how to respond to an rfp
DESCRIPTION
How to respond to an RFP: * Which RFPs are worth responding to? * Cost of bidding * Your chances: good signs and bad signs * The importance of added value and being different * How to decline an RFP * Proposing a paid-for evaluation or discovery phase * Pricing strategiesTRANSCRIPT
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Kentico Partner Group Leeds, UK
19 February 2013
Marianne KayWeb Strategist, Web CMS Consultant
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RFP – Request for Proposal• RFPs are like online dating
OMG Your RFP Is Killing Me
• Nine times out of 10, RFPs are issued with a favourable contender in mind10 Secrets to Help Your Agency Win More RFPs
• Many RFP processes are gated by the ‘great wall of procurement’, determined to prevent any sort of collaboration with the key stakeholders to determine fit and scopeDeath by RFP: Don’t let it happen to you
• A buying decision is 90% based on what goes on behind-the-scenes and is not solution-relatedWinning the RFP business: a case study
• An RFP is the shadow of the storyTo RFP or Not to RFP, That is the Question!
• RFP stands for Really Fast Paperwork
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Are RFPs Worth Responding To?
Number of Wins x ProfitNumber of Bids x Cost
Are RFPs Worth Responding To?http://www.captureplanning.com/articles/are-rfps-worth-responding-to.cfm
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Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win. Jonathan Kozel
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Choose your battles -not every battle is yours to fight...
1. Probability of winning2. Cost of bidding3. Estimated profit
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Probability of winning
“If an RFP arrives unexpectedly without any prior involvement from us we stand a very small chance (10% -15%) of winning the business.“
RFPs – Love ‘em or Leave ‘em? by Graham Frenchhttp://www.sellingcoach.co.uk/gfa_newsletter-RFP_love_em_or_leave_em.htm
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Go or No Go?Positive indicators:• You are involved in producing the RFP • You have an existing relationship with the customer prior to RFP being issued;• You fully understand customer’s requirements;• The project is a great fit to your company’s profile and your team skills;• You know how many competitors you’re bidding against and who they are;• Budget is approved;• Budget is disclosed;• Decision-making process around the selection and the project is clear;• The customer is willing to talk to answer your questions;• There is a potential for additional/follow-on work in the future;• Timescales are sufficient to produce excellent response.
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Cost of biddingEffort required: From 4-5 hours to 1-2 weeks and more
Example 1: RFP for a CMS implementation project.• 8p RFP + 3p of technical questions + a financial proposal.• Response estimate: 40p response with a lot of bespoke answers, 1-2
weeks effort.
Example 2: RFP for a CMS selection project.• 14p RFP• Response #1 - 235 pages • Response #2 - 120 pages • Response #3 - 11 pages
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Pricing strategies
• Fixed-price project / Daily rate• Offer price ranges• Multiple options each with its own pricing
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Questions to ask• Why us?• Who else is competing for this work?• Why wasn’t this project done before?• Who are the decision makers? • Is there a timeline for making the decision?• Budget• Ask questions that reflect your understanding of the
requirements and may add value to the project – detailed, gap exposing, insightful, relevant
• Request a meeting!
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Templates for responding
• Executive summary• Company info• Case studies• edit, edit, edit...
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What are buyers looking for?• Top-quality executive summary• Extensive, tailored response• Professional look (branded, well-structured
document, no typos)• Delivered on time• Providing added value over and above the
key requirements
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Why play by the rules?• Leverage existing relationships• Make proposal to people higher up in the organisation• Offer paid-for evaluation project / discovery phase instead of
a free proposal.
Stop Writing Project Proposals by Jonathan Woldhttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/02/17/stop-writing-project-proposals/
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Thanks but no thanks• before you decline an RFP, request a meeting –
your goal here is selling (possibly not closing)• when you decline, reinstate your interest in working together
in the future
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Resources1. The RFP Process, a chapter from ‘Mastering Technical Sales’ book by John Care
http://www.masteringtechnicalsales.com/files/mts2ech4.pdf 2. Everyone Wants a Number by Deane Barker
http://gadgetopia.com/post/7906 3. Stop Writing Project Proposals by Jonathan Wold
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/02/17/stop-writing-project-proposals/ 4. RFPs – Love ‘em or leave ‘em? by Graham French
http://www.sellingcoach.co.uk/gfa_newsletter-RFP_love_em_or_leave_em.htm5. Turn Your RFP Losses into Wins by John Kenney
http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com/bid/84857/Turn-Your-RFP-Losses-into-Wins6. When NOT to Respond to an RFP by Jim Austin
http://www.americanbar.org/publications/law_practice_today_home/law_practice_today_archive/september11/when_not_to_respond_to_an_rfp.html
7. 10 Secrets to Help Your Agency Win More RFPs by Nancy Bistritzhttp://www.commpro.biz/public-relations/pr-agency-management/10-secrets-for-winning-an-rfp-how-agencies-can-land-new-business-without-the-old-hassles/#.USALHmehe4o
8. Are RFPs Worth Responding To? by Carl Dicksonhttp://www.captureplanning.com/articles/are-rfps-worth-responding-to.cfm
9. 10 Questions to Ask Before Responding to an RFP by Sara Holtzhttp://www.cba.org/cba/practicelink/mf/rfps2.aspx
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Thank you!
Marianne KayWeb Strategist and Web CMS Consultant
Email: [email protected] Twitter: @marianne_uaLinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/mariannekay/