The RFP Success Show – Détails, épisodes et analyse

The RFP Success Institute

How to Get Started with RFPs - EP043

Épisode 43

mardi 18 juin 2019 • Durée 26:08

Are you new to the idea of responding to RFPs? If so, you’re probably curious about where to go to find RFP opportunities. And you may also be wondering what the process of responding to a request for proposal looks like. What’s the difference between corporate and government RFPs? What’s the best way to approach the procurement departments of your target customers? Once you’ve identified an opportunity, what steps can you take to prepare a winning response?

Today on the podcast, I’m explaining how to get started with RFPs, discussing how to find opportunities and prepare corporate, state or local government responses. I share the importance of building relationships with people in the organizations and agencies you want to work with and getting notifications when they release an RFP.

I go on to walk you through the process of responding to an RFP, describing how to create a response template, craft a strategy, write and revise the content, and complete the peer review process—in a timely manner! Listen in for insight on learning from the bids you don’t win and get a list of the top resources for identifying opportunities to bid on RFPs.

Key Takeaways

The challenge of finding corporate RFP opportunities

How to identify corporate targets and get on their vendor lists

How to approach corporate supplier diversity departments

How to get in front of government procurement departments

The best resources for finding local + state government RFPs

A simple, step-by-step overview of the RFP response process

Read RFP and identify questions
Create response template
Reverse engineer calendar
Think through strategy (theme)
Get writing done
Edit for cohesive voice
Objective peer review
Editorial peer review

How to get information and learn from the bids you don’t win

Connect with Lisa

Contracting with the Federal Government on RFP SS EP011

Resources

Build Relationships & Win Federal Business on RFP SS EP030

Diversity Certification with Heather Cox on RFP SS EP003

BidSync

FindRFP

Freedom of Information Act

Guiding Technical Experts to Provide Specs for an RFP – with Lisa Rehurek - EP042

Épisode 42

mardi 11 juin 2019 • Durée 14:19

It is simply not fair to expect technical experts to write an RFP response. Yes, you will need their input as you gather information for a given proposal, but it’s your role as the writer to craft the narrative and communicate the value of your team’s solution. So, what can you do to steer the technical experts in the right direction, guiding them to provide the data you need in the most efficient and effective way?

Today on the podcast, I’m explaining how to guide the information you get from technical experts for an RFP response. I address why it’s unfair to expect technical staff to write the proposal you’re going to submit and break down the role of technical experts in providing the HOW and the WHAT of your proposal.

I also describe the role of the proposal writer in compiling the data from technical experts and articulating the value of the solution through the RFP response. Listen in for insight around using tables and writing prompts to gather the information you need and learn how doing the heavy lifting on the front end improves the RFP process!

Key Takeaways

Why you can’t turn technical staff into proposal writers

The technical expert’s role in providing the WHAT and the HOW

How the proposal writer articulates the value of your solution

How to guide the information you get from technical experts

The value in using the table format to gather specific data

The 4 prompts for technical experts re: narrative questions

What is the short answer?
Why does it matter?
How is our solution different/better? What’s the proof?
What’s the process for making that happen?

How heavy lifting on the front end improves the RFP process

Connect with Lisa

Resources

Appealing to Behavioral Styles in Your RFP Response – with Lisa Rehurek - EP041

Épisode 41

mardi 28 mai 2019 • Durée 13:07

What resonates with one evaluator may not appeal to another. Some are skimmers, while others read every word. Some make decisions based on emotion, while others leverage logic. Some are engaged by story, while others are more interested in data. So, how in the world do you write an RFP response that caters to all four behavioral styles? How do you engage ALL the evaluators and win more business?

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing the four behavioral styles and discussing how to garner the attention of each in an RFP response. I share the characteristics of the Social Butterfly and the Slow and Steady types, explaining how both make decisions based on emotion but differ in terms of patience, focus, and willingness to change.

I also address what differentiates the Straight Shooter and Statistical Personality, exploring how the former is accomplishment-driven and focused on efficiency, while the latter makes decisions using data and analysis. Listen in for insight around capturing the attention of a diverse group of evaluators and learn to tier your answers to appeal to all four behavioral styles in an RFP response

Key Takeaways

The 4 different types of behavioral styles

Social Butterfly
Slow and Steady
Straight Shooter
Statistical

The characteristics of a Social Butterfly

Love people and make decisions with emotion
Skimmers (keep focus with graphics, bullet points)

The characteristics of a Slow and Steady

Process-oriented and like comfort zone
Patient, dedicated to evaluation criteria

The characteristics of a Straight Shooter

Accomplishment-driven, need proof for claims
Don’t like to waste time and prefer efficiency

The characteristics of a Statistical Personality

Data-driven and analytical
Averse to too much fluff

How to tier your answers to appeal to diverse behavioral styles

Connect with Lisa

Competing for Attention on RFP Success Show EP040

Resources

Competing for Attention with Your RFP Response – with Lisa Rehurek - EP040

Épisode 40

mardi 21 mai 2019 • Durée 15:58

Let’s face it: Evaluators are bored. They’re tired. They’re busy and distracted. So, how is your RFP response going to capture their interest? The fact is, you are not just competing in terms of knowledge and skill, you’re competing for attention span. What can you do to stand out?

Today on the podcast, I’m sharing my top strategies for grabbing—and keeping—the evaluator’s attention in an RFP. I explain how to make a good first impression with a clean proposal and why it’s helpful to break up text with white space, bullet points, tables and checklists. I also discuss the mistakes people make in creating graphics, offering insight on simplifying visuals and choosing information that’s truly important.

I go on to cover the value of establishing an emotional connection, describing how that builds trust with evaluators and increases your chances of winning business. Listen in to understand how a conversational tone can capture attention and learn how to keep an evaluator interested by targeting their head AND heart in your RFP response!

Key Takeaways

How much time you have to grab the evaluator’s attention

My top strategies for capturing attention through the RFP

Clean visuals
Storytelling
Conversational response

How to make a good first impression with a clean proposal

The value in breaking up text with white space, tables, etc.

The top mistakes people making in proposal graphics

Info in graphic not important to evaluator
Too much info presented in single graphic

Why it’s crucial to create an emotional connection in RFPs

How to capture a conversational tone through dictation

Connect with Lisa

Differentiators on RFP Success Show EP39

Resources

Mike Parkinson on RFP Success Show EP032

Richard Goring on RFP Success Show EP022

Identifying Your Differentiators for the RFP – with Lisa Rehurek - EP039

Épisode 39

mardi 14 mai 2019 • Durée 19:46

What differentiates your company from its competitors? If your answers are centered around years of experience or passion for what you do, it may be time to rethink your strategy. The truth is, your clients EXPECT you to have a solid background and to care about what you do. So, what REALLY sets you apart? What is true about your company—that your competitors CANNOT claim? And how do you back up those differentiators with proof in an RFP response?

Today on the podcast, I’m discussing the difference between baseline expectations and true differentiators, revealing the ONLY time it’s okay to use an expectation as one of your differentiators in an RFP response. I explain why you can’t just list what sets you apart and describe how to prove your differentiators with statistics, case studies and testimonials.

I also share my 5-step process for identifying differentiators, addressing the importance of interviewing your clients as well as employees at every level of the organization to uncover what makes you better than the competition. Listen in to understand the value in sprinkling your differentiators throughout the RFP response and learn how to lean into what sets you apart and win more business!

Key Takeaways

The difference between baseline expectations and differentiators

The only time it’s okay to use an expectation as a differentiator

How to prove your differentiators with statistics + case studies

How to identify your differentiators

Compile list of client expectations
Brainstorm how better than competition
Interview clients, review testimonials
Talk to employees at every level
Find patterns, identify 3-5 differentiators

The danger of your RFP blending in with the competitors’

The value in sprinkling your differentiators throughout the RFP

Connect with Lisa

Resources

Connect the Dots Promotions

If at First Your RFPs Don’t Succeed, Get Feedback and Try Again – with Karie Cowden - EP038

Épisode 38

mardi 30 avril 2019 • Durée 25:36

If bidding on RFPs is a growth strategy you’re considering, know that the process is not for the faint of heart. You’re unlikely to win your first or second bid—and maybe not even your third or fourth. At the end of 2017, Karie Cowden and her team at Connect the Dots Promotions went all-in on RFPs, spending more than $10K in 12 months on eight RFP submissions that failed. As 2018 came to a close, the team decided to try a Hail Mary pass, giving themselves until the end of the first quarter to win a bid—or abandon the strategy altogether.

Karie is the Founder and President of Connect the Dots, a marketing agency dedicated to helping clients create an experience around their brand through promotional items. Karie has 25-plus years of experience in the realm of promotional products, and Connect the Dots boasts a diverse international client base ranging from community churches to Fortune 500 companies.

Today, Karie joins us to explain why Connect the Dots made the decision to start bidding on RFPs and how they balance price point with concerns about quality and safety. She shares the team’s heartbreak at investing thousands of dollars’ worth of time and effort on eight unsuccessful RFPs before finally getting help from an outside consultant. Listen in as Karie discusses the changes Connect the Dots made in writing their ninth RFP, describing how they leveraged storytelling and specific data to substantiate their claims—and score their first WIN!

Key Takeaways

How Connect the Dots creates experiences around client’s brands

Why Karie’s team made the decision to respond to RFPs in 2017

Karie’s challenge in responding to RFPs that focused on price

The frustration Karie faced in responding to 8 RFPs without a win

How Connect the Dots spent $10K+ on unsuccessful RFPs

What finally inspired Karie to get help from an RFP consultant

Why it’s crucial to tell your story through the RFP

How to identify what differentiates you from the competition

How Connect the Dots won their ninth RFP Hail Mary bid

How Karie’s team used pictures and data to win their first RFP

The value in substantiating your claims with testimonials

Karie’s advice around leveraging outside consultants for feedback

Connect with Karie

Call (602) 944-5592

Connect with Lisa

Karie on Phoenix Business Radio

Resources

Connect the Dots World Record

WBENC

Billion Dollar Graphics on Facebook

Getting the Most Out of Microsoft Word for RFPs – with Jen Parkinson - EP037

Épisode 37

mardi 9 avril 2019 • Durée 37:03

If you’ve ever been tasked with putting together an RFP that is hundreds of pages long, you know the pain of formatting glitches, consistency issues, and, worst of all, losing hours of work in a ‘big crash.’ So, are there any ninja tricks to working with Microsoft Word that mitigate these risks?

Jen Parkinson is the cofounder and President of Billion Dollar Graphics, a firm dedicated to giving business professionals the tools to create powerful infographics and presentations. With 23 years of experience designing marketing materials, presentations and government proposals, Jen is an expert in producing bid-winning RFPs and first-class presentations.

Today, Jen joins us to share her top tips and tricks around using Microsoft Word for RFPs. She explains the key differences between Word and InDesign, explaining why Word is prevalent in the proposal world and how to use section breaks to create various page styles in the program. Jen also discusses her preference for submitting RFPs as PDF files and offers advice on mitigating flow issues and maintaining consistency in a document—from one machine to another. Listen in for Jen’s insight on using the Styles, Spacing and Review tools to compose an RFP and learn how to avoid the big crash by saving backup copies and new versions regularly!

Key Takeaways

Jen’s path from marketing design to the proposal world

The differences between Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Word

How to use section breaks to create several different page styles

Why it’s crucial to reformat a page before deleting a section break

How to ensure headers and footers match the page orientation

Why Jen prefers submitting an RFP as a PDF vs. a Word file

The importance of using the fonts specified by an RFP

How to keep pictures and captions together by creating a table

How to get your feet wet with Styles by creating headings

When to use the Keep lines together and Keep with next features

Jen’s tips for modifying the leading (line spacing) in a document

The distinction between a header and a heading

Jen’s tricks for using the Review tool to collaborate on an RFP

How to avoid the big crash by saving backup copies + new versions

Connect with Jen

Billion Dollar Graphics

Jen on LinkedIn

Email info@billiondollargraphics.com

Connect with Lisa

Billion Dollar Graphics’ PowerPoint Plugin

Resources

Mike Parkinson on RFP Success EP032