra Kaspar, Head of Field Marketing, Cognizant Technologies, Switzerland

"The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium written by Christopher S. Kalin, is a recent addition to my business library. I have had it on my desk since the day it arrived and I find myself referring to its pages many times as I am compiling training material and building my proposal knowledge. I love the easy conversational style, ample graphics and the neat layout. This 460 page book is described as the "Swiss Army knife" of proposal management and it certainly lives up to being a useful guide and valuable tool. Christopher Kalin has covered everything you need to know in a user-friendly way which makes this volume a must-have if you are involved in proposal writing in any way. A nice addition to my library!"

Shirley Gwen Moss, ADMAST, South Africa

"Kälin’s reference guide has lots of hands-on examples, so tweaking our ever-evolving proposal development processes to remain competitive may be our next goal—and it should probably be yours." (Article in APMP's 'Winning the Business': Mentoring and Best Practices Go Hand in Hand, July 1st 2019)

Betsy Blakney, CPP APMP Fellow, Director of Proposal Operations Support at CACI Inc., USA

"[...] a lot of best practices. Fully relevant to prepare the APMP exam."

Book Review from Jean-Claude B., Engagement Manager, France on amazon.fr (5 stars)

"A must-buy for anyone involved in winning business through bids and proposals.
The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium is a complete guide to writing and delivering winning proposals which can be used by organisations of any size. This is a substantial and comprehensive book which can be used both as a reference manual for anyone interested in specific areas of writing a proposal, or as a complete guide to the entire life-cycle of a pitch, proposal or bid. The authors present a comprehensive approach which can be tailored to suit large or small organisations, and varying opportunity sizes, from small to large. Although this is a physically large book at 460 pages it is well structured and easily navigated. The writing style is clear and concise and I refer to it frequently during the course of a bid(s). The BidMaster Framework developed by the writers is easily applicable to any organisation and would serve as a excellent reference point for anyone setting up, or revitalising, a bid function within a business. In summary, this book is not only very comprehensive, but also enjoyable to read. That's something you don't always expect with books of a management and technical nature. Congratulations to the authors. They've won the pitch! "

Book Review from Jim Morrison on Amazon.co.uk May 2020 (5 stars)

"For new input and know-how related Bid Management I can only recommend The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium from Christopher S. Kälin.
I have not yet had such a good specialist book (and I have some) in my hands"

LinkedIn post from Milian-Erik Retkowski, Hytera Mobilfunk, Germany (May 2020)

"The Bid and Proposal Compendium is a very useful guide to winning contracts"

LinkedIn post from Vadim Ustinov, Global Director New OEMs at MAGNA STEYR (June 2020)

"Il libro è ben fatto, tiene conto di tutti gli aspetti sia operativi relativi alla scrittura che di contesto, rispetto alle diverse aree aziendali che ne sono coinvolte. Rappresenta un ottimo punto di partenza per chi si avvicina al bid management e un manuale da rileggere per chi ci lavora da anni. " (original text)
"The book is well written, it takes into account all the operational aspects relating to the writing and the context, with respect to the different business areas that are involved. It represents an excellent starting point for those approaching bid management and a manual to reread for those who have been working there for years. " (translation)

Book Review from itdisa1 on Amazon.it February 2021 (5 stars)

"In my office, these two books are never very far as I consider both to be the 'Bible' of Proposal Management. Putting all their great insights into practice might never guarantee a win but will always get you pretty close."

Vatis Tsague, Proposal Professional, Author (LinkedIn Post, June 2021)

"This great book is a must have for all Bid and Proposal Managers!"

Patrick Schwenk, Senior Bid Manager, Swisscom (LinkedIn post April 2021)

"Yes, a great addition to a bid manager’s bookshelf. 5 stars."

James Noel Smith, Founder of the Bid.Win.Deliver Framework, Australia (LinkedIn post June 2021)

"Don‘t read the compendium because you can earn up to 5 CEUs, read it because it is a great source of knowledge and a collection of best practices. Eyery bid and proposal manager should read it. Thank you Chris for this Book!"

Bettina Weber, Head of Market Segment Development bei HENSOLDT, Germany (LinkedIn post November 2021)

"Do they need my highlighted, flagged, Post-it covered pages as proof? Absolutely love this book. Hands down my most beloved proposal resource."

Kathleen Voigt, Senior Proposal Manager & Corporate Social Responsibility Coordinator, Maryland, United States (LinkedIn post, November 2021)

"I love the compendium. Plain English, easy to read and comprehensive. [...]"

Rita Mascia, Global Bid Manager, Global Transport at Altro Limited, United Kingdom (LinkedIn post, November 2021)

"I love this book it is next to my desk [...]"

Larissa Cornelius, Chief Win Strategist and Director of Wins, nFold, South Africa (LinkedIn post, August 2022)

"Worth every penny of the asking price!
Chris Kalin leads you step by step through the entire proposal process, providing clear and actionable advice, with practical examples and templates along the way. This compendium is an essential companion for anyone seeking to challenge and improve proposal processes in their organisation."

Amazon Review by 'Amazon Customer', United Kingdom (five stars, August 2023)

"As far as I am concerned, this is the best book on bid and proposal management. It is on my desk, every day."

Alfred de Weert, Directeur Tendermanagement CSU, The Netherlands (LinkedIn comment November 2021)

“This compendium is totally comprehensive and strikes a more pragmatic view than Shipley. It is abundantly clear that dialogue with real APMP practitioners is the foundation for this excellent reference. It has already become a vital weapon in my armoury.

Susan McReynolds, Bid Leader at Ultra Electronics Airport Systems, United Kingdom

"CSK produces excellent products and the Bid and Proposal Compendium is now my go to book for all things Bid Management.
We have applied a number of the processes and approaches from this book in the charity sector context. "

Nick Jones, Senior Proposal Manager, United Kingdom

“'The Swiss Army knife for proposal management'? It is not unusual to find overstated claims on book jackets, so I smiled when I read the claim on the front cover of 'The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium'. But Christopher S. Kälin's massive tome does exactly what it says on the cover. In fact, after a few pages, I realised that Kälin practices what he preaches. The structure, layout and content follow the pragmatic advice that is to be found on each of the 420+ pages. The comprehensive indexing and logical layout make this text easy to ‘dip in’ to, as the checklists, tables and practical tips cover the end-to-end process. Everyone who writes tenders will find something of value. Having read a few similar texts, I have no hesitation in recommending this book. It really is the 'Swiss Army knife of proposal management' "

Paul Rogers, Consulting Director at PaulRogers.Pro, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (post on LinkedIn, March 2021)

"Great reference for winning proposals!"

Michele Reolon, Italy (5 stars on Amazon.it)

"The best single-source for proposal wisdom you can find: If you can afford only one text on bids and proposals on your book shelf, make it this one. It provides in one place a guide to proposal writing, business development process, organisation, and standards. But beware! It should be a largish shelf to accommodate this book's generous proportions. Although the physical volume weighs roughly the same as an old London telephone directory, the style is light and digestible. Generous also describes the author's approach to content. He provides not only an authoritative and approachable guide to BD organisation and process implementation but you also get access to a comprehensive description of CSK's BidMaster framework and also his intuitive and powerful Storyline method. The latter is one of the best 'step-by-step' approaches to content development that I have encountered. Candidates preparing for APMP(tm) certification will find plenty of hints and tips and well signposted links to the syllabus. The book is also well larded with personal stories and anecdotes that make it both readable and enjoyable."

Book Review from David Warley, CPP APMP Fellow, on Amazon.co.uk (5 Stars)

No other proposal book is as detailed and relevant.

Colleen Jolly, CPP APMP Fellow, Former CEO of APMP International, United States

"Recommended reading! 'The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium' by Chris Kälin, a Fellow of APMP, is a weighty volume packed with insightful, practical advice.His excellent new book is a worthwhile reference work for anyone involved in bidding. " (posted on LinkedIn)

Jon Williams, CPP APMP Fellow, Managing Director of Strategic Proposals

“Want to win? With Swiss precision, this reference guide gives you the tools you need. More handy than a Swiss Army Knife, this book belongs in the toolkit of every proposal ninja.

Sandy Pullinger, CPP APMP Fellow, Managing Director nFold, South Africa, former chair APMP South Africa

"This book covers everything you need to know. Not only to improve your own skills but also to build up a complete Bid Centre."

G.E., Proposal Manager, Guildford, U.K.

"Die notwendigen Prozesse um ein qualifiziertes Angebot zu erstellen (Angebotsmanagement / Bid & Proposal Management) werden sehr strukturiert in einer einfachen Form dargelegt. Das Gute an diesem Compendium, der Einsteiger kann es genauso gut verwenden wie Fortgeschrittene. Keine Angst vor der Größe des Buchs, mir gefällt besonders gut der praktische Ansatz mit leicht verständlichen Skizzen und Tabellen. Auch sehr hilfreich ist die Glossary, Beispiel-Dokumente, usw. Ferner wird ein Weg aufgezeigt wie eine international anerkannte APMP-Zertifizierung zu erreichen ist die ggf. berufliche Vorteile mit sich bringen kann. Alles in Allem eine Runde Sache und ein Invest der sich lohnt."

Book Review from FreeForAd on Amazon.de (5 Stars)

"Great whether new to the proposal world or an experienced proposal professional"

Book Review from MarciaS on Amazon.co.uk (5 Stars)

"I’ve been working in the presales area in my company from the beginning of 2012, and earlier supported the presales activities as project manager for 5-6 years. Historically, in our company, proposal management was never seen as a valuable profession like software engineer, project manager or sales director. For years, I was under the impression that this job is a sort of corporate clerk position, which is a part of the internal corporate playground and has no real value in the outside market. The Compendium and the entire exam preparation process radically changed my understanding of proposal management as a profession. I realized that this is a common cross-industry profession, just like project management (I am a certified PMP since 2006). And it prompted me to elevate the job perception not only for myself but for our entire team of more than 20 proposal managers."

Alex G., Pre-Sales Lead, Israel

"I recently came across a fantastic book written by Christopher S. Kälin, The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium. This book is a MUST READ to all organizations/managers who are new to the bid world. The first chapters give you advice on how your company should set up their bid team, how to identify the right profile for bid managers, as well as how to upskill your team. A later chapter helps you to understand the view of the customer ( essential to do if you want to win). The majority of the book is focusing on the actual bid work. It is comprehensive, very detailed, well structured. It is a great addition to the APMP BOK (Body of Knowledge) with more detailed explanations and examples. I would recommend this book to everyone who is involved in creating proposals or answering bids."

Julia Doczi CF APMP, Prince2, Bid Manager Enterprise Solutions at Verizon Business, Sweden (on LinkedIn)

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nfold-pty-ltd_mondaymatters-nfold-wordsthatwin-activity-6680778619670798336-BODs

Quote on LinkedIn, June 2020

"This is an outstanding guide for the B&P practitioner. It clearly and concisely addresses everything from organization setup, team structure, the customer, proposal strategy, writing & editing, and compelling proposal content. If you've ever searched for "how do I...." while in the midst of the B&P lifecycle, then this guide will probably answer most or all of those questions. It's full of great tools, tricks, and processes to efficiently & effectively coach your team, stay on track, and get to a winning proposal. "

Book Review from Steve Goldsby on Amazon.com December 2020 (5 stars), December 2020

"Chris's book is a must read for every bid & proposal professional."

Baskar Sundaram, Baachuscribble (LinkedIn Post, March 2021)

"I can't recommend it highly enough, one of the most comprehensive book that is easy to read and navigate with the compelling KEY MESSAGES in every section. 10/10 from Head of Bids - Siemens Saudi Arabia."

Muhammad Hayat, Head of Bid Management at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, Saudi Arabia

"Christopher S. Kälin's The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium. Really well laid out, easy to digest. You can navigate through sections easily for specific needs/lessons. Highly recommend."

Kathleen Voigt, Senior Proposal Manager, United States (LinkedIn comment July 2021)

"In my top 3 of bid and proposal literature!"

Jan Kees Schakel, CPP APMP; Capture, bid and proposal management professional at Thales, Netherlands (LinkedIn comment November 2021)

"So glad to have found a clear and concise book that can helps me grow on the workfloor. Very good and tactically linked by examples which is great. Recommended!"

Amazon Review by 'client d'Amazon', Netherlands (five stars, December 2021)

"Worth reading every page, from roles in Bid Management and bid framework to understanding customer perspective and developing a convincing response. Warmly recommending it to anyone involved in bids, industries experts or leadership."

Roxana Mititelu, Netherlands, LinkedIn post October 2022

My favourite book, too. So clearly written. "

Rita Mascia, United Kingdom (LinkedIn Post, August 2022)

“I'm re-reading Christopher S. Kälin's Bid and Proposal Compendium because we're using it to train new employees at #Loopio. One of my favorite sections is The Dynamic Dozen: Key information that you need to collect at the beginning of every bid. Christopher tells us everything we need to know to kick off a project on p. 119 of this epic book."

Kathryn Bennett, RFP Process Process Slayer at Loopio (LinkedIn post December 2021)

“Chris Kalin has created a masterpiece compendium which comprehensively addresses the complex concept of proposal management."

Bruce Morton, APMP Fellow and Capture Management Director

“You can't be cranky with Christopher S. Kälin's book... it's too good of a resource."

Kathleen Voigt, Senior Proposal Manager, Maryland, United States (LinkedIn post, August 2021)

"The compendium contains really hands-on practical advice and best practice rules for every single aspect of proposal management."

Urs Halene, CF APMP, Head of Solution Business & Bid Management, Swisscom, Switzerland

“This guide is a great reference for candidates undertaking the APMP Foundation exam.

Joanne Gillen, CPP APMP Fellow, Managing Director, eTenders Consulting, Founder and former chair of APMP Ireland

“When I read a notification on LinkedIn on this book I thought: Again, another proposal guide... And when I saw the price: that price is above average what I usually pay for professional literature. But I had a look in the preview and I know CSK is a trusted company. So I decided to buy it, and it was worth it. What I value most is “The Storyline Method™”. This method helps you to develop the key messages throughout your proposal to tell the customer why to buy from you. The book is very complete and gives not only guidance on proposal writing. It covers the whole process from pre-RFP to post proposal submittal, as well as the organizational aspects of proposal management. That makes it also a big book: more than 450 pages in a large (A4 size) format. Appendices include sample documents, checklists and references to tools, literature and organisations such as APMP. I recommend this book as it is a true reference guide and ultimate compendium for anyone involved in bids / proposals!

Jan Kees SCHAKEL, CPP APMP, Proposal Coach, Thales Alenia Space, France

The Compendium is definitely the most comprehensive guide for those involved in bids and tenders. Although it is a quite weighty volume, also with a rather hefty price tag, it is worth every cent. It is packed with insightful, always very practical advice. It covers all aspects of modern bid management, including organizational aspects and concrete instructions on how to develop winning bids. Highly recommended book.”

Nicolai Ehrenreich, Switzerland (review on amazon.de)

“A lot of useful content, and a great resource for our business”

Luke Mills, Tenders and Partnerships Manager, VERTO Ltd., Australia

“[...] This Compendium is really an amazing and professional reference that was issued right on time for my extended job. You sense the years of experience of the author. Many practical and best practices, very well structured and organized. This is an invaluable book I refer often to in my daily business. I used it also to be prepared for my APMP certification."

Dominique Delcoigne, Head of Platform Solutions Bids & Proposals, Synamedia, Belgium, on Amazon.com (5 Stars)

“Compendium worthwhile reading/studying and a nice bonus!"

Wouter van Tienhoven, CP APMP; Owner TenderXpert, Netherlands (LinkedIn Post November 2021)

“A strong description with quite a lot of best practices. Fully relevant to prepare the APMP exam."

Breizh78, France, on Amazon.fr (5 Stars)

“I have been reading voraciously on Bid Management for around 6 months. During that time I have read a few APMP publications, Shipley and this, amongst others. I have found this to be my most thumbed, 4 months later and today's coffee cup is sat on it so that should tell you a lot about how useful I find it. I think this is really useful for anyone like me who was quite new to bid management, or trying to improve the efficacy of your organisations approaches towards proposal management. It's a really useful guide, packed full of practical and crucially tested advice. I see this less as a method / manual and more of the right advice at the right time for what ever stage you are in within the bid process"

Greg Krawczyk, United Kingdom, on Amazon.co.uk (5 Stars)

“‘The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium’ has become my ‘go-to’ reference when working on proposals."

Dawn Flier, Senior Officer: Sales Support, Barloworld Automotive & Logistics, South Africa

I can’t praise Christopher S. Kälin enough. I have attended two of his webinars and both of them were excellent. I thought I knew all there was to know about executive summaries but no... I learned something new. He is without doubt one of the best trainers I came across within the APMP family. It’s even more remarkable as English is not his first language and yet his delivery is flawless. I bought his The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium and that too is excellent. Incredible value for money. I wish I had that in my hands when I started working on bids and proposals 20 years ago. We are so lucky to have such amazing colleagues in APMP. "

Rita Mascia, CPP APMP, Prince2 Practitioner, Global Bid Manager - Global Transport at Altro Ltd (post on LinkedIn April 2020)

“I truly appreciate The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium structure which is really an excellent platform, to empower each individual/company with high confidence level, to improve, identify gaps, thus to create a win-win approach."

Basem Azzouz (Basem Azzouz Ali Mohamed) Ali Mohamed, Sales Support Manager - High Voltage & Transformers Services at ABB

“The Compendium contains very wide-ranging and practical, 'how-to' information. It should, in my experience, help tenderers give their bids a winning ‘edge’. Additionally, its extensive use of graphics helps simplify what would otherwise be unnecessarily complex topics. If you're wondering whether it’s worth the investment… it is."

Mark Portlock, Bid Consultant / Manager / Writer, Blackburn, Australia (LinkedIn Post September 2020)

“There are so few valuable resources that are actually digestible for bid and proposal managers. This document has easy-to-use charts and graphs, and it doesn't force a 400-step process on those of us who are just trying to learn or reinforce basic proposal concepts. I'll be reporting back over the next few weeks with more insights from this book ... definitely a worthwhile read!"

Kathryn Bennett, CPSM, Director of RFP Excellence at Loopio | Marketing Automation Evangelist | National-Level Strongwoman Competitor (LinkedIn Post March 2021)

I have a copy of this and it’s fantastic!"

Melissa Maguire, CF APMP, MAICD, Darwin, Australia (LinkedIn Post March 2021)

Perfect Guide if you want to get your APMP Foundation Certification
I first had the chance to meet the author when I've made the training to get the APMP Foundation certification. Besides the fact that Christopher Kälin is a passionate person who loves to share his experience, I could find all the best tips in his book and could also feel his enthusiasm through it. The Bid and Proposal Compendium shall be kept as a guide for junior persons to start the journey as bid manager but even as a more senior one, as the book addresses all kind of issues one can face during bid preparation no matter what field you work in. The book is also a great support to prepare for the APMP Foundation certification."

Marion M, CF APMP, Head of Bid Management, Germany (5 Star Amazon Review 17 May 2021)

“This book is a MUST READ to all organizations/ managers who are new to the bid world. The first chapters give you advice on how your company should set up their bid team, how to identify the right profile for bid managers, as well as how to upskill your team. A later chapter helps you to understand the view of the customer ( essential to do if you want to win). The majority of the book is focusing on the actual bid work. It is comprehensive, very detailed, well structured. It is a great addition to the APMP BOK ( Body of Knowledge) with more detailed explanations and examples. I would recommend this book to everyone who is involved in creating proposals or answering bids. "

5-star review on GOODREADS (goodreads.com), April 2020

A great and helpful book! "

Patrick Schwenk, Switzerland, LinkedIn post October 2022

No-brainer - Simply the Best Book: The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium. "

Muhammad Hayat, Bid Director at Siemens (LinkedIn Post October 2022)

The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium - the reference guide to winning bids, tenders and proposals.

Copyright:
© 2018/19 CSK Management GmbH, Herrliberg, Switzerland

Author:
Christopher S. Kälin

ISBN (paperback):
978-3-9525061-0-3

ASIN (paperback):
3952506103

ISBN (eBook, MOBI format):
978-3-9525061-3-4

Publisher: 
CSK Management 
compendium@cskmanagement.com
www.cskmanagement.com

Cover Picture:
Fotolia / Adobe Stock Photo (© Andres Rodriguez)/CSK

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