PPB April 2018

Y ou have received another Request for Proposal froma potential client. It’s the third one thismonth. You think amoment and ask yourself, “What will guaranteemy success on this RFP?” Sadly, there’s no magic wand, supernatural voodoo, silver bullet or secret sauce. There are no guarantees, promises or assurances and no tricks or special words that will affect the outcome. RFPs are tough, time- consuming energy suckers. That said, the best path to success with RFPs is to be organized before the RFP arrives. The following steps are a laundry list of do’s and don’ts gleaned from years of expertise evaluating and responding to RFPs. To be honest, it’s a lot of information and will be challenging to absorb in a single reading. And you won’t be able to accomplish each of these quickly, so don’t try. Instead, choose one topic and add it to your action plan. Preparation now saves time, money and stress later when the RFP is on your desk and the deadline is looming. Step One: Begin By Building A Team Who manages your company’s technology? How about supplier relations, quality assurance, compliance and fulfillment? RFP questions can cover all aspects of your business. Even if you don’t have internal staff to handle these areas, you’ve probably developed expert information through your affiliations and outside resources. For an internal team you need: • A project manager to hold the various departments accountable to deliver their materials on time. This person will have additional duties to be determined, including responsibility for managing and completing the master document. • A representative from each contributing department or business partner such as Six steps to improve your process—and your chances to win. by Marsha Londe Build Your Action Plan For RFP Success DILBERT © 2007 Scott Adams. Used By permission of ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION. All rights reserved. 52 | APRIL 2018 | GROW