Mike Parkinson

MikeParkinson

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Mike Parkinson, CPP APMP Fellow (Class of 2008)

Principal
24 Hour Company

Bio

Mike is a geek. He is a CPP APMP Fellow, 1 of 36 Microsoft PowerPoint MVPs in the world, an internationally recognized communication and proposal expert, a best-selling author, and a professional trainer. Mike has spearheaded multi-billion dollar projects and created thousands of graphics resulting in billions of dollars in increased revenue for his clients. His keynotes, training, books (“Billion Dollar Graphics” and “A Trainer's Guide to PowerPoint: Best Practices for Master Presenters.”), and tools (www.Build-a-Graphic.com) help companies succeed while saving money and time. Mike owns Billion Dollar Graphics (www.BillionDollarGraphics.com) and is a partner at 24 Hour Company (www.24hrco.com), the premier proposal graphics firm.

Mike regularly conducts workshops and creates graphics, presentations, and content for companies like Microsoft, FedEx, Pfizer, Xerox, Dell, Subaru, Nestle, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing, as well as at learning institutions and government agencies like NSA, CMS, OCC, the Army, and the SEC.

For fun, Mike is an artist, a pop culture connoisseur, enjoys exercise and fitness, and loves helping others achieve their goals.

What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?

Being an APMP Fellow is an honor. It means that I will always be an advocate for positive change in our industry and help others find value within APMP.

What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?

So many "best" memories: meeting people who became my dearest friends, dancing at social events, and geeking out with my fellow proposal nerds. If I had to pick my best memory, it would be giving my At-a-Glance keynote at the APMP BPC 2019. What an amazing experience. The support and feedback exceeded my expectations.

What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?

Two things that helped me... One, I found a mentor. Two, I eventually understood the "why" (the psychology) behind what and how we do what we do. Once I had a deeper understanding, SO many things clicked for me.

Anything else you would like to share?

Thanks, APMP, for being a wonderful organization with passionate members and staff!

Acquiring this micro-certification allows me to expand my aperture regarding the collaboration between capture and proposal management to develop more robust, customer-centric Executive Summaries for future pursuits. It allows me to advance my skill set, evolve my knowledge, and reflect my commitment to continuous learning.

Stephen Yuter, ES-M APMP

The time was a good investment, and I expect to reap benefits now and in the future!

Kelly Erickson, CF APMP

You can expand your network by attending the local Chapter webinar and events. They provide an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded individuals locally to create and share consumable content, ideas, tools, and resources.

Sonal Bhatnagar, CP APMP, PMP

I would advise new professionals to take advantage of the resources that APMP offers. Not only do you have access to conferences and seminars through your chapter, but the free webinars and the robust network of professionals are great benefits that can help advance one’s career.

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Valerie Kessie, CP APMP

This topic, Executive Summaries, is way underrated. The Executive Summary is the most eye-catching document, which almost everyone on the customer side reads. Yet, in most bid teams, we don’t dedicate the attention it deserves. I want to learn about something I can immediately put into practice at my workplace, which provides a “quick win” to the team and is a long-term benefit for the company.

Dénes Máthé, CF ES-M APMP

Receiving Practitioner-level certification boosted my confidence and validated my experiences and professional growth in the bid and proposal industry. The badge is something that I see each day, and it motivates and encourages me to keep networking, learning, and elevating others in our combined professional development goals.

Kim Ruff, CP APMP

For the first time since I started my career, I felt like I was not alone in my struggles to meet deadlines, wrangle SMEs, and answer impossible questions. I’m grateful to have this community to share our wisdom and experiences.

Anthony Rossi, CF APMP

The Executive Summary is the key element of each proposal, literally the most important part of the response next to the price – this is why my focus was on this micro certification. Understanding the principles of Deal-Strategy, Win-Strategy, Competitor-Analysis, Ghosting, Persuasive Writing, Features/Benefits/Discriminators, and many more is essential and beneficial for so much more than just the Executive Summary.

Florian Lamisch, CF ES-M APMP

Acquiring the executive summary micro certification has helped to build my confidence in producing best practice Executive Summaries. I also benefit from the social media badge for my LinkedIn profile and certification to add to my resume. Both of these allow me to verify my Executive Summary capabilities.

Laura Rispin, CP ES-M APMP

My experience, combined with the APMP Body of Knowledge, helped me obtain both the APMP Foundation exam and the Practitioners exam within a week.

Sonal Bhatnagar, CP APMP, PMP