On RFPs
Five years ago, the acronym “RFP” made me cringe. Other descriptives included concerned, nervous, and anxious. I was also excited and curious. But overall, I felt fraught with negative feelings.
It meant an inordinate amount of work in an unreasonable timeline. It meant hard, mental dedication. It meant not sleeping much, fast food, and timing bathroom breaks. RFP stands for “request for proposal”. To me, it just meant that there’d be little else in life aside from work from receipt to delivery.
This was speculative work. And we know that spec work can yield no results. Particularly for a designer, spec work means at its best: volunteerism, internships, and pro bono “for the public good”. At its worst, it means doing a lot of hard work for free and never get paid for it.
So what needed to happen?
This was not sustainable. I would continue to receive these opportunities, and shouldn’t the overwhelming feeling be positive and eager rather than dread? For over seven years, I made it a priority to refine the RFP process in order to ensure the team I led could sleep enough, plan, and prepare our meals if we want (including time to eat them) and go to the bathroom whenever we have the need. Mostly, ensure the work remained sharp, smart, and well-executed. This has taken lots of time and experience, learning from the failures and the wins, and the incredible support team of Art Directors and Designers.
What Changed?
Branding:
Some companies brand RFP presentations per the client. I looked at this from the viewpoint of the potential partnership: if I were the client, I would want to remember the company presenting to me. I wouldn’t need them to show me a (plausible) weak interpretation of my brand. I wanted this audience to remember us. They already know themselves.
Process:
Upper leadership and new business development teams should be encouraged to provide a heads up when there’s an RFP on the horizon, specifically when it’s clear there will be some sort of creative exercise. When this happens, this means these teams have understood the impact of creative strategy. They’ve seen and heard the results. They are valuing this influence.
A solid process with consistency is paramount. This is a continual and ever-growing effort. So much time can be spent ensuring Account Executives, Program Coordinators, Leadership, Executives (and all the in between) understand they need to follow what we’ve built if they want the great results we promise.
A library of curated content featuring common used materials can help boost efficiency. This is dependent, of course, on company, resources, and internal processes, and it should be adapted accordingly. This also boosts morale interdepartmentally and company-wide, fostering a culture of collaboration.
Presentation:
During client presentations, it should be considered that the developer of the work should share it, depending on skillset and comfort. I have been in positions where I would spend hours prepping an Account Executive or sales lead on my strategy, approach and notes; it had to change. Notable points could be missed or addressed incorrectly. And what happened if there were questions on our process, the work, the team? There always were. This can help the company as a whole by proving there are revered subject matter experts in which the company invests.
I am often allotted anywhere between 2-15 minutes to share the incredible impact the teams I have led have on our clients as a whole, and as the presentation unfolds, I add or cut information based on time. I need to be succinct, engaging, well spoken, and impactful. And yes, I’m often nervous (this is good). And in person is always better.
The benefits of this approach is obvious. I can take this feedback heard directly from the client and apply immediately and into the future. I can hear how other subject matter experts sell. I can add the common questions consistently received in these pitches to my list of points to address, to be sure I’m covering everything possible. It allows for proactivity and future strategic opportunities.
In conclusion:
This approach ensures your company and value is memorable. The process is efficient. Familiarity with timing and what it takes, no matter how big or small the creative ask is can in fact allow us to do even more, and that has won business. Concise, compelling, and personable presentations ensure connection. All of the client’s questions are addressed, often before they have to ask.
I was able to achieve a 60% win rate for all new business. Anything over 50% is considered successful. The largest volume of RFPs I’ve responded to is 23 in two months alone, with a varied rate of creative involvement. With the incredible support of a talented team, I’ve won large accounts such as Alaska Airlines and Walmart, each worth over $10M. At one point, the new business opportunity list was at nearly 150 potential clients.
Image via Ken Orvidas / www.orvidas.com