Reality #1: You can — and should — beat your target market to the punch. Don’t just sit back and be reactive. Instead, be proactive. Identify and call on companies that fit your target profile. Begin a relationship before an RFP is needed, and you might jump-start the process. Are you building a relationship by providing value? If so, why should a buyer go through a complex and time-consuming process when a suitable source — you — is right there?
Reality #2: You can — and should — ask you own questions. Gain competitive advantage by performing discovery within the RFP process. What does that mean?
Pick up the phone, call the buyer, and say, ‘Thanks very much for your RFP. There are a few things I’d like to clarify.’ Ask questions that show your sincere concern for the prospect and that reveal your expertise. Raising new questions delivers value, and you may well become a trusted source. Even if you don’t win this time, you’ll have a leg up the next time.
But most important is that you will probably learn of an issue or two not specifically communicated in the RFP. That’s a real advantage, if you know what to do with it.
Reality #3: You can — and should — change the rules. Or at least try to. Some salespeople call this ‘sabotaging’ an RFP.
Here’s an example: Asked to bid on resolving an international tax issue, partners at a professional services firm delivered their proposal in November and in person (always a good idea). The prospect strongly implied they would get the business but not to check back until after the New Year.
We first met with the partners in December. They were quick to say that they would be celebrating on New Year’s Eve because a major piece of business was coming their way. ‘When was the last time you spoke with the prospect?’ we asked. Early November, they replied, when they submitted the bid. They were surprised and not a little annoyed when we told them we didn’t think they would receive the business. Even more so when they heard our valuable, albeit complementary, advice: ‘You should re-engage the prospect immediately.’
In our experience, companies that place a major piece of business want to move on it right away. That means they are always in touch with the ‘winner’ to sort out last-minute details before an official announcement. No chatter means no business.
In fact, a competitor ‘out-discovered’ the firm to unearth a muddy but important issue not in the RFP. Senior executives wanted the tax issue resolved, yes, but their real fear was that they had no idea of how big the problem was. The RFP was about what they thought they wanted to know, not what they needed to know. (See Myth #1.)
Key Point: The successful bidder ignored the RFP. Instead, he proposed a much less expensive audit to determine the extent of the tax issue. Not only did he get the assignment he created, but he also positioned himself to solve the problem he was going to identify. He won because he was the only bidder to quote the ‘revised’ specifications that no other bidders knew about.
Now, we are not saying that rules are made to be broken. What your third-grade teacher (and your mom and your dad) told you about the value of following directions is true. On the other hand, we do believe that — under the right circumstances — giving serious thought to what certain rules really mean only makes sense.
Philip S. Krone is the founder and president of Productive Strategies Inc., a 17-year-old Northfield, Illinois-based management and marketing consulting firm. Productive Strategies provides clients with particular expertise in sales process development, lead generation and appointment setting. Krone can be reached at (847) 446-0008 ext.1 or [email protected].
