We recently did some analysis of the users of www. Acquirers like buying companies with a defendable, long-term advantage that gives them pricing authority. But what if your industry relies on RFPs for work? Next time you get an RFP, reply with something like this:.
Your staff will be emboldened — proud to work for a company with a vision and the courage to stick to it. The buyer will probably pick another vendor who will be an unimaginative bottom-feeding company desperate for work.
Likewise, a good web firm will inquire deeply about who will use your web site and how. This will guide the creation of a set of of requirements that can then be used to properly plan and estimate the creation of your web site. Image credits: Matthew Harrigan. A laundry list of features RFPs will often contain a laundry list of features which have little to do with the group's actual needs.
A firm has been chosen—just going through the motions In many cases, the client has already selected a firm, and they're just going through the RFP process to appease higher ups, a board of directors; or following the letter, if not the spirit, of company or organization rules. Give us a bunch of good ideas, for free Clients will often ask web firms to "show us what you would do for us" or "present a strategy for developing our site". A good proposal is no guarantee of successful outcome We've talked to many clients who used the RFP process to choose and hire a web firm, and they've been dissatisfied with the outcome.
Ok, these are all negatives—what should we do? First, forget the RFP. We see this in the fleet industry all of the time. A company has been leasing their vehicles in a certain way for so long that their RFP leaves no room for alternatives.
This causes the company to completely miss out on the potential value that a different approach could provide. An RFP restricts the company from keeping an open-mind to solutions that they may have never even considered. In addition, many quality companies will refuse to respond to an RFP, thus further narrowing the number of potential solutions for your company. RFPs are also not extraordinarily conducive to developing long-lasting business partnerships.
Think about your best clients. Most likely, they have been working with you for many years. You know their business, and they recognize the value that you provide to theirs. It is not a relationship that was built overnight, but rather one that took years to cultivate. Our rule of thumb is that, if more than five firms have received an invitation, we will decline. Even at five, we need to think about it. It's nothing personal, and it's mostly math. Being one of five or fewer gives firms a much better chance at success than being one of twenty or more.
That's the business side of the business. That's an extreme example, but I hope you get the drift. If an organization is not paying for RFP submissions, it's just common courtesy to give firms submitting proposals enough time. This one always surprises us. Our business, like accounting, architecture or management consulting, requires people to work closely together.
There should be opportunities to see if there are a fit and an indication of mutual respect and trust. Bidding on a project or contract where the odds of success are low, and the opportunities for stress and anxiety are high is not good for the health of agencies and the people that work at them. Unless there is a specific reason for an unrealistic timeline, and not merely bad planning, it's time to back away. We read one RFP recently that stated bidders were expected to figure out the particulars of the work and submit a detailed budget as part of their bids.
For free. Um, no thanks. If an organization doesn't take the time to say what they are looking for, it should not expect others to do that work for them. There are plenty of other reasons why perfectly qualified firms are likely saying no to RFPs. Bidders conference anyone? If your organization is thinking of issuing an RFP for firms like ours, take the time to set yourself and your search up for success. Start by thinking about whether an RFP is a way you should go. It might be best to start with a conversation.
Unabashed words guy, branding evangelist and voracious reader of anything to do with marketing, branding, creativity and design.
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