How to Win an RFP - 5 Strategies

Almost every week this summer, I was contacted by a design firm leader requesting a?second set of eyes on an RFP. The documents I reviewed were often confusing, inconsistent, and full of loopholes. An RFP for the design business is often prepared by people who don’t fully understand design, creative, or branding services. Working with my clients this summer, I figured out a few strategies that helped them win:

Strategy #1: Make sure your firm is a fit for the work

Just because you received an RFP does not mean your design company is a fit for the work. Your first task is to find out how many they’ve invited to pitch. Depending on the response you get, you may or may not want to move forward. I have found that 3-4 firms is the average. Review the RFP with a critical strategic eye rather than jumping in to quickly respond. Develop your own criteria for determining fit.

Strategy #2: Look for unclear and conflicting information

One RFP I looked at recently was a fairly sophisticated document with a hefty budget attached and thrown in as an afterthought was the phrase “social media help will be required” Really?? Things like social media need to be spelled out clearly. Break down every RFP into the various requirements and look at each one carefully. Create a list of questions for each requirement so that you are clear about what they need. Check the document carefully for inconsistencies. I have found conflicting information for example a list of 5 requirements at the beginning of the document and a list of 4 requirements in the summary.

Strategy #3: Do a thorough budget analysis

500K budget. Sounds good right? My clients were certainly excited. We took the time to do a thorough budget analysis and in the end, the 500K budget was not as exciting as we had originally thought. There was a list of print requirements and it was unclear by the wording whether print was included in the 500K or not. Develop a spreadsheet system for analyzing the budget to be sure it will be profitable for your firm.

Strategy #4: Ask strategic questions

Sometimes they’ll do a group Q+A but many firms don’t like to participate as they feel they are giving their IP to competitors. Push for a private Q+A session and be strategic about the questions you are asking. I recommend that you brainstorm with your team, gather everyone’s questions, and make a shortlist. The questions you ask will tell the client a lot about your firm. Use this as an opportunity to make a first impression that stands out from the crowd.

Winning the RFP

Strategy #5 Make the call on creative work

For many, this is a deal-breaker right out of the gate but I do work with firms that pull out all the stops and show detailed creative to win the pitch and they do win. Most firms have a strict policy around whether they will or will not participate in a pitch that asks for creative work but I’ve noticed that in these interesting times more are doing it and winning the work. It’s a leadership team call and you must evaluate your chances of winning and decide if it makes sense to go for it.

There is an art and science to the RFP and it’s easier than you may think. After the summer of RFP’s, I’ve added?Winning the RFP?to my?menu of services.?The RFP process can be rather arduous, and there are strategies to make it easier, faster, more collaborative, and increase conversion rates.

If you’d like to talk about an upcoming RFP,?book a time here.?