If you’re a proposal writer responding to an RFP, here is a surefire way to ruin what might have been a decent proposal: never, and I mean never, answer a direct question directly. When used properly, an RFP provokes thought, careful planning, innovation, and a solid basis for further discovery. Unfortunately, proposals are also driven by long and meticulous narrative. The offeror wants a thorough response, but brevity remains tantamount to success.
If you can’t focus on core points and deliver as concise an answer as possible, you’ll lose the attention (and interest) of the evaluation team. To avoid screwing up a proposal, don’t pack meaningless marketing fluff and filler content into your answers. Don’t talk in circles that never actually answer the question. This is the most efficient and straightforward path to failure. This practice may also create the perception in the offeror’s mind that you can’t provide the services requested or are lying.
Here are two recurring examples.
Scenario 1
Question: List the criteria used to evaluate the performance/success of your teams.
The Perfect Wrong Answer: Although program and team member performance is effectively determined by agreed upon service levels, metrics, and other key performance indicators (KPIs), teams are ultimately measured by client satisfaction.
This is the perfect non-answer. What does it mean? It never specifically addresses the question, nor does it provide even a brief, clean list of bullet points to highlight the usual metrics one would expect. It also implies you have no interest in or tools with which to measure your resources. You’ve just placed the onus on the client when the whole point of outsourcing is to ease those burdens. And nothing says “our company has never really done this before and has no idea what you expect from us” better than this response.
Scenario 2
Question: Client requires strategic business reviews quarterly. Do you agree to these terms (Y/N).
The Perfect Wrong Answer: Anything other than “Yes” or “No.”
The quarterly review is a client requirement. Will you comply? Yes or No? There’s nothing more to say. If offerors want details on the structure, content, and topics covered during these reviews, they’ll ask separately-- probably in the next question. If not, don’t presume.
Should you encounter any ambiguities or confusion with questions in the RFP, it’s your responsibility as the proposal professional to address and resolve them during the Question and Answer period.
2014. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
