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It’s fierce competition to get your RFP across the plate. Here are some tips on how to boost the odds to land that account.
1. Make sure the executive summary is great. Explain what is different and unique and prove your agency is the best fit for the brand or organization. However, before writing anything, ask two questions. First, what does our firm have to offer setting us apart from the crowd? Second, what is this organization looking for specifically and how can we match our talents and skills to that need? Answering these questions while writing an amazing executive summary helps the company’s proposal shine.
2. Involve company leaders. Talk with people who will work on the project if the proposal is won. Find out what they have to say about the various questions and answers being given. Ask for opinions; they might notice a need for further information, or where some information should be removed. They might also suggest other resources to check and verify in preparing the proposal. Know who the decision maker is.
3. Confirm you can meet the requirements. Before submitting anything to the brand or organization, make certain there’s not already a strong preferred candidate. RFP’s are very hard to land.4. Follow their rules. Submit the way the prospective client requests, use its forms, and meet its timeline. This is not the time to go maverick with a presentation. Then, recognize some key tricks and craft responses to mirror the prospect’s questions. Use similar wording, sentence structure and flow. Be unique, but write in a way that is conversational. In face-to-face meetings, mirroring can happen even down to syncing your breathing with the other party. Aim for that same effect with the writing in the proposal.
5. Be brief. Answers should be long enough to completely respond to the questions, without rambling. Be direct and concise in responses. The prospect will appreciate not having to decipher what is being said and will probably feel an honesty and transparency in the answers the decision makers read.
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Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR. Follow him on Twitter, @RTorossian5wpr.
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