Kentico Partner Group Leeds, UK

19 February 2013

Marianne KayWeb Strategist, Web CMS Consultant

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

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

Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win. Jonathan Kozel

Choose your battles -not every battle is yours to fight...

1. Probability of winning2. Cost of bidding3. Estimated profit

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

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.

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

Pricing strategies

• Fixed-price project / Daily rate• Offer price ranges• Multiple options each with its own pricing

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!

Templates for responding

• Executive summary• Company info• Case studies• edit, edit, edit...

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

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/

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

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

Thank you!

Marianne KayWeb Strategist and Web CMS Consultant

Email: marianne@mariannekay.com Twitter: @marianne_uaLinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/mariannekay/