Survival guide | You lost. Now what?

Find out as much aboutthe pricing information as they willgive you. It is very important to knowwhere you were compared to the winneron price.Next, how did yourtechnical solution stack upagainst the competitors?Finally, what are thethree or four things thatcaused you to not beselected? Get as many specifics aspossible.Also, after the protest period is over? and you are not protesting ? goback to the customer and potentialmembers of the source selectionboard and try to find out the real reasonyou lost. After the protest periodhas passed, they are more likely totalk honestly to you.Above all else, don't argue with thecustomer. The outcome was his opinion,and that's what counts. As you prepare for thedebriefing, decide the right people totake to the meeting.The government's debriefing team knows what they can and cannottell you. For you to get the most ofthe debriefing, know what youshould say and how your teamshould conduct itself during themeeting.Determine what three objectivesyou want to accomplish during thedebriefing and make sure youaccomplish them.If the government determinedthat your offer failed to make thecompetitive range, would you handlethe debriefing differently?Think about what to do after thedebriefing to make sure your teamlearns from it.That way, you can avoid makingthe same mistakes on the next proposalyou prepare.