Most contractors think about proposals in terms of price. Did the number come in where it needed to? Was the scope covered correctly? Are the exclusions tight enough to protect the firm if things go sideways? Those are the right questions, and getting them wrong is obviously a problem.
But there is another way proposals lose that gets far less attention, and it has nothing to do with the number.
It has to do with how the firm presents itself in everything surrounding the number. The cover letter that reads like it was written for a different project. The company overview that hasn’t been updated in three years. The project list that shows relevant experience but does nothing to tell the story of that experience in a way the reviewer can actually use. The absence of anything that would make a decision-maker feel confident that this firm understands the specific job in front of them.
Owners and GCs reviewing proposals are making a judgment call that goes beyond price. They are trying to answer a question that nobody puts in the RFP but everyone is thinking: do I trust these people to execute this project the way I need it executed? Price is one input into that answer. Everything else in the proposal is another input, and for many decision-makers, especially on complex or high-stakes projects, the other inputs carry more weight than most contractors assume.
The firms that understand this tend to approach proposals differently. They write cover letters that are specific to the project and the client, not recycled from the last submission. They select and present project experience in a way that draws a direct line between what they have done and what the client needs. They communicate clearly and professionally, because the quality of the proposal is a data point about the quality of the firm.
None of this requires a marketing department or a dedicated proposal writer. It requires a decision to treat the proposal as a business development asset rather than a paperwork requirement.
A few habits that make a consistent difference. Write the cover letter last, after you have thought clearly about what this specific client cares about most, and make sure it reflects that. Lead with relevant experience rather than company history. The client does not need to know when the firm was founded before they understand why the firm is qualified for this job. Be specific about what made past projects successful. Phrases like “completed on time and on budget” are so common they have stopped meaning anything. The project where you solved a sequencing problem that saved the schedule two weeks, or the one where your prefabrication approach cut field labor significantly, those are the stories worth telling.
And be honest about capacity and approach. Decision-makers have seen enough proposals to recognize when a firm is telling them what they want to hear. A proposal that is straightforward about how the work will be managed, who will be on the job, and how the firm handles the inevitable complications of a complex project tends to build more confidence than one that promises everything perfectly.
The proposal is often the first real impression a firm makes on a client they haven’t worked with before. It is worth treating it that way.
People Say
We recently had Chris Carr present to our members on behalf of Dynaimix, and it was an overwhelming success. We had a full classroom, and the engagement throughout the session was outstanding. Many attendees who initially felt intimidated by AI left feeling empowered and confident in how they can begin applying it in their work.
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Brubacher engaged Chris , founder of Dynaimix, in a two-day mind-stretching exploration of current AI capabilities, future direction, and most importantly he outlined the likely impacts to our business. He introduced us to a variety of AI tools to explore using to increase efficiency. Some participants immediately identified ways to save hours per week while others began using AI-enabled tools to offset areas in which they lack skills. Chris is high-energy, kept our attention, and has been attentive in follow-up.
We had the pleasure of having Chris Carr present at our annual planning meeting at Oliver Fire Protection & Security, which is a critical event for setting the direction of our year. Our goal was to give our strategic leadership team a stronger understanding of artificial intelligence and how it will impact our business. Chris delivered his state of AI presentation and completely blew our team away. His depth of knowledge, paired with practical, real-world examples, made the topic both clear and compelling.
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I had the opportunity to bring Chris Carr to the NECA Districts 6 and 9 Summer Conferences on the North Shore of Hawaii, where he came in locked and loaded and delivered two impactful sessions—one for each district. What I appreciate most about Chris and the Dynaimix team is his genuine passion for what he presents and his constant focus on applying AI in practical, meaningful ways for the electrical contracting industry.
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I’ve had the opportunity to see Chris’s State of AI presentation multiple times, and each experience reinforced his strong grasp of AI—where it’s going, how quickly the landscape is changing, and what that means for electrical contractors. What sets Chris apart is his ability to take an incredibly complex topic and make it both approachable and immediately relevant to our industry.
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At the 2025 WICA Annual Convention in beautiful Lake Tahoe, Chris Carr presented on the State of AI for our Insulation Contractor and Associate members. He emphasized the importance of AI literacy, the role of AI governance through an AI council, and how to effectively pair AI with custom code to drive real business impact. Chris has a gift for explaining complex topics in a way everyone can understand, and the session was engaging and highly relevant. Our members found it captivating, the feedback was excellent, and I would highly recommend Chris and the Dynaimix team.
We were extremely pleased with the Program that Dynaimix provided for our Members. From the feedback I received from our Members, it was easy to understand and provided practical grass roots education on understanding how AI could increase time saving skills and knowledge about subject matter. The process of booking the presentation was seamless and the communication with dynAimix leading up to the event was outstanding. We look forward to hosting another presentation with them in the near future.
We had the privilege of having Chris Carr present to our leadership team after first seeing him speak at a peer group event. That experience led us to bring him in for a two-day Intro to AI training where he covered the foundational elements of artificial intelligence. Prior to the training, Chris met with us to understand our business, which allowed him to tailor the content specifically to our needs. What impressed us most was his ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and easy-to-understand way.
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Partnering with Dynaimix AI has been a tremendous step forward for our organization. Their customized, in-person training reached more than 300 of our employees and consistently exceeded expectations. The sessions were engaging, practical, and highly relevant, and many team members shared that they learned far more about AI than they anticipated.
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Chris presented at our Annual Summer Membership Meeting for the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Northeastern Illinois Chapter, and our members were absolutely blown away. The response was so strong that his team followed up with a two-day Intro to AI training for our members, hosted at our location in Illinois. The training was led by Todd Smith, and it was incredibly powerful, highly digestible, and easy to understand.
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Chris Carr
Mark Oestreicher
Todd Smith
Dan Callahan
Erin Larkin
Andrew Pilato
Dynaimix AI Public Speaking Schedule
One of the missions of Dynaimix AI is to educate businesses, industries, and professionals about the transformative impact of the coming wave of artificial intelligence. We aim to share insights into how AI will shape the future of work and provide practical lessons, techniques, and tactics to enhance AI literacy.
Below is our public speaking schedule. Please check back regularly, as new dates and events are added each week.