Posted 08.17.2009
7 tips for winning more business
RFP’s that get the bid
By Esty AtlasThe famous playwright Oscar Wilde once said, “There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.” Here’s how this belief holds true today for winning more business, especially if you’re unknown or the underdog.
In an effort to secure new business, many firms submit a request for proposal (RFP). Some are by invitation-only. If you find out you’re not on the “A” list, there are things you can do to increase your visibility so you do get more opportunities to submit.
First, if your responses only answer the standard questions in a matter-of-fact way, you are missing a big opportunity to gain an advantage over the competition.
Why? Because ultimately, people decide who gets the project, not computers. (Software screening is sometimes used at the initial phase, but eventually those who make the final cut will be called in for personal interviews).
Facts are not the only aspect to winning the work. Therefore, RFP writing (and in-person presentations) requires both strategic pre-planning and a psychological understanding on how people make decisions.
The days of just offering credentials, team bios, and recommendations for solving the project are over. You must present distinguishable advantages and “market the RFP” before and after its actual presentation.
Here are seven tips to keep in mind when writing yours:
1. “What’s in it for Me?” (WIFM)
Too many companies get this backwards. The RFP is not about you; it’s about the client. An effective RFP that primarily answers questions from the client’s perspective also answers “What’s in it for you?” Research, creativity, visual presentation, and resourcefulness will set your proposals apart.
2. Be memorable
From beginning to end, you must send a clear, defining message that answers: If the content of your RFP reads too much like your competition, then you haven’t successfully shown how memorable you are to the hiring manager.
If your company logo and project manager bios could be easily swapped with those of another RFP, then yours is not memorable enough. Be different. Give your company a visual advantage. If your office is near the headquarters of where a large project is to take place, show a map with bold, colorful markings and arrows pointing to “You are Here” and “We are Too.” This visual advantage for customer service, planning and execution of a project can be just the edge a company is looking for on an out-of-state or better yet, an international project. A picture really is worth a thousand words when you have a benefit others may not be able to match.
3. Have a unique selling position
Say you need a life-saving liver transplant and there are only five qualified surgeons in the entire country trained to do this procedure. They all have similar medical qualifications.
By what measurement do you evaluate and choose the one to do your procedure? The one that’s physically closest (convenience); accepts your insurance (cost-effective); can do it the soonest (meets deadlines); a friend heard about one of them (word of mouth)?
Relate this to winning more business. A company receives five or more highly qualified RFP’s. How do they choose? Which do they eliminate and why? Who crosses the finish line?
Assume all the top doctors can do the surgery technically, but there is one who has the best reputation as judged by his peers and colleagues. That’s the audience and position you want to hold in your field!
4. Research and do your homework
Never before has it been easier to research who the decision makers are and to connect with them in advance. Given the option and opportunity, people hire other people who go beyond the standard paperwork to earn someone’s trust. (That’s what keeps companies working with the same firm decade after decade.)
Many RFP’s are presented with too many technical details that create a cumbersome reading manual. Consider the “givens” and then think of what else you bring to the table. Consider the value of reaching the client’s stakeholders through public outreach and advocacy as part of your RFP.
Know what your competition has to offer. Know the hot buttons of those who will be reviewing your RFP. This is where strategic marketing matters. It gives you an inside track to differentiate yourself in a non-competitive but credible environment.
5. Write as if they are listening
Less is more. There is a difference in writing for a reader and writing for a listener. Be conversational, less formal. Make it easy on the eyes. Imagine you are the person reading twenty or more RFP’s. Which ones grab your attention? If a 50-page submittal can be done in 20 concise pages, do it! Break up the text with visuals.
6. What’s your online presence?
Your primary audience will look at your Website to get a sense of who you are and how you present yourself. Your online presence must be fresh and it must attract interest to the stakeholders who are checking you out. Utilize the press, industry trades, associations, social media, and other forms of communication to advance common stories of interest to those who may ultimately be involved in the hiring process before submitting your RFP.
7. What’s your free prize?
This is your specific niche that only you can claim. Heinz is to ketchup what Kleenex is to tissues. Winning the mental battleground through third-party advocacy and public outreach helps you stand out from competitors. We like to bring delicious, gourmet cupcakes to new client lunch-and-learn presentations. We’ll even put customized company logo flags on each one to show we pay attention to details. Most speakers just bring handouts with their business cards.
What can you do to win the hearts, minds, and rumbling tummies of your decision-makers? That’s what will help get you across the finish line!
WIN A FREE-LUNCH & LEARN Workshop! Hughes & Stuart Marketing President Melanie Goetz and Creative Director Esty Atlas will customize their 40-minute presentation to help your company win more business. ($750 value) Contact the agency at 303.798-0601. Limited on-site workshops in the Denver-area are available this fall.
Esty Atlas is the public relations/creative director for Hughes & Stuart Marketing located in the Denver Tech Center. She is a four-time Emmy Award-winning writer/producer, Telly award-winning video producer, consumer strategist, and coauthor of "Roadrunner Marketing: Strategic Secrets You Wish You Knew." http://www.HughesStuart.com.
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