WinningBidEvery successful client tells us that an integral part of their Corporate Strategy is Business Development.

Responding to RFPs is one of the most effective biz-dev tools we have ever seen or used.

We have discovered that organizations with a well-developed RFP Proposal Response Strategy in place gain considerable competitive advantage and market share.

 

Proposals make or break companies every day.  We help Clients write and win RFPs.

Many SME owners tell us that their experience responding to RFP Proposals in the past has garnered dismal results, and the idea of even mentioning a new RFP to their staff can cause instant turmoil! So, instead of trying again, many companies just simply give up.

That’s too bad. Because our experience shows that a clearly developed Proposal Response Strategy will eliminate the frustration and burden on your team – and keep you one step ahead of the competition.

Winning an RFP, RFQ and RFI can create tremendous opportunities and long term rewards for your organization.

Part of a winning Proposal Response Strategy is the development of an RFP template process.  This digital template becomes a living growing document; meant to be continually built upon. This template is similar to having a dynamic resume for your organization.

It details; your company profile and history, the biographies of your people, successful case studies with substantiating metrics and dates – and highlights the vision statement and solutions that your firm provides.

What it means for your company is that when you need to access this kind of important  information – it can be easily found, it is up-to-date, and the info can be instantly utilized.

Having all of this information prepared in advance and at your fingertips is vital, so that when it comes time for responding to an actual bid – it will literally free up over 30% of your response time to focus on what is really important in winning the proposal, which is:
• Asking important questions to the Issuer
• Meeting all Mandatory Requirements
• Successful Delivery of the Response

These 3 areas are where your most valuable time should be focused.

Please do not rely on just cutting and pasting from previous responses that did not win. If it didn’t work then, it won’t work now.

No two proposals are ever exactly the same.

Clients ask: What can we do differently this time around in order to win our bid?

Begin with asking for help.

Gaining support from an outside resource is a valuable way to determine if you are on target for winning.  Seeking advice from a professional RFP writer can quickly get you on the right track.

A pro RFP writer brings an objective view point to each proposal. They can help you interpret the document and determine the risk versus reward for response.  This type of resource shares best business practices around successful response strategies so that your teams can carry this knowledge forward into future proposals.

Keep your eye on the prize. Remember what the prize is? It’s to attract Clients to choose your company over all other bidders.

Business is so incredibly competitive today. Winning results are often about luring a long term contract away from your competition.

Over the past 5 years, we have noticed that more and more proposals are based on competing for that piece of business that wasn’t previously determined through a bidding process. This should be a huge wake-up call for all organizations. And, it represents a tremendous opportunity for new solution providers.

Winning RFPs is about understanding what the client really wants now – and what they will likely require well into the future.  It is up to you to effectively communicate your company’s value and unique capabilities related to fulfilling those needs better than any other firm.

If business development is your responsibility, then you want to ensure that you are at the forefront with important customers. Proposals can help put you there, keep you there, and provide substantial competitive intelligence as part of the process.

When your team can arrive at the bidders conference with questions that are well prepared and will lead the issuer into actually wanting and needing your company’s unique solutions – then by the time you submit the proposal – your solution should be the only wining choice!

You can see why we get so excited about Proposals and the opportunity that they  represent.

Most organizations are made up of subject matter experts, however professional writing is not usually a forte of most employees.  If you don’t have the internal resources to do your very best work, then I encourage you to seek outside advice. The skill to write and edit Proposals is one of these key areas where help is available.

Believe it or not, there are RFP writers out there who are qualified and actually choose to write and respond to RFPs as their life’s work and passion. Based in Canada, U.S., Spain and the U.K. four of the top RFP experts are on the Boardroom Metrics solutions team, ready to help.

In our experience, RFPs really are the ultimate business document.  Are you doing all that you can to win?