Connect, learn and strategize at Responsive Summit 2023. Also, check out the blog about our rebrand.

THE RFPIO BLOG

Start Responding Like a Pro

The RFPIO blog is full of insights and best practices, giving you the tools you’ll need to streamline your process and respond with confidence.

Featured Post

Build an RFP response database to answer faster & win

Build an RFP response database to answer faster & win

Productivity

Building an RFP response database centralizes your knowledge and improves future responses. Explore this how-to guide to learn best practices and get started today.

Build an RFP response database to answer faster & win

Build an RFP response database to answer faster & win

Productivity

When it comes to answering requests for proposals (RFPs), efficiency is essential. Unfortunately, if you’re like many of your peers without an RFP response database, getting proposal answers is likely difficult and tedious.

In fact, you likely spend countless hours looking for previous proposal content or waiting for subject matter experts to rewrite RFP answers from scratch. Consequently, one of the most important skills required for successful proposal management is RFP knowledge management. Indeed, whether you respond to five RFPs per year or 100, finding reliable information quickly saves you and your team time and frustration.

In this post, we’ll explore how to create an RFP answer library by leveraging knowledge management best practices. To start, I’ll share the basics of knowledge management and how they apply to RFP content and proposal management. Next, you’ll learn the steps to build and maintain your own RFP knowledge library. And to conclude, I’ll offer an overview of some of the benefits and value you and your proposal team can expect to receive from applying knowledge management to your RFP response process.

Contents

Proposal knowledge management basics

What is knowledge management?

There are dozens of definitions of knowledge management, but Gartner summarizes the term best saying:

“Knowledge management (KM) is a business process that formalizes the management and use of an enterprise’s intellectual assets. KM promotes a collaborative and integrative approach to the creation, capture, organization, access and use of information assets, including the tacit, uncaptured knowledge of people.”

Knowledge management is a relatively new practice among businesses. However, the value of the approach is immediately obvious to anyone who has spent hours searching for information. In fact, according to KMWorld, the cost of looking for information is significant: 

“Knowledge workers spend from 15 to 35 percent of their time searching for information. Searchers are successful in finding what they seek 50 percent of the time or less.”

Companies create massive amounts of data on a daily basis. For example, every customer email exchange, invoice, policy document and sales proposal contains information that is vital to the operation of your business. And without a system to save, organize and find that information again, all potential value disappears.

Indeed, time spent searching for information unsuccessfully or recreating knowledge that already exists represents a significant financial cost to your business. Consequently, the goal of knowledge management is to increase efficiency and productivity by making information readily available to those who need it.

Applying knowledge management to the proposal process

While we all know that every RFP is different, it’s also true that there is a significant overlap in the information requested in most RFPs. Our customers often estimate that 60-80 percent of the questions asked in the RFPs they receive were answered at least once already. So, when applied to the proposal process, knowledge management saves, centralizes and organizes those RFP answers for future use. 

In addition, saving and storing RFP data enables you to uncover customer trends, predict future opportunities and explore how variations of answers perform.

Where to store RFP responses

So, where does all of this proposal content end up? Hopefully, in a searchable, centralized, cloud-based RFP response database. Your business may call this database a request for proposal library, content repository, body of knowledge, RFP answer library, RFP knowledge base or some combination of these terms. Regardless of what you call it, this is where your RFP responses live, from your company boilerplate to your list of competitive advantages.

RFP response database software options

Before you can begin building your proposal content repository, you have to select a solution to host it. There are two primary options: an editable shared document platform (Google Docs, Google Sheets, Sharepoint) or RFP software designed for proposal management. Both options offer a centralized location for real-time collaboration with subject matter experts as they create new RFP answers. In addition, both solutions are searchable and provide options for organizing. However, shared document platforms aren’t designed for knowledge management and will limit the efficiency of your RFP process.

Certainly, there are pros and cons for each option, and selecting the right option for your team will depend on a variety of factors. However, you’ll find the primary differences are capabilities and cost. 

If your organization wants to respond to more RFPs by improving efficiency as part of an RFP strategy, proposal management software delivers a strong return on investment (ROI). On the other hand, with some creativity and patience, you can manually manage your knowledge base in a free shared document platform.

Knowledge management features in Responsive:
  • Real-time SME and stakeholder collaboration
  • Categorization tags and account hierarchies
  • Individual user roles and permissions
  • AI-powered search with filters
  • Fully auditable change tracking
  • Duplicate identification
  • Automatic Content Library review cycles
  • Task management and workflow tools
  • Bulk knowledge import and export

How to create an RFP response database

Gather previous proposal content

The first step of building your knowledge base is to gather RFP question and answer pairs from previously completed proposals. Hopefully, some of this information is already digitized and ready to go. You may be tempted to only use RFPs that you won, however, it is beneficial to include as much data as possible.

Decide how you will organize and tag your data

To make your proposal content truly useful, you have to be able to find it quickly. This is where the organizational piece of knowledge management comes into play. Consider how you would categorize each question and its corresponding answer. Also, consider who should have access to what information.

RFP response software uses tags to catalog important aspects of your information. For example, you may use tags to segment knowledge by the industry it addresses, the region it’s applicable to or the section of the RFP it applies to. In addition, the software enables you to easily create account hierarchies to limit a user’s ability to view and edit sensitive information.

Review, update and refine

Now that you’ve collected and labeled your data, it’s time to review it before uploading it to your RFP response database. Start by locating duplicate questions and answers. Then, decide which version of the answer is your go-to response. Factors to take into account include deciding which answer is part of more winning proposals as well as how recently the answer was written or updated. 

After you’re done removing duplicates, review the question and answer sets. Look for any information that is no longer relevant or needs updates. While reviewing all this information may be tedious, it’s important. Your knowledge base can only deliver value if it’s accurate.

Conduct training

One of the biggest factors that determine the success of RFP knowledge management is buy-in from users. While most RFP response database software is very easy to use, hosting tailored training sessions will save you time in the long run. 

Indeed, your sessions should certainly cover search functionality and how to revise out-of-date content. In addition, your team must establish parameters for when to create new knowledge records and which tags to use. Don’t forget to also update any supporting process documentation to reflect the changes.

Seek feedback and optimize

A successful RFP response database is continually growing, changing and evolving to better serve your organization. Ideally, you will consistently update records and add new information as you encounter new RFP questions. Typically, we recommend setting general review sessions at least twice a year to solicit user feedback, review usage and ensure content consistency.

Benefits of creating an RFP response database

Applying a knowledge management approach to RFP answers delivers benefits and solves several common proposal team challenges. 

Stop wasting time searching for proposal content

We all know the old feeling. The sense of deja vu that comes when you read a question you’re sure you’ve answered before. Then you spend time searching through emails, notes and old RFPs to find it. Eventually, you give up and send the question to the subject matter expert who answered it last time, begging them to write it again.

However, with a well-organized knowledge library, your answers are easy to find. Simply conduct a keyword or question search, pick the best answer, and move on with your life. A recent review on G2 described the impact of their knowledge library saying:

“A single content repository, combined with automation and project management tools, makes responding to even the most complex RFPs easier. Having a single storage of RFP-driven work that is tracked and easily referenced makes management happy, and our sales teams know how to engage with the bid & proposals team.”

Make life easy for your subject matter experts

Working with subject matter experts isn’t always easy. They’re busy. And, just like you, they’re tired of answering the same questions over and over again. 

With a knowledge library, you can use the catalog of existing RFP responses to complete as much of the questionnaire as possible. Then, send any remaining questions that require input to the SME. As they answer new questions, your knowledge library grows. Subsequently, you can complete more of each RFP on your own.

Improve your proposal team’s consistency

We all know that asking two people the same question will probably result in two very different answers. Likewise, an RFP question that has been asked a dozen times may have a dozen answer variations. 

Luckily, a knowledge library serves as a single source of truth for your proposal team. So you only find the best version of each answer. In addition, proposal managers become more confident that the proposal is accurate.

Decide to bid or not to bid in less time

When considering whether to bid or not to bid on a new RFP opportunity, the time required to respond is always a factor. With an updated knowledge library, you can gauge how much new content is required and how much you can reuse. As your collection of responses grows, you’ll be able to take on more proposals in less time.

Conclusion

For organizations focused on growth, efficiency and productivity are key. Consequently, every minute you spend searching for information or recreating existing work represents wasted resources. And, for proposal managers, the lost time results in missed RFP opportunities.

Luckily, a well-managed RFP response database delivers accurate information to the right person at the right time ⁠— maximizing the value of your time and expertise.

Create winning RFPs in 5 easy steps

Create winning RFPs in 5 easy steps

Product & Best Practices

Want to start winning RFPs but the response process gives you a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? You’re not alone. Every proposal writer knows what it feels like to spend hours searching through spreadsheets, emails and old RFP bids for answers. After all, they know they’ve answered this before! All too often, when they finally locate the content, they discover the answer is outdated.

Then, you feel guilty for interrupting a subject matter expert to get critical proposal content. Meanwhile, you know they have their own pressing concerns. All of this to complete a bid that has no guarantee of winning new business … Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way.

By following the five tips listed below, you can simplify the proposal process and create winning RFPs that land your organization on the shortlist.

5 tips to crafting RFP bids that win

1. Identify and understand your ideal customer

Responding to every RFP that comes in the door doesn’t increase your chances of winning new business. In fact, it wastes time and resources.

For example, if you don’t have an existing relationship with the issuer, experts say your chances of winning are very low. And, every second you spend chasing a low-probability opportunity is time you’re not focused on the deals you’re more likely to close.

So, stop going after deals that aren’t a good fit for your company. Focus on winning RFPs that support your business goals. The best way to do this is to use a bid or no bid process.

2. Define your RFP process

Once you’ve decided to bid on a project, determine the most efficient way to complete the proposal.

If you don’t have an RFP team or proposal coordinator, don’t worry — a lot of companies don’t have those roles. Just make sure to clearly define ownership with a RACI matrix and responsibilities in the RFP process. That way everyone knows who is involved, what the expectations are and when the deadlines are.

If possible, give yourself 72 hours or so to proofread and add the final touches before submitting the bid. This will also give you time to ensure the responses carry the same voice and tone, which can take work when multiple stakeholders provide content.

3. Assign proposal tasks early

Start assigning tasks as soon as you receive the RFP. Whatever you do, do NOT procrastinate. Remember, if you have to engage subject matter experts, proposals are lower on their priority list so it may take some time to get the answers you need.

Giving them as much time to answer questions as possible will help them balance their priorities and help create winning RFPs. In addition, it prevents you from scrambling to add their content at the last minute.

4. Be genuine — Customize canned answers

If you use canned responses, the people who score the submission will see right through it. Instead, you should provide customized responses that directly address their most pressing concerns.

So, how can you give your team more time to customize answers? Great question! Stop reinventing the wheel with every RFP response. It’s imperative you develop a centralized repository of proposal content you can quickly access and tailor to each RFP.

This can be daunting, I know. But it’s absolutely worth it. Start by compiling answers from recent, successful RFP bids. You’ll know the content is up to date because the bid is recent, and you’ll know it’s compelling because you won the bid. Then, create a list of the most frequently asked questions and start collecting answers.

You may need help from some of your team with this step. Don’t hesitate to ask. They’ll likely be happy to help knowing this will prevent them from having to answer the same questions over and over again.

5. Highlight how you are different, but don’t give away your secret sauce

Keep it simple. Provide value through substance, not superfluous detail. For example, a public relations firm might want to detail how their industry contacts and relationships can help a potential client get the exposure and press they’re looking for.

They won’t, however, want to list those contacts to prospects — it provides little value, can potentially undermine the sale and may even sour those critical relationships.

To learn more about how Responsive RFP software can help you create even more winning RFPs, schedule a free demo. 

21 best RFP response tools for 2023

21 best RFP response tools for 2023

Productivity

If you find yourself with an abundance of requests for proposals (RFPs) and a shortage of time, you’re not alone. As you might expect, here at Responsive, we talk to a lot of proposal professionals about RFP response tools. Through hundreds of conversations, we’ve heard the good, the bad and the ugly. Luckily, there are a ton of great RFP response tools for almost every challenge.

Recently, our team got together to talk about the RFP tools we use ourselves as well as the tools our customers have told us they love. I’ve rounded up the best of the best here. Whether you’re a proposal team of one or one of many, there are tools that can make your RFP response process even better. 

RFP response tool categories

21 top RFP response tools to simplify your proposal process

RFP project management tools

RFPs have a lot of moving parts. Pair that with a tight timeline and you may find yourself in a tough spot. Organizing all of the necessary people and tasks to meet your deadline can be a challenge. So, you need a good project management system to guide your process. These project management systems bring clarity to your process and help to keep everyone engaged and on track. 

1. RACI matrix

Category: Project management strategy

Why we like it: A RACI matrix gets everyone on the same page. This table-based system organizes the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in your RFP process, from subject matter experts (SMEs) to approvers. When used as an RFP tool, it clearly defines how each person will contribute to the proposal. It maps out who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed for each task of a project.

2. ProofHub

Category: Project management tool

Why we like it: Having a suite of powerful planning and organizational tools in a single software is a huge benefit to proposal managers and their teams. ProofHub is a collaboration and project management software that works well for teams of every size across various industries.

From online proofing, task management, file management, and scheduling calendars to Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and time tracking, ProofHub empowers proposal teams to easily plan, collaborate, organize and deliver on-time RFP responses while ensuring team accountability. This easy-to-use, cloud-based SaaS tool has a minimal learning curve, which makes it easy to onboard new members, SMEs and proposal contributors.

Proposal content tools

Every good proposal tells a story. The content in each of your proposals should be engaging, cohesive and compelling. It should clearly and professionally express why your business is exactly the solution the buyer is looking for. When it comes to accomplishing this, there are two main challenges for proposal managers.

First, bringing together answers written by a dozen or more authors can cause your proposal to feel disjointed and inconsistent. Everyone has a different communication style and tone of voice, but the proposal needs to feel on-brand and in line with your organization’s previous interactions with the customer.

The second challenge that comes up when creating proposal content is proofreading. As language becomes more informal, spending time perfecting grammar and style may seem unnecessary. However, we all know someone who delights in finding spelling and punctuation errors – imagine that’s the person who will decide if your proposal makes the cut. Even for those who are less critical, errors can send the wrong message. Unfortunately, they can make your business seem unprofessional, uninvested and ambivalent about winning the bid.

8. Grammarly

Category: Web-based proofreading app and extension

Why we like it: One of the most popular and effortless online editing solutions, Grammarly can be used as a web app or a Chrome extension. Members of our sales team use the program to spot and correct errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. This RFP response tool is free to use and offers paid enhancements if you want even more customized assistance.

A word to the wise, while the program does its best to make helpful suggestions, it doesn’t always understand the nuance of context and language. As with anything, it’s a tool to make finding simple mistakes easier, but there’s no substitute for a final review with human eyes.

9. Readable

Category: Readability and tone app

Why we like it: While Grammarly checks for proofreading errors, Readable evaluates for tone and sentiment. Our marketing team uses the app to review almost all of our blog content and online resources. It gauges how formal or informal your writing is in addition to how difficult it is to read.

In addition, it makes suggestions to help you avoid sentences that are too long, clichés, unnecessary adverbs, passive voice and overly complex words. Proposal responses that are approachable and easy to read are more likely to be understood and remembered. This RFP response tool offers a free online version as well as an affordable paid downloadable app.

10. Visible Thread

Category: Customizable style and tone-checking app

Why we like it: Visible Thread is like a member of your marketing team that helps apply the company’s established style and verbiage to proposal responses. You can use this tool for RFPs to help ensure that capitalization, tone and word choice are consistent no matter who in the company wrote the response.

For example, if your business refers to buyers of your product as customers rather than clients, the system will recognize any incorrect usage of the word clients. Visible Thread also offers helpful reports that can show who has adopted the tool and measure improvements in writing.

11. Board Studios

Category: Explainer video creation

Why we like it: Sometimes conveying complex ideas is easier in person. While you can’t meet with RFP decision-makers, you can include video content in your proposal to help explain your business.

Board Studios works with you to create video content that is eye-catching and compelling. Best of all, they focus on efficiency and pass the savings along to you, so their video services are more accessible than you might think. Video content can not only help your prospect develop a deeper understanding, but it can also make your company more memorable and relatable.

Proposal design tools

Just like the quality of your content, the way your proposal looks makes a statement. It’s like a first impression and can have a huge impact on how the person evaluating the proposal feels about your business. Your proposal should make the reader feel confident in your ability to deliver results. 

Create a proposal that is visually engaging and conveys the care and attention the client can expect from your business. Use a great layout and good visual elements to send the right message.

12. Canva

Category: Layout builder and publication template app

Why we like it: Canva can help you create a modern, appealing proposal in no time. The software has dozens of proposal templates with lots of great page design options. Canva is easy to use and provides tools for customizing templates to meet your needs.

Upload your brand photos, your potential customer’s logo, team photos and product images to quickly create a one-of-a-kind RFP response. Canva offers both free and premium packages to meet your needs.

13. Qwilr

Category: Proposal presentation software

Why we like it: Qwilr is great for creating engaging proposals. Within the templatized system, you can customize your proposal with branded colors, fonts and formats for easy, consistent design.

Qwilr also has an option for interactive pricing, making your proposals dynamic. The resulting presentations are stunning. However, the program will work best for informal or proactive proposals that allow room for some creativity. For extensive proposals with specific formatting guidelines and submission restrictions, Qwilr might not be the best fit. 

14. ChartBlocks

Category: Chart and graph making app

Why we like it: Some concepts can be best conveyed with a chart or graphic. A well-placed graphic can help bring clarity to your RFP responses. ChartBlocks is a great tool for proposals when you need a customized chart or graphic. The program uses chart wizard to guide you through creation, selecting from dozens of charts. Import data from spreadsheets and then use the toolbar to update as needed.

Last-minute hard-copy proposal delivery

Much as we may try, some proposals can’t be completed until the very last minute. When the business requires a printed, physical copy of the proposal, prompt delivery can be the difference between winning and not being considered. In the past, that has meant a stressful rush to UPS or FedEx, but not anymore.

15. Mimeo

Category: Proposal printing and delivery

Why we like it: Delivering physical proposals on time is Mimeo’s bread and butter, so they understand your sense of urgency. They make printing and delivering a physical copy of a proposal as easy as digital delivery – it’s done with the click of a button. Simple and easy, just what you need after a last-minute proposal scramble.

Professional development tools for proposal managers

Proposal management requires a diverse set of skills, which is why education is one of the best proposal tools. In the busy world of responding to RFPs, opportunities to spend time on personal and professional development can be few and far between. However, focusing on learning more about proposal management best practices can yield huge improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. So whenever you can make time, check out these resources.

16. LinkedIn Learning

Category: Business skill development catalog

Why we like it: There’s so much educational content online that it can be difficult to sift through. LinkedIn Learning makes it easy. They provide an enormous searchable catalog of RFP response-related skills. You can brush up on grammar basics, discover new sales tactics, explore project management best practices or learn more about proposal writing.

The courses are broken up into easily digestible sessions, so you can spend a little time each day improving your skillset. Each course is led by an expert, so you’re learning from the best. Because of the wide range of topics applicable to hundreds of professional roles, many companies provide free access to LinkedIn Learning.

17. APMP certifications

Category: Certifications for proposal professionals

Why we like it: If you’re ready to take your RFP knowledge to the next level, explore the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) certifications. APMP offers a certification program with three levels – foundation, practitioner and professional. The program is designed to develop deep industry knowledge and explore best practices for proposal management excellence.

18. The bid toolkit

Category: Proposal development training and consulting

Why we like it: Built by a collection experts in proposals, sales pitches, marketing and more, the bid toolkit offers an easy-to-follow guide for creating an effective and repeatable proposal process. In fact, The bid toolkit website is full of free helpful reference materials as well as paid modules, tools and videos. Named APMP’s 2020 Vendor of the Year, this is a great place to explore the proposal process.

Proposal manager peer networks

Self-service tools for independent development are great, but there’s nothing like connecting with your peers. There’s no one that will understand the challenges and thrills of creating a killer proposal the way that other proposal managers do. Connecting with peers to share challenges, find creative solutions and share new trends and tips can improve the practice for everyone.

19. APMP’s Bid and Proposal Con

Category: Annual proposal professionals conference

Why we like it: This conference, hosted by APMP, is the largest gathering of professionals involved in the proposal process in the world. You’ll find proposal writers, bid managers, business development professionals, project managers and marketing professionals at this conference. There’s a wide range of industries, government and business sectors represented, and each has something unique to contribute. 

20. APMP regional chapters

Category: Local meetups and networking

Why we like it: In addition to the annual conference, APMP boasts 28 local chapters around the world. Each chapter has an active social media presence and many chapters also host regular in-person meetups.

21. LinkedIn groups

Category: Proposal professional group forums

Why we like it: In between conferences and meetups, you can still stay connected with your peers on LinkedIn. There are several great LinkedIn groups for anyone involved in the RFP process. Each is a little different and offers insights, advice and networking for all levels of proposal manager. The members of these groups often post valuable content full of interesting tips, advice and trends.

The advantage of RFP response tools

In the last few years, we’ve been seeing the number of RFPs steadily increasing across most industries. As we prepare for next year, we expect this trend will continue. So, now is the time to take advantage of the best

RFP solutions and tools available. After all, even small improvements to the proposal process can make a big impact on revenue.

Did we miss something? Let us know what your favorite RFP response tools are on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Proposal collaboration tools

Anyone that has managed a proposal from start to finish knows that collaboration is crucial. In fact, a survey by Fierce indicated that 86 percent of employees blame workplace failures on poor collaboration. Admittedly, effective collaboration can be a challenge. Getting timely input from stakeholders, SMEs, business operations and content reviewers is a balancing act.

As the proposal manager, you need to convey urgency, but as a colleague, you understand that SMEs have their own workloads outside of contributing to proposals. Meanwhile, input from SMEs is necessary to create a successful, complete proposal. To make collaboration easier, consider these RFP response tools.

3. Google Docs

Category: Web-based collaborative word processor

Why we like it: The biggest benefit of working in Google Docs can be boiled down to one thing — real-time editing. Traditional word processors require document versions to be sent back and forth, making accurate tracking almost impossible. Whereas Google Docs allows multiple editors to work on the same document at the same time. Comments, task assignments, change tracking, auto-save and permissions features are also available. 

This free RFP tool is easy to use and has most of the same functionality and user experience as Microsoft Word. The only catch? Storage. Google offers 15GB of free storage per user for all of their Google account tools. This includes frequently used tools like Gmail messages, Google Drive and Google photos. So, it may not be ideal for those who use much of the Google Suite. Likewise, it may not be a fit for teams who collaborate on dozens of multi-page proposals with large visual attachments.

4. Boomerang

Category: Gmail automated follow-up extension

Why we like it: If you’re managing your proposals without a centralized knowledge library, you’re probably communicating through email. The web of messages between colleagues, subject matter experts and stakeholders can quickly become overwhelming. In that tangled web, it’s easy to miss an email or two, which is a scary thought. However, Boomerang can help. It’s a free RFP tool that can save you a ton of stress and reduce the risk of losing track of a response.

Boomerang is easy to download and add to your current Gmail account. It’s available for both desktop and mobile apps. The free version allows you to schedule 10 email sends per month. You can also monitor clicks and automate follow-up emails if you don’t hear back from an SME. In addition, Boomerang offers paid plans to further customize your experience with content analysis, notes and integrations.

Time tracking tool for RFP responses

While time tracking software may not be an obvious part of a proposal manager’s set of RFP response tools, it’s a great addition. Here’s why – tracking time can save money. For instance, it can help you identify which parts of your process are most time-consuming and should be optimized. It can also give you an idea of how much it costs your team to respond to an RFP, informing your go/no-go decisions.

Tracking time is required to calculate return on investment (ROI) for any efficiency-improving software (like most of the tools on this list). Even more, quantifying time and value gained is a great way to validate and justify budget spend on technology. At an individual level, using time tracking can help you find new ways to be more efficient and balance your workload.

5. TimeCamp

Category: Time tracking and management application

Why we like it: TimeCamp works well for tracking both productivity and billable hours. So, it is a nice tool for proposal managers as well as RFP consultants. The tracking data gathered by the software can be compiled into easily readable charts and dashboards. In addition, it integrates with many of the most popular project management tools.

TimeCamp can be set up to run in the background without requiring you to manually stop and start a timer for every activity. It is customizable and can recognize and account for idle time. So, you can head to the breakroom for that slice of birthday cake without wondering if you turned your time tracker off.

Knowledge management for proposal content

Once you’ve collaborated to create great proposal content, you’ll want to make sure you get as much value from it as possible. But before you can use it, you have to be able to find it. A study from McKinsey estimated that the average worker spends 20 percent of their time searching for information. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that sifting through old proposals, emails and documents is one of the most frustrating parts of proposal management. 

Today, there’s an easier way to capture, curate, categorize and search your past proposal content ⁠— with knowledge management.

6. Bloomfire

Category: Web-based knowledge-sharing platform

Why we like it: The question-and-answer style format of Bloomfire is what makes it a good fit as an RFP response tool. Within the platform, you can integrate with other apps or upload Word documents, PDFs, audio files and slide decks. Then the system indexes all of the words that appear. Pair the resulting data with AI-powered search, and knowledge is at your fingertips. If you can’t find an answer within the solution, you can crowdsource the information, which is helpful. However, it only works quickly if the people with the answers (your SMEs) are in the system regularly.

RFP management software

RFP software combines knowledge management, collaboration, proposal management and more into one powerful platform. Unlike some of the other tools on this list that are designed with a broad audience in mind but can be adapted to RFPs, this type of software is created specifically to be an RFP response tool for proposal managers and their teams. If you’re looking to make dramatic improvements your RFP process, RFP software is the way to go. 

7. Responsive (Formerly RFPIO)

Category: RFP response software

Why we like it: Responsive is the best-in-class and industry-leading response management platform, for good reasons. 

Responsive incorporates knowledge management, content collaboration, RFP project management, remote access, data to drive informed decisions and RFP automation in one platform.

Proposal content tools

Every good proposal tells a story. The content in each of your proposals should be engaging, cohesive and compelling. It should clearly and professionally express why your business is exactly the solution the buyer is looking for. When it comes to accomplishing this, there are two main challenges for proposal managers.

First, bringing together answers written by a dozen or more authors can cause your proposal to feel disjointed and inconsistent. Everyone has a different communication style and tone of voice, but the proposal needs to feel on-brand and in line with your organization’s previous interactions with the customer.

The second challenge that comes up when creating proposal content is proofreading. As language becomes more informal, spending time perfecting grammar and style may seem unnecessary. However, we all know someone who delights in finding spelling and punctuation errors – imagine that’s the person who will decide if your proposal makes the cut. Even for those who are less critical, errors can send the wrong message. Unfortunately, they can make your business seem unprofessional, uninvested and ambivalent about winning the bid.

8. Grammarly

Category: Web-based proofreading app and extension

Why we like it: One of the most popular and effortless online editing solutions, Grammarly can be used as a web app or a Chrome extension. Members of our sales team use the program to spot and correct errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. This RFP response tool is free to use and offers paid enhancements if you want even more customized assistance.

A word to the wise, while the program does its best to make helpful suggestions, it doesn’t always understand the nuance of context and language. As with anything, it’s a tool to make finding simple mistakes easier, but there’s no substitute for a final review with human eyes.

9. Readable

Category: Readability and tone app

Why we like it: While Grammarly checks for proofreading errors, Readable evaluates for tone and sentiment. Our marketing team uses the app to review almost all of our blog content and online resources. It gauges how formal or informal your writing is in addition to how difficult it is to read.

In addition, it makes suggestions to help you avoid sentences that are too long, clichés, unnecessary adverbs, passive voice and overly complex words. Proposal responses that are approachable and easy to read are more likely to be understood and remembered. This RFP response tool offers a free online version as well as an affordable paid downloadable app.

10. Visible Thread

Category: Customizable style and tone-checking app

Why we like it: Visible Thread is like a member of your marketing team that helps apply the company’s established style and verbiage to proposal responses. You can use this tool for RFPs to help ensure that capitalization, tone and word choice are consistent no matter who in the company wrote the response.

For example, if your business refers to buyers of your product as customers rather than clients, the system will recognize any incorrect usage of the word clients. Visible Thread also offers helpful reports that can show who has adopted the tool and measure improvements in writing.

11. Board Studios

Category: Explainer video creation

Why we like it: Sometimes conveying complex ideas is easier in person. While you can’t meet with RFP decision-makers, you can include video content in your proposal to help explain your business.

Board Studios works with you to create video content that is eye-catching and compelling. Best of all, they focus on efficiency and pass the savings along to you, so their video services are more accessible than you might think. Video content can not only help your prospect develop a deeper understanding, but it can also make your company more memorable and relatable.

Proposal design tools

Just like the quality of your content, the way your proposal looks makes a statement. It’s like a first impression and can have a huge impact on how the person evaluating the proposal feels about your business. Your proposal should make the reader feel confident in your ability to deliver results. 

Create a proposal that is visually engaging and conveys the care and attention the client can expect from your business. Use a great layout and good visual elements to send the right message.

12. Canva

Category: Layout builder and publication template app

Why we like it: Canva can help you create a modern, appealing proposal in no time. The software has dozens of proposal templates with lots of great page design options. Canva is easy to use and provides tools for customizing templates to meet your needs.

Upload your brand photos, your potential customer’s logo, team photos and product images to quickly create a one-of-a-kind RFP response. Canva offers both free and premium packages to meet your needs.

13. Qwilr

Category: Proposal presentation software

Why we like it: Qwilr is great for creating engaging proposals. Within the templatized system, you can customize your proposal with branded colors, fonts and formats for easy, consistent design.

Qwilr also has an option for interactive pricing, making your proposals dynamic. The resulting presentations are stunning. However, the program will work best for informal or proactive proposals that allow room for some creativity. For extensive proposals with specific formatting guidelines and submission restrictions, Qwilr might not be the best fit. 

14. ChartBlocks

Category: Chart and graph making app

Why we like it: Some concepts can be best conveyed with a chart or graphic. A well-placed graphic can help bring clarity to your RFP responses. ChartBlocks is a great tool for proposals when you need a customized chart or graphic. The program uses chart wizard to guide you through creation, selecting from dozens of charts. Import data from spreadsheets and then use the toolbar to update as needed.

Last-minute hard-copy proposal delivery

Much as we may try, some proposals can’t be completed until the very last minute. When the business requires a printed, physical copy of the proposal, prompt delivery can be the difference between winning and not being considered. In the past, that has meant a stressful rush to UPS or FedEx, but not anymore.

15. Mimeo

Category: Proposal printing and delivery

Why we like it: Delivering physical proposals on time is Mimeo’s bread and butter, so they understand your sense of urgency. They make printing and delivering a physical copy of a proposal as easy as digital delivery – it’s done with the click of a button. Simple and easy, just what you need after a last-minute proposal scramble.

Professional development tools for proposal managers

Proposal management requires a diverse set of skills, which is why education is one of the best proposal tools. In the busy world of responding to RFPs, opportunities to spend time on personal and professional development can be few and far between. However, focusing on learning more about proposal management best practices can yield huge improvements in efficiency and effectiveness. So whenever you can make time, check out these resources.

16. LinkedIn Learning

Category: Business skill development catalog

Why we like it: There’s so much educational content online that it can be difficult to sift through. LinkedIn Learning makes it easy. They provide an enormous searchable catalog of RFP response-related skills. You can brush up on grammar basics, discover new sales tactics, explore project management best practices or learn more about proposal writing.

The courses are broken up into easily digestible sessions, so you can spend a little time each day improving your skillset. Each course is led by an expert, so you’re learning from the best. Because of the wide range of topics applicable to hundreds of professional roles, many companies provide free access to LinkedIn Learning.

17. APMP certifications

Category: Certifications for proposal professionals

Why we like it: If you’re ready to take your RFP knowledge to the next level, explore the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) certifications. APMP offers a certification program with three levels – foundation, practitioner and professional. The program is designed to develop deep industry knowledge and explore best practices for proposal management excellence.

18. The bid toolkit

Category: Proposal development training and consulting

Why we like it: Built by a collection experts in proposals, sales pitches, marketing and more, the bid toolkit offers an easy-to-follow guide for creating an effective and repeatable proposal process. In fact, The bid toolkit website is full of free helpful reference materials as well as paid modules, tools and videos. Named APMP’s 2020 Vendor of the Year, this is a great place to explore the proposal process.

Proposal manager peer networks

Self-service tools for independent development are great, but there’s nothing like connecting with your peers. There’s no one that will understand the challenges and thrills of creating a killer proposal the way that other proposal managers do. Connecting with peers to share challenges, find creative solutions and share new trends and tips can improve the practice for everyone.

19. APMP’s Bid and Proposal Con

Category: Annual proposal professionals conference

Why we like it: This conference, hosted by APMP, is the largest gathering of professionals involved in the proposal process in the world. You’ll find proposal writers, bid managers, business development professionals, project managers and marketing professionals at this conference. There’s a wide range of industries, government and business sectors represented, and each has something unique to contribute. 

20. APMP regional chapters

Category: Local meetups and networking

Why we like it: In addition to the annual conference, APMP boasts 28 local chapters around the world. Each chapter has an active social media presence and many chapters also host regular in-person meetups.

21. LinkedIn groups

Category: Proposal professional group forums

Why we like it: In between conferences and meetups, you can still stay connected with your peers on LinkedIn. There are several great LinkedIn groups for anyone involved in the RFP process. Each is a little different and offers insights, advice and networking for all levels of proposal manager. The members of these groups often post valuable content full of interesting tips, advice and trends.

The advantage of RFP response tools

In the last few years, we’ve been seeing the number of RFPs steadily increasing across most industries. As we prepare for next year, we expect this trend will continue. So, now is the time to take advantage of the best

RFP solutions and tools available. After all, even small improvements to the proposal process can make a big impact on revenue.

Did we miss something? Let us know what your favorite RFP response tools are on LinkedIn or Twitter.

The perfect proposal format: Create eye-catching RFP responses

The perfect proposal format: Create eye-catching RFP responses

Product & Best Practices

While it’s true that looks aren’t everything, when it comes to your proposal format, appearance is important. Visual appeal is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. The way your RFP response looks impacts how your potential client feels about your company. A properly formatted proposal is more approachable, engaging and effective. Consequently, paying attention to proposal formatting pays off.

I’ve worked on countless proposals and RFP presentations in my career. Frequently, I find myself adjusting the same things. So, the big question is: What should a proposal look like? To help, I wanted to share some tips to help you view your proposals from a design perspective. 

In this blog, I’ll start by offering some things to think about when considering your proposal format. In addition, I’ll offer 11 tips for creating visually appealing proposals. And finally, I’ll share my favorite tools to help. Armed with these tips and tools, you’ll understand how these small adjustments make a big impact.

Things to remember when thinking about formatting

As you read through the tips below, there are a few things you should keep in mind. The format of your proposal should always support your end goal. Naturally, that goal is to help a potential customer decide that your business is the best choice. Some of the suggestions may seem small, but every little advantage counts.

What proper proposal formatting can do

Make a positive impression

Your business did a lot of work to get this RFP, so the response should capitalize on the good impression you’ve already made through capture management. Consequently, the proposal design should reinforce your brand, professionalism and reputation. In addition, the way your RFP response looks can communicate that your company is easy to work with and understands what the buyer needs.

Encourage evaluators to actually read your proposal

Sadly, most of the people who will see your proposal won’t actually read it. It’s unfortunate, but true. In the best-case scenario, your proposal will be one of three options, but at worst, one of dozens. As an evaluator, no matter how short the RFP is, evaluation is a daunting prospect. Naturally, the first review of an RFP response is quick. Several of the tips below are designed to grab attention and turn the procurement manager’s impulse to skim and scan into a positive.

Advance to the shortlist and win the business

Ultimately, the quality of your proposal content should be compelling enough to win the business. However, as any person who evaluates proposals regularly can tell you, there are little things that can work against you. It may seem unfair, but typos and inconsistencies are a distraction. In addition, they communicate carelessness, a lack of attention to detail and an inability to execute. Certainly, those qualities aren’t often associated with winning proposals.

11 tips for appealing proposal formatting

Note: If there’s a tool that applies directly to the tip, click the [tool] text to jump directly to it in the tools section.

1. Pick your font with purpose

To kick off, let’s talk about fonts. It’s a little thing, but not all fonts are created equal. Don’t think it could possibly make a difference in your proposal? Check out this example:

All three of these fonts are well-known and available in Microsoft Word. Each is 12-point and has the same line spacing, but the difference is remarkable. Not only do some fonts pose a page-limit challenge, but imagine having to read an entire proposal in Papyrus. My eyes are exhausted just thinking about it.

If your RFP response will likely be distributed by the issuer digitally, I recommend a sans-serif font, like Arial. While the debate is ongoing, generally designers believe that these simple fonts are best for digital reading. The reason is interesting (at least to a designer) and you can read more about it in this article.

On the other hand, if you know your proposal will be printed or you must submit a hard copy, a serif font may be the right pick. Books and newspapers are typically printed in a serif font, like Times New Roman, so readers are comfortable with the style. Interestingly, it is estimated that Times New Roman uses 27 percent less ink than Arial. So, if you often submit hard copies of long proposals, it’s a reliable pick that looks good and saves you money.

2. Stick with a style [tool]

As I mentioned above, consistency counts. While I don’t have a strong opinion about the Oxford comma, your entire proposal should follow the same style. After all, the last thing you want to do is distract an engaged reader from your message.

When working with several authors and subject matter experts (SMEs), you’ll likely receive content that has a variety of appearances. From page layout to font and everything in between, the proposal design should look the same from front to back. When I review proposals, I always run through this checklist to ensure consistency:

Proposal formatting checklist

  • Margins
  • Font(s)
    • No more than two
    • Size and line spacing
  • Headers
    • Font and size
    • Title or sentence case
  • Capitalization
    • Product or solution names
    • Employee titles
  • Oxford commas – Yes or no
  • Sentence spacing – One or two spaces
  • Photos – Style, border, shape
  • Charts and graphs – Style, colors, font
  • Spelling – International differences
  • Lists
    • Bullet points or dashes
    • Numbers or letters

3. Embrace your brand

Use your proposal format to support your company brand. Part of being memorable is being recognizable. For example, if you have a well-established brand, consider using your company logo, colors, font and images in your proposal format. Not only will it reinforce your brand identity, but it will make your proposal stand out from the stack.

Branded proposal format example

Check out this example of branded proposal formatting from FedEx. Even without looking it up (or reading ahead), I’m sure you could draw their logo and name their brand colors. Accordingly, FedEx leverages its distinctive look in their proposal design. They feature their logo, use brand colors for headers and include photos to make their proposal incredibly easy to spot.

There’s a lot to learn from this proposal format example, and you’ll definitely see it pop up a few more times throughout the rest of our tips.

4. Be concise but nice [tool]

In the world of proposal review and scoring, brevity is a kindness. However, without the benefit of the timing and tone of verbal communication, overly short written responses may be misinterpreted as blunt or harsh. Beyond the challenge of creating a singular voice from a patchwork of input, proposal coordinators must find a balance between cordiality and concision.

Luckily, your RFP cover letter and executive summary present an opportunity to make a human connection. Use these introductory documents to set the tone for the rest of the proposal. Consider mentioning intangible reasons why you’re a good fit. For example, discuss how you can uniquely serve them, your vision for the future and company values you have in common.

Within your RFP responses, strive for short sentences and paragraphs. As you read lengthy answers from SMEs, look for compound sentences that can be broken down. From there, you’ll often find that part of the sentence wasn’t necessary. In addition, it is helpful to read the answer and then summarize it to yourself. With the shortest possible answer in mind, it will be easier to communicate the essential facts and remove anything else.

By simple virtue of being easy to read and not overwhelmingly dense, your proposal will be memorable. This goes for paragraphs too. Try to keep things as simple as possible, so your reader isn’t faced with a wall of text.

5. Personalize with pictures [tool]

Proposals don’t have to be a massive block of text. One of the best ways to catch and retain attention is by adding pictures. For example, if your proposal includes short bios for key staff, add a headshot for each. Or, if the RFP requests a customer story or reference, include a photo or logo from that customer.

Images break up your text blocks, are eye catching and help the issuer picture themselves as your customer. However, when you use images, make sure they are relevant, secondary to your content and good quality.

Again, our proposal format example from FedEx does a great job of using images to capture attention. In the image below, the RFP question is about eco-friendly transportation. Their answer includes information about their EarthSmart program. Additionally, it is accompanied by an image of a truck with the EarthSmart logo. The combination makes the idea of green initiatives feel more concrete.

6. Take advantage of video [tool]

If you respond via an RFP software platform, you have a unique advantage. RFP management systems can enable you to embed videos into your RFP responses. The applications are endless. For example: If the RFP asks customer success questions, you can include a short video about the process. Indeed, who better than the department director to talk through the onboarding process while showing how quick and easy it is to access support services? Notably, a minute of video is the equivalent of about 150 words, the equivalent of about a quarter page of text.

7. Leverage links

In addition to embedding video, proposal software enables you to include links in your responses. Consequently, the resulting proposal is shorter and the person evaluating it has more control.

For instance, a procurement manager may only need the basics about data security protocol, however, when they pass the proposal along to the IT department, a link allows them to dig in further without additional back and forth.

Including links also reduces file sizes. And, it allows the vendor to control access to the information, if necessary. So, even sensitive information can be shared without sending it via email. Ultimately, links allow you to provide additional information without getting bogged down by attachments, addendums and supplemental documentation tacked onto the end.

8. Get creative with charts and graphs [tool]

Let’s face it, spreadsheets are not likely to hold anyone’s attention for long. So, rather than just linking to an attached spreadsheet, create a chart or graph to illustrate your most impactful stats.

Here’s our FedEx proposal formatting example one more time. In a continuation of the question about sustainability, the company further illustrates the results of their efforts. FedEx uses infographic-style visuals to present information in an engaging way.

Not only do they tout their accomplishments, but they also share their ongoing goals for the future. Certainly, it’s a powerful statement of their commitment to doing their part for the environment. For companies who prioritize partnerships with companies who share their values, this looks like a winning proposal.

Remember, just like images and video, the charts and graphs you include must be relevant to the RFP question. No matter how tempting it is to shoehorn your best numbers into the proposal, resist the urge.

9. Make it accessible and inclusive [tool]

Assumptions and implicit bias are everywhere you look. But, they shouldn’t be in your proposal. Remember, once you submit, you don’t know who within your potential customer’s organization will need to read and weigh in on your proposal. Accessibility and inclusion are powerful and matter deeply. Here are some easy ways to ensure your proposal can connect with everyone:

Quick tips for proposal accessibility

  • Avoid using color combinations that are tricky for people with color blindness
  • Don’t use font colors or images that are low contrast
  • Add alt text to describe images for people who are visually impaired

A few considerations for inclusive proposals

  • Use ‘they’ instead of gendered pronouns when referring to a hypothetical person
  • Be sure to feature images that are representative of your diverse company and customer base
  • Avoid language that may alienate your reader like technical jargon and sports metaphors

10. Follow the requested format

This shouldn’t have to be said, but you’d be surprised how often we hear procurement professionals express their frustration that vendors can’t follow directions. In fact, some are so fed up with it they will automatically disqualify suppliers who disregard RFP instructions. You have to play by the rules. That’s really all there is to it.

11. Review, refresh and revise [tool]

We’ve arrived at our final tip: proposal review. After spending hours writing, editing and reviewing, it’s important to ask for outside input. I can’t overstate the value of a fresh pair of eyes. Enlist a colleague to be your go-to reviewer. Then, equip them with a proposal style guide (think about using the checklist in Tip 2) to help guide their edits.

First, ask them to scan the proposal, just like the procurement manager will. If they notice anything that looks out of place or doesn’t make sense, make adjustments. Likewise, ask them to briefly skim the answers and point out any inconsistencies or confusing answers. Don’t be afraid to make last-minute changes. Better to correct it now and feel confident than wonder after you’ve already submitted it.

Tools for help make your RFP response look like a winner

Now, it’s time to put these tips into action. Here are some of my favorite tools and guides to help you get started creating the perfect proposal design.

Proposal style tools

Style guide creation

This helpful blog from Venngage explores all of the things that you should include in your style guide as well as examples from tech companies. However, before you start from scratch, check with your marketing team to see if you have a brand guide that might meet your needs.

Readability tool

Easily one of the best tools for evaluating readability, Hemingway Editor is free to use. Its most helpful feature for proposal teams is the sentence length warnings: it highlights long sentences in yellow and extra long sentences in red.

Media tools: Images, videos and graphs

Tool for proposal videos and links

Adding images and links to proposals only scratches the surface of what Responsive proposal software can do. Inside the platform, you’ll find a knowledge library, proposal automation, collaboration and reporting tools.

Free stock image source

Access to more than 1.8 million images is just a click away. Pixabay offers free downloadable, high-quality photos. Each image includes the artist’s information as well as any required attribution.

Graph and chart tool

Canva is an approachable design tool that anyone can use. One of my favorite features to recommend is their graph maker. With simple inputs, you can create modern, customized charts and graphs that enhance your brand.

Inclusion and accessibility tools

A guide for inclusion

The Conscious style guide is a centralized location to find all of the latest articles and educational materials about inclusion. The site offers topics to get you started, or you can simply search for information if you have a specific question.

How to use color blind-friendly palettes

Another great tool from Venngage, this guide explores everything you need to know about color blindness. In addition to providing background information, it offers easy ways to put it to practice.

Color contrast checker

Quick and easy to use, this checker from Coolors is great for ensuring your digital is easy to read for those with low vision. Simply insert your background and text colors and get an automatic visibility score.

How to add alt text to a PDF

If you submit proposals as PDFs, be sure to check out this guide from Adobe to adding alt text to images and graphs. Alt text enables people with a visual impairment to hear a description of the image.

Review tool

Real-time grammar feedback

Grammarly is a helpful tool available as a Chrome extension or a standalone web app. If you install it on your browser, you can see real-time feedback when it detects a potential error.

Guide to proposal review

The process to review proposals is a crucial skill. Fortunately, this proposal review guide explores everything you need to know. In addition, it includes helpful tips to ensure you don’t miss a thing.

The proposal process: Organize and master RFP responses

The proposal process: Organize and master RFP responses

Product & Best Practices

When it comes to responding to RFPs, there are a lot of moving parts. Between developing messaging, collaborating with subject matter experts and meeting tight deadlines for big opportunities, it’s easy to lose track of what’s going on. Luckily, a strong proposal process transforms chaos into managed efficiency. In addition, it enables you to answer more RFPs, improve your win rate and grow your business.

Whether you’re new to RFPs, or looking to brush up on best practices, you’ll find everything you need to know here. To start, we’ll cover key definitions and team roles. Then, I’ll share a step-by-step proposal process guide and an overview of challenges you may face. In addition, throughout the post, I’ll share resources you can explore to learn more about each topic. Finally, to conclude, you’ll learn some quick tips to continually improve your proposal process.

Contents:

Proposal process basics

What is the proposal process?

The proposal process, sometimes called the request for proposal (RFP) response process, is the organized approach a vendor follows when they create a proposal in response to an RFP issued by a buyer. Within the formalized process, you’ll organize the people, information and steps that must come together to create a successful proposal. 

As you might imagine, the proposal process is different in every business. Indeed, there are countless variables that can impact the steps and details involved. However, the foundation of the process typically remains the same. Defining your unique process enables consistency from one RFP to the next. Subsequently, you can examine and optimize your proposal process to improve response speed, accuracy and effectiveness.

Who is responsible for the proposal management process?

Generally, RFPs call for a wide range of input and expertise from departments throughout your business. The input from each contributor must be collected, organized and compiled together to create a compelling proposal. With so many steps and people involved, having a single person responsible for overseeing the project is absolutely essential. This person serves as the proposal manager or proposal coordinator.

While large organizations may have a full roster of dedicated proposal managers, small- and mid-sized businesses often don’t. In these cases, a salesperson, marketing team member or business operations professional may take on the role in addition to their primary job function. Regardless, the proposal manager acts as the project leader and main point of contact throughout the proposal management process.

Who else is involved in the proposal process?

From competitor research to unique industry expertise, there are many people in your business you’ll need to work with during the proposal process. Each of these professionals is a part of your proposal team. And, each person performs a crucial role.

Again, large businesses may have one or more people dedicated to each of these roles. Conversely, small- and medium-sized businesses may have one person performing tasks from several of these roles.

Capture manager

Before you receive an RFP, the capture manager is already working on winning it. Indeed, they develop a capture management plan with research, win themes and customer insights to give your organization an advantage. 

Subject matter experts

The bulk of your proposal content will come from subject matter experts (SMEs). When it’s time to answer in-depth industry and topic-specific questions, these are the people you turn to. In addition, they verify that knowledge library content is accurate.

Proposal development consultant

When a high-value RFP opportunity comes along, you may want the advice and assistance of an external advisor. A proposal development consultant delivers valuable proposal support, messaging review and industry insights.  

Executive-level approver

The executive-level approver is your proposal’s last stop before it goes back to the buyer. With the big picture in mind, they ensure that the opportunity aligns with the company goals and that the proposal represents the company accurately.

A step-by-step guide to the proposal process

From beginning to end, there are a lot of elements in the proposal process. But, don’t worry, it’s easy to master with a little knowledge and practice.

1. Identify an RFP opportunity

Naturally, the first step in the RFP response process is identifying an RFP to respond to. There are several ways to find new, open RFP opportunities. Alternatively, you may use a more focused approach and create a capture management plan to target key accounts. 

How to find RFPs

Everyone wants to find more sales opportunities, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. Fortunately, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to find RFPs.

Use Google to find government RFPs
Look for publicly posted RFPs in searchable portals. Many valuable government RFPs are a mere Google search away.

Discover open RFPs on social media
Some organizations regularly post their RFP opportunities on social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Subscribe to an RFP database service
An RFP database collects open bid opportunities and categorizes them by industry. Typically, these services are easy to use and affordable.

Register directly with large organizations
Check the websites of your top target accounts for a vendor registration page. Then, fill out the vendor profile and submit your information.

Catch the attention of a broker or consultant
High-value, specialized procurement projects are often outsourced to brokers or consultants. Reach out and ask to be included in future RFPs.

RFPs through capture management

The practice of capture management is all about gaining an advantage before a buyer issues an RFP. For example, you may know that one of your potential customers has a contract expiring at the end of the year and that they will issue an RFP to explore their options.

By creating a capture management plan, you strategize, gather insight and connect with the customer to demonstrate why you’re the best fit for the business. Ideally, the subsequent RFP favors your company.

2. Decide to bid or not to bid

After you’ve identified a potential RFP opportunity, it’s time to learn more and decide to bid or not to bid. As you can already see, the RFP response process takes time. Each RFP that your team responds to represents an investment of time and resources. Therefore, it’s important to closely examine each RFP to determine if it’s a good fit for your organization.

Considerations when deciding to bid or not to bid

  • Organizational alignment: Does this RFP match your business’s big-picture goals?
  • Expertise and ability: Can your business meet the customer’s needs?
  • Value: Will the return on investment justify the cost of the project?
  • Background: Are past proposal responses readily available?
  • Competition: Is one of your competitors clearly a better fit?

3. Select a proposal project management approach

Once you’ve decided to respond to an RFP, it’s time to make a plan. There are a lot of tasks, deadlines and people involved in the RFP response process ⁠— without structure, confusion runs rampant. Adopting a formal project management approach organizes and streamlines the process. 

Common approaches include using a RACI matrix, project implementation plan or proposal timeline. Once you’ve selected and applied one of these processes, share the plan with your proposal team in a kickoff meeting.

RACI matrix

A RACI matrix defines the tasks, team members and responsibilities involved in your proposal process using a chart format. Tasks appear on one axis of the chart, while team members are listed on the other. The chart then fills in who is who is Responsible, who is Accountable, who is Consulted and who is Informed for each step. Because the information is clearly displayed, it’s a quick way to get everyone on the same page.

Project implementation plan

Chronological thinkers tend to prefer a detailed project implementation plan. This approach breaks each task down into the individual steps needed to complete the RFP response. An owner and due date accompany each step. 

While slightly less visual than the RACI matrix, a project implementation plan relies on details. Each objective is broken down into smaller objectives or sub-tasks. This allows the proposal manager better insight into progress and next steps.

Proposal timeline

Next, the visual aspect of the RACI matrix and the detailed nature of a project implementation plan approaches come together in a proposal timeline. This method uses a visual timeline to provide an overview of the RFP response process.

In addition to being useful for project planning, your timeline can also be used to quickly create a more granular Gantt chart, onboard new proposal team members, set internal expectations and inform stakeholders.

4. Review the RFP for repeat questions

Now that your team is organized, you’re ready to begin the proposal. Before you answer a single question, read the entire RFP. I know it’s tempting to answer a few quick and easy questions, but seriously, read the whole thing first.

One of the most common mistakes vendors make is not following instructions. Reading the whole RFP, uninterrupted, ensures you don’t miss anything. In addition, it gives you a better understanding of what the prospective customer cares about. 

Find responses for previously asked questions

You may feel like if you’ve seen one RFP, you’ve seen them all. While each RFP is unique, there is a significant amount of overlap in the questions buyers ask. Which is why it’s important to capture and catalog previous responses in a proposal content library.

A proposal content library, also called a knowledge library or proposal content repository, is a centralized location where past RFP responses are stored digitally. Then, when another RFP asks the same question, or one similar, you can simply copy and paste the previous response and update as needed.

An organized knowledge library saves you a ton of time and makes the response process easier on the rest of your team. With time, you’ll quickly be able to complete most of any new RFP. Some proposal teams manage their proposal content manually, using a shared document. Others leverage RFP software that automatically identifies and completes repeat questions.

5. Collaborate with SMEs to write new responses

After you’ve reviewed your proposal content library and completed as much of the response as possible, it’s time to engage with your subject matter experts to review your suggested responses and answer new questions. Assign questions to SMEs according to their expertise. Be sure to provide any necessary context as well as the date you need the response back.

6. Perfect the proposal

Next, make sure everything is perfect. To start, review your completed RFP questions. It’s important to ensure that the proposal comes together and reads like a single document, rather than answers from a dozen contributors. Then, read the answers to make sure there are no contradictions, confusing terms or inconsistencies.

RFP response best practices
  • Center responses on the customer’s benefits and experience
  • Keep responses as brief and direct as possible
  • Use plain language and avoid jargon
  • Make sure the proposal is skimmable
  • Use visuals and charts to illustrate data
Finalize your proposal design

Your proposal format and design should reinforce your brand, professionalism and reputation. In addition, the way your RFP response looks can communicate that your company is easy to work with and understands what the buyer needs.

Review for typos and revise as needed

Admittedly, you’ve probably read this proposal a dozen times at this point in the proposal process. However, don’t skip the final read-through. Grab a colleague and read the proposal from front to back one more time. Ask for feedback and keep an eye out for incomplete answers, typos and grammatical errors.

7. Create the summary and cover letter

After you’ve finished the RFP, write your executive summary and cover letter. These documents serve as a briefing document for stakeholders in the buyer’s organization who don’t have time to read the entire proposal. 

Creating these overview documents after the proposal enables you to give a true summary instead of predicting what SMEs and stakeholders will include before the proposal is complete. 

The executive summary

This is the very first page of your proposal. Indeed, it is your introduction to the buyer. As you write your RFP executive summary, consider that everyone who encounters your proposal will skim this page before deciding whether or not to read on. So, you need to make it count. Give a high-level overview of how you’ll empower their organization to meet their goals, offer your key differentiators and keep it brief.

The RFP cover letter

We all know that responding to RFPs isn’t always exciting. It’s simply the most efficient way to exchange and evaluate vendor data. Luckily, the RFP cover letter offers a way to create a human connection. Furthermore, it enables your organization to add a little personality, be conversational and make your proposal memorable. This is where you can express your understanding of the customer’s needs, share a customer story and offer your vision for a long-term partnership.

8. Finalize, submit and verify

At last, you’re done creating the proposal. It’s been proofed, reviewed (and reviewed again) and updated. Truly, it’s a masterpiece. Now, it’s time for final approval. Share the RFP response with your executive approver. 

Then, when you have the seal of approval, submit the proposal to the buyer for consideration. Remember to closely follow the submission requirements outlined in the RFP. Finally, it’s common for the buyer-side RFP contact to provide a record of receipt, it never hurts to request one. Certainly, the verification that they have your proposal in hand may set your mind at ease.

9. Debrief

Before you file away your completed RFP response, there’s one last step in the proposal process: the debrief. This final step, takes all of your hard work and sets you up for success when you receive your next RFP opportunity. 

During your debrief, review the proposal process. What worked well? How could your process improve? What new RFP responses or edits to old responses need to be added to your proposal content repository to be reused in the future? Use what you learned to make your next RFP response even more efficient and effective.

Common challenges in the proposal management process

Proposals are fast-paced, high-pressure and occasionally unpredictable. Unfortunately, that means that no matter how prepared you are, you may still run into a roadblock. Here you’ll find a few common proposal process challenges and how to navigate them.

Drawn out decisions to bid or not to bid

When RFPs come in, the clock starts ticking. Often, the only person who can hear the countdown loud and clear is the proposal manager. So, while sales, business operations, finance and executives debate the merits of participating, you’re losing precious time.

One of the best ways to combat this delay, is to use proposal management software to analyze the RFP and determine how many of the questions have already been answered previously. With this information, you can contribute to the bid/no-bid conversation and provide input regarding the amount of time and effort the proposal will take.

Lack of urgency and buy-in from SMEs

Subject matter experts are busy. Unfortunately, that means they can commonly become a bottleneck in the proposal timeline. When this happens, try to remember that they must juggle their full-time responsibilities as well as proposal team duties. 

So, try to make the process as easy on them as possible by making educated answer suggestions using your proposal content library. Even if the question varies slightly from a previous version, it’s easier for an SME to review and update than it is to create from scratch.

Competing stakeholder priorities

Creating concise and compelling answers is an art. As a proposal manager, you may need to tidy up, rework or edit the responses provided to you by stakeholders. Naturally, each of them is passionate about their area of expertise, believes that their contribution is perfect as is and will seal the deal. Often, this can result in a disagreement about what information is essential and what can be omitted.

In this situation, refer back to and lean on your established win themes. In addition, share your feedback with the stakeholder and explain why the level of detail they offered isn’t necessary at this juncture. Then, explain how the customer will receive the additional information when they need it if they select your organization for the opportunity.

Quick tips for a constantly improving proposal management process

  • Ask for stakeholder feedback and optimize to improve efficiency. Review your proposal management process to identify gaps and opportunities.
  • Make your proposal process transparent to your proposal team. Share updates throughout, review next steps and follow up with stakeholders.
  • Collaborate on proposals and answers in a centralized, cloud-based location. This avoids siloed information and tedious rework.
  • Schedule regular reviews and updates of your proposal content library to ensure confidence in the accuracy of your answers.
  • Explore RFP response tools and proposal automation to improve efficiency and empower you to participate in more RFPs.
  • Track your win rates and return on investment (ROI). Don’t be shy about highlighting your value to the company.

Admittedly, the proposal process is often complex and time-consuming. So, if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Manually managing the proposal team and process through Word, spreadsheets and email is exhausting. Luckily, proposal management software, like Responsive, streamlines the process from beginning to end.

How a proposal coordinator keeps RFPs running smoothly

How a proposal coordinator keeps RFPs running smoothly

People & Teams

Want to create winning proposals? Of course you do, but how? Well, talking with a proposal coordinator is a good place to start. The person in this role has to be a flawless communicator, organizational whiz, project management master and more to get the job done. You definitely want them on your side.

This post will explore the proposal coordinator role, their responsibilities and how they whip up winning RFPs.

Contents

What is a proposal coordinator?

First things first: What is a proposal coordinator? A proposal coordinator is the person responsible for managing the creation of proposals. They often work with proactive proposals and RFP responses. Generally, they are part of the sales, marketing or revenue operations team.

Proposal coordinator responsibilities

Proposal coordinators — like the name suggests — are responsible for coordinating proposals.

A proposal coordinator’s responsibilities include

  • Managing the creation of proposals
  • Collaborating with subject matter experts, sales and other team members to write the proposal
  • Verifying proposals are formatted consistently and correctly
  • Ensuring proposals are compelling, accurate and complete
  • Facilitating the proposal review process
  • Cataloging and organizing proposal content for future use

As you can see, creating winning proposals involves a lot of moving parts … and proposal coordinators make sure those moving parts come together successfully.

Key skills of a proposal coordinator

Proposal coordinators have a hand in every stage of the proposal creation process.

According to PayScale, they must:

  • Coordinate and maintain team documentation efforts for responses to RFPs
  • Analyze requirements and ensure that proposals meet requirements
  • Edit and rewrite proposals, including creating templates and boilerplate text
  • Draft proposals and communicate across teams to get input and meet deadlines

Because of the wide range of tasks they must complete, successful proposal coordinators are often skilled in many areas, including:

  • Marketing
  • Sales
  • Research
  • Writing and editing
  • Managing people
  • Psychology
  • Graphic design

While you’re unlikely to find a candidate who is extremely skilled in every one of the categories listed above, they should understand the basics.

In most cases, the best proposal coordinators are T-shaped employees. For those who aren’t familiar, TechTarget defines a T-shaped employee as “an individual who has deep knowledge and skills in a particular area of specialization, along with the desire and ability to make connections across disciplines.”

They go on to explain that “the horizontal bar of the T symbolizes a breadth of general knowledge,” while “the vertical stem of the T symbolizes the depth.” Put simply, T-shaped proposal coordinators have a working understanding of a wide range of categories and specialize in at least one area.

This allows them to keep the big picture in mind when coordinating proposals. At the same time, ensure they have the expertise needed to maximize their impact.

Proposal coordinator challenges

Being a proposal coordinator isn’t always easy. Indeed, many proposal coordinators feel like their job is much like herding cats. Common challenges include:

  • Piecing  together scattered responses from multiple subject matter experts (SMEs)
  • Following up with SMEs multiple times asking for their input
  • Meeting tight deadlines for RFP responses
  • Finding the right proposal content from previous projects
  • Tailoring the content to meet the prospect’s needs
  • Adjusting and ensuring proper proposal formatting

It’s not exactly easy. But with the right tools, skills and support, you can master the process.

How to overcome these challenges

While getting SMEs to provide timely content is challenging, it’s absolutely critical. Proposal coordinators need to leverage their expertise, and they need to have enough time left over after receiving their content to tailor the language to the prospect’s needs.

Unfortunately, many proposal coordinators fall victim to the hurry-up-and-wait mentality. However, the most successful develop a more proactive approach.

Develop a template

Proposal coordinators have to make it incredibly easy for SMEs to give them the content they need.

A great way to accomplish that is by creating proposal templates. Templates provide clear direction that makes it simple for SMEs to answer prospects’ questions. They also ensure SMEs provide responses in the most useful format.

Create the first draft

Another great way to simplify SMEs’ involvement in the proposal process is to draft answers to request for proposal (RFP) questions and ask SMEs to review.

True, this first draft will likely contain incorrect information. After all, proposal coordinators don’t have the same expertise SMEs have. But, as long as SMEs have the opportunity to review the content before it’s published in the final proposal, they’ll iron out the details without issue.

Because the process is easier, they’ll likely be thrilled to do it. Instead of trying to create compelling content from scratch, they only have to review and provide clarification.

Reuse past proposal content

Reusing past proposal content is probably the most important component of getting winning proposal content. In many organizations, proposal teams struggle with repetitive tasks that when their time could be better spent. 

Grégory Saive, IBA global director of sales and support, experienced this problem first-hand. Many of their RFPs are hundreds or thousands of pages long and all are highly complex. Each involved multiple SMEs, often for responses the’ve given before.

Fortunately, they discovered Responsive — the leading RFP response management platform. Using their newfound technology, they’re now able to organize, store, search, and reuse past proposal content.

A proposal coordinator can quickly and easily find the answers they need. Likewise, SMEs and other stakeholders don’t have to worry about repetitive tasks.

“Responsive allows the team to spend more time on meaningful tasks…either training, reviewing answers, or improving quality. That’s where I’ve spent most of my time saved since the beginning…I cannot really measure the increase in quality in terms of answers, but I can certainly measure the increase of quality in my team.”

Request a demo of Responsive to explore how proposal software makes it easy for proposal coordinators to craft winning proposals.

Proposal review: How to avoid mistakes in your RFP responses

Proposal review: How to avoid mistakes in your RFP responses

Product & Best Practices

Will your proposal win? From your executives to the sales team, it’s the question on everyone’s mind. However, the moment you click send and submit your RFP response, the outcome is entirely out of your hands. If you’re the proposal manager in charge of the RFP response, you might find yourself suddenly wishing you’d had more time to spend on the proposal review process.

It’s a common challenge facing proposal teams. How do you move quickly and meet deadlines while also dedicating enough time to reviewing your RFP response and ensuring you’re putting your best foot forward? It’s a constant balancing act.

Luckily, this blog is all about finding a proposal review process that works for you. First, we’ll discuss what a proposal review is and why it’s an important part of the RFP response process. Then, we’ll offer an overview of common review strategies so you can evaluate which approach is best for your team. Finally, you’ll learn tips and best practices for ensuring an effective review process that helps you get your proposals as close to perfect as possible.

Contents

What is a proposal review?

A proposal review, or request for proposal (RFP) response review, is the process of examining the content, format and messaging of an RFP response to ensure quality, accuracy, compliance and consistency. Proposal review is a standard step in the proposal process that occurs near the end of the proposal timeline.

Due to the complexity of RFPs, there are many aspects of the proposal to assess. Therefore, a proposal review is actually made up of several rounds of reviews focused on specific aspects of the RFP response.

Focus areas for RFP response reviews

  • Storytelling, cohesiveness and messaging
  • Competitive positioning and win themes 
  • Compliance and completeness
  • Pricing
  • Response accuracy and consistency
  • Spelling, grammar and brand compliance
  • Proposal format and visual elements

Each of these focus areas is important to the overall success of the proposal. And, despite each of these reviews having unique and specific focus, their ultimate goal is the same: to identify any errors to be corrected, points to be clarified or improvements to be made before the submission of the final proposal. In short, the purpose of these reviews is to make the proposal as close to perfect as possible.

Who does the RFP response review process involve?

Ultimately, the proposal manager is responsible for navigating the proposal process, including the RFP response reviews. In their role, they recruit qualified reviewers, coordinate review scheduling, provide guidance for each review team, settle disputes, seek clarification when needed and ensure edits are promptly implemented.

With so many nuanced proposal elements to consider, proposal managers depend on help from other members of the proposal team as well as stakeholders and executives within the business. Indeed, after dedicating hours to collecting, customizing and writing the proposal, a new perspective and a set fresh eyes to review the RFP response is absolutely essential.

Why establishing a proposal review process is important

It almost seems inevitable. The instant you submit your final proposal to the prospective customer, you’re bound to suddenly see an obvious error or a better way to phrase a crucial answer. Indeed, this frustrating feeling is all too common among proposal professionals. The relatable sentiment was recently shared by Jeremy Brim, proposal expert from the bid toolkit on LinkedIn.

Despite our best efforts, mistakes may happen. However, the proposal review process seeks to minimize the risk of missing a disqualifying error. After all, nothing stings more than losing an RFP opportunity over a small mistake.

Common approaches to the proposal review

There are a lot of different philosophies when it comes to proposal review. Some companies use a complex, multi-level review cycle for each and every proposal, while others find a scalable review process beneficial.

Similar to other common proposal practices like discussions of return on investment and to bid or not to bid, ideally, the complexity of your proposal review process should reflect the value of the RFP opportunity. Regardless of your specific approach, every RFP response deserves some level of pre-submission inspection ⁠— after all, if it’s worth responding to, it’s worth reviewing.

Simple two-person proposal review

Suitable for small businesses and simple RFPs, a simple proposal review minimizes the burden on your team and accounts for the most important elements of your RFP response. 

This process assumes that the proposal manager also wrote significant portions of the RFP. Consequently, it calls for two outside reviewers: one to check the messaging and compliance and one to read the proposal for consistency, grammar and formatting. Consider recruiting marketing or sales team members to complete these review tasks.

Proposal compliance matrix

For short RFPs with fairly straightforward requirements, a proposal compliance matrix can easily be used to facilitate your RFP response review. As you might expect from the name, the primary focus of this process is RFP criteria and requirement compliance rather than storytelling or persuasive messaging.

Thanks to the grid format, a member of the proposal team, stakeholder or executive can perform this review quickly. To facilitate deeper discussion of feedback, consider adding a column to your proposal compliance matrix to encourage reviewers to provide comments, corrections or suggestions for improving your proposal. Then, review the feedback with your team and take action to make any necessary updates.

The color team proposal review

The most in-depth approach is the color team review process. Indeed, this multi-team, multi-layer approach contains many reviews throughout the RFP response timeline. Accordingly, it’s well suited to lengthy, complex and highly-technical RFPs. For example, color team reviews are standard for businesses that primarily answer government agency and public sector RFPs.

In this model, each team is known by a particular color and is responsible for a specific focus area. While the practice of color team reviews is common, the size and responsibilities of each color team vary slightly from one business to the next. However, pink and red team reviews most frequently appear in the proposal review process.

Common color team review assignments

Pink team review

Generally, pink team reviews focus on content. They ensure that the proposal is compliant with the customer’s stated criteria, needs and expectations. For example, they might ask questions like: Is every answer complete? Does the proposal solve the customer’s needs? Are the established win themes carried throughout the content? Consider asking a proposal analyst, customer success professional and a sales team member to participate in the pink team review.

Red team review

Next is the red team review. Focused on the customer’s perspective, this team reads the review as if they were a proposal evaluator. Specifically, they ask questions like: Does the proposal tell a compelling story? Is it clear that we understand the customer’s business? Have we clearly expressed our plan for partnership? Good candidates for the red team include veteran employees, sales and marketing leaders and customer success professionals.

White team review

Sometimes referred to as white glove, this final review team reads the proposal from front to back looking for format consistency. Are the margins, fonts, headings and bullet points uniform? Does the table of contents match the following proposal page numbers? Are reference tables and data placed and sourced correctly? Were the edits from the pink and red team properly implemented? Are there any obvious printing errors? Ideally, the white team consists of detail-oriented professionals who have not yet been a part of the proposal development process.

Additional color teams

  • Blue – Outline and gap review
  • Black (Black hat) – Competitive analysis
  • Green – Pricing review
  • Gold – Edit implementation

Proposal review tips and best practices

Review tips for proposal managers

Go digital

Avoid distributing paper copies of the proposal for review. Spending time interpreting and comparing handwritten feedback is inefficient. Instead, consider using a shared document or, better yet, proposal software to centralize review notes, clarify edit tracking and streamline collaboration.

Set a schedule and stick to it

Finding volunteers to participate in the review process is typically fairly easy. However, keeping those reviewers on schedule when they juggle other duties is not always as straightforward. So, before assigning reviewers to teams, share your deadlines for feedback and get a firm commitment from them. Then, follow up as needed and be ready to call in a back up reviewer if they cannot meet the deadline or become unresponsive.

Find fresh eyes

Our brains are trained to save time. Unfortunately, this means that if you’ve written or read something once, your brain will automatically start trying to save you time by filling in words, skipping ahead and making assumptions. This is why getting a new perspective is one of the most valuable parts of a proposal review. Consequently, don’t let anyone do double duty, working both the proposal development team and the review team. Make sure as many fresh pairs of eyes review (and improve) your proposal as possible.

Provide a guide

Because many of your reviews should be new to the proposal content, you can’t assume they’ll know what they’re doing. Therefore, it’s a good idea to create and share a guide. Include a copy of the RFP with relevant sections or instructions highlighted. In addition, provide specific directions for what aspect of the proposal they should pay attention to as well as how they should provide feedback.

Best practices for proposal reviewers

Be prepared

Effective proposal reviewing takes a high level of focus. When you agree to be a part of the proposal review process, check the deadline for feedback and block time on your calendar. If possible, request and review a copy of the RFP prior to receiving the proposal so you have some background about the project.

Regularly consult the RFP

When reviewing, the customer’s RFP should be at hand at all times. Indeed, consider it your handbook, blueprint and instruction manual all in one. Because compliance is always a concern, each reviewer must understand how their feedback enhances compliance. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the proposal manager for more information.

Provide actionable recommendations

Be kind to the proposal manager. As you review, remember that they have a big job and they’re counting on you for specific, clear feedback. For example, commenting “Need more info” on a response leaves them wondering what you mean, why you think that and how they can fix it. On the other hand, explaining “I think this question wants more information. I’d suggest we be more specific about our implementation process. Can we summarize step four here and provide our implementation guide as an attachment?” is much more helpful.

Review and win

Unfortunately, humans are imperfect, so mistakes will almost certainly make it into your proposals from time to time. However, with an organized proposal review process, you can significantly reduce risk and improve your chances of winning more RFP opportunities.

Capture Management: The Plan to Win

Capture Management: The Plan to Win

Product & Best Practices

It’s no secret that the most effective proposals are highly targeted, specific and customized. But, where does the information that guides the proposal strategy, pricing and message come from? And, how can you be sure the message will hit the mark with the customer? For successful proposal teams, the answer is capture management. 

The capture management process improves your chances of winning. In this blog, I’ll define capture management and explore all of the benefits of establishing a capture management process. Next, I’ll share information about the role of a capture manager. And finally, I’ll offer helpful resources for professional development.

Contents

What is capture management?

Capture management, also called capture planning, is the process of gathering insight, building connections, developing competitive intelligence and strategizing how to win a future request for proposal (RFP) opportunity.

Essentially, a capture plan gives your company an advantage with the customer. It allows you to connect with them, demonstrate your understanding of their needs and position your company as the best solution. And, this all happens before receiving the RFP.

The timing of capture planning is particularly important. After all, when it comes to large projects, if you only start considering how to win when you receive the RFP, you may already be at a disadvantage. Larry Newman, author of the ebook, Shipley Capture Guide, explains:

“Most sales and marketing veterans agree that 40 to 80 percent of the time, customers decide whom they would prefer to buy from before proposals are submitted. 

The aim of capture planning is to position the customer to prefer your organization and your solution to the exclusion of competitors, or to at least prefer to do business with your organization prior to proposals being submitted.”

He goes on to say that the goal of the capture process is to move from an unknown position to a favored position with the buyer before the RFP process begins.

Unlike account planning or business development, which strategize how to win new customers, the capture management process is specific to a particular procurement project. So, throughout the customer relationship, you may create several capture plans. Luckily, much of the intelligence you gather in your initial capture plan will apply to future opportunities as well.

The benefits of capture management

When executed properly, capture management transforms an informal process of relying on gut feelings to influence a customer into a methodical approach based on research. Additionally, beyond the primary goal of moving from an unknown position to a favored position, additional capture management benefits include:

  • Clear opportunity qualification and easier bid/no-bid decisions
  • Increased chance to win based on research and connections
  • More focused proposals with shortened proposal timelines
  • Faster sales and a more qualified pipeline
  • Improved customer relationships and experience

When should you use capture management?

Your time is valuable, and capture planning is a long and detailed process. Naturally, not every RFP requires an in-depth, long-term strategy. For the highest possible return on investment, capture planning should be used primarily in pursuit of high-value, complex opportunities. Accordingly, the practice is common for organizations seeking to win government business. 

You may also consider creating an abbreviated capture management process. After all, even routine RFPs can yield big results. The shorter process can likewise help solidify your position without a substantial time investment. With this in mind, use the plan to focus on the customer’s needs, your competition and the best possible solution. 

What is a capture manager?

A capture manager is the person responsible for the research, analysis and strategy that create the capture plan. In a large business, the capture manager may be a dedicated role within the proposal team. Consequently, they work closely with several teams. In most cases, they bridge the gap between business development and proposal creation.

However, in small- and medium-sized businesses, the proposal manager, sales manager or business development lead may act as the capture manager. Also, many proposal development consultants offer support in this area. For example, they may help you build a specific capture plan, or they may help create or optimize your capture management process.

The bulk of the capture manager’s duties happen before the customer issues the RFP. However, they are still involved in the process as they transition the opportunity to the proposal team. Consequently, they work closely with the proposal coordinator and subject matter experts as needed. In addition to pre-RFP research and proposal planning, the capture manager sees the opportunity through to its conclusion. Even more, they may also leverage their knowledge for RFP presentations and contract negotiations.

Capture manager responsibilities

  • Opportunity and organization research
  • Competitive intelligence
  • SWOT assessments
  • Solution planning
  • Risk analysis
  • Capture and proposal team coordination
  • Bid strategy, pricing and review process
  • Capture plan creation and execution
  • Proposal review

Granted, these duties may seem straightforward, but selecting a capture manager shouldn’t be taken lightly. Carl Dickson, founder of captureplanning.com discusses the importance of hiring and empowering a capture manager saying:

“All opportunity in your company comes from growth. This means all opportunity comes from capture. It’s a hard job. And everybody depends on it. It’s worth a quality approach.

Don’t skimp on the qualifications of your capture manager. Make the person you need available. But don’t just assume that getting the right person is all it takes. Hiring the right people is not enough. Surround your capture manager with all the organization, process and resource advantages that maximize your win rate.”

The capture management process

To be successful, capture management must begin early. Not only is a significant amount of research required, but you must also have time to execute your plan by making connections with your customer. Most capture plans take between nine and 18 months to create and complete.

8 essential steps to capture management

  1. Identify the opportunity
  2. Explore the customer’s needs and goals
  3. Determine if the opportunity is a good fit for the pursuit
  4. Create a capture plan and recruit a capture team
  5. Build a preliminary solution framework to achieve customer goals
  6. Evaluate likely competitors and develop pricing
  7. Define your win strategy and advantages
  8. Connect with the customer and position your solution

Unfortunately, not every opportunity will be a good fit for your business. Therefore, at each milestone in the process, the capture manager and capture team should evaluate any new information and critically analyze the lead. If it seems unlikely that your organization will win, abandon the pursuit. Ultimately, it’s better to move on with lessons learned and seek a more qualified opportunity in the future.

Capture plan components

So, what kinds of information should go into your capture plan? Remember to include any information that will inform your win strategy or provide background on the customer. To illustrate, think of the capture manager as a detective and the capture plan as a dossier. The plan details the organization’s key players, history, goals and challenges.

Resources and information to include in your capture plan:

  • Customer hot buttons, pain points, requirements, goals and expectations
  • Key influencers in the customer’s organization: Executives, stakeholders and procurement staff
  • Summary of any previous customer relationship or crucial interactions
  • Win team and proposal team roles (use a RACI matrix)
  • Internal and external resources required for plan execution
  • Previous RFx documents (consider uploading into your RFP management system to begin crafting responses to common questions)
  • Evaluation of market and economic factors that may influence selection
  • Competitive intelligence and advantages
  • SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis
  • Solution planning and design
  • Primary win themes
  • Proposal plan outline and key points

Even if capture management is a new concept to you, you probably already perform some of the responsibilities of a capture manager. Admittedly, winning business through capture management requires a significant investment of time and resources. But, if you’re able to improve your win rate and secure big contracts, it’s ultimately worth it.

Resources for capture managers

Of course, there’s always more to learn. Start here to explore additional capture management information and professional development tools:

3 key proposal management skills and resources to improve them

3 key proposal management skills and resources to improve them

Productivity

For many businesses, responding to requests for proposals (RFPs) is a regular occurrence. Every RFP is a sales opportunity that can contribute to business growth. The success of each proposal hinges on its execution. Accordingly, the practice of proposal management makes a significant impact on the final outcome.  

If you respond to RFPs, you already know that proposal management requires a diverse set of skills. Identifying and honing each skill can quickly help improve your proposal process and your win rate. 

In this post, we’ll explore what proposal management is, who is responsible for it, the key skills it requires and resources to help along the way. With this information, you’ll be more efficient, effective and successful as you manage the proposal process.

Proposal management defined

Before we jump into the skills required, let’s quickly define what proposal management is. Proposal management is the process of overseeing and facilitating the completion of a proposal. It includes planning the timeline, hitting send on the final proposal submission and everything in between.

Who is responsible?

Large organizations typically have a dedicated proposal team. The proposal department is led by a proposal manager. They work with a team of proposal coordinators, graphic designers and writers. Their sole focus is producing winning proposals.

For small and mid-sized businesses, hiring a proposal manager is a luxury that may not be in the budget. To fill the gap, proposal management duties may fall to an individual in a variety of departments. In these situations, the person responsible for proposal management may simply be taking on the role out of necessity. However, it’s not their primary job function. Who the RFP is assigned to and why varies from one business to another.

Common roles in proposal management

  • Salesperson ⁠— They have the best insights and understanding of the potential client’s needs, they provide context that will help differentiate the proposal from others
  • Marketing team member⁠ — They have deep knowledge of the business as well as the competitive market and can present a proposal that looks professional and stands out
  • Business operations ⁠— They have close relationships with many different departments, can coordinate with subject matter experts and have visibility to big-picture business objectives

3 key skills for successful proposal management

No matter the role, if you find yourself responsible for proposal management you’ll benefit from brushing up on several key skills. Explore these areas to successfully manage the proposal process and save time.

  • Project management
  • Knowledge management
  • Content editing

1. Project management

Project management is the core of an efficient and effective proposal process. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management as “…the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.” If you have previously managed a proposal you can probably look back at the process you used and see how it might overlap with this definition. Whether you knew it at the time or not, you were project managing.

The stats about project management are impressive. An estimated 77 percent of high-performing projects use project management software. While 97 percent of organizations believe that project management is critical to business performance and organizational success. Apply project management principles to proposal management to see big benefits.

Project management for proposals can be broken down into five steps:
  1. Initiate
    Receive and evaluate the RFP request and conduct a bid or no bid analysis
  2. Plan
    Outline the proposal process and all of the involved contributors, reviewers and stakeholders
  3. Execute
    Find and reuse previous RFP answers and send updates and new questions to subject matter experts
  4. Monitor and control
    Track response progress, follow up for approvals and update stakeholders as needed
  5. Close
    Review and compile all elements, seek final approval and submit the completed proposal

Proposal management requires a great deal of careful planning and facilitation. Coordinating between half a dozen departments, making sure no details are missed and trying to meet a deadline can be overwhelming. But, using the five steps of project management can help make the proposal process more manageable.  

Project management resources:

Managing smaller and medium-sized projects ⁠— Ebook by Dr. Jim Young, PMP

This ebook is full of great insights that will help build your project management skills. It includes roles and responsibilities, terminology, templates and more. It’s free and well worth your time.

Projectified ⁠— Podcast produced by PMI

This podcast is perfect for brushing up your skills and learning the latest trends in project management. With most episodes clocking in at under 20 minutes, it’s a great way to spend your daily commute.

2. Knowledge management

Chances are you’re not the first person at your company to be tasked with responding to an RFP. Every proposal, past and future, is a significant business investment. The detailed research, business insights and skillful storytelling that go into a proposal represent hours of work. But what happens to that knowledge once the proposal has been submitted? Does it just get filed away to collect dust?

The practice of knowledge management (KM) keeps valuable information from going to waste. Author, speaker and KM pioneer, Tom Davenport, offered this succinct summary of knowledge management, “Knowledge Management is the process of capturing, distributing, and effectively using knowledge.” Davenport gave that definition in 1994 and the practice of knowledge management has grown steadily since. The Market Research Future reports that global investment in knowledge management software will soon hit $33 billion. 

Applying knowledge management to your proposal content can save hours and days of work. for proposal managers and SMEs alike. Subject matter experts trust you to ask the right questions, save that knowledge and use it again. One sign that proposal management is being done well is that over time, SMEs will need to write fewer and fewer new answers. As the knowledge library grows, it saves even more time as common questions and answers are tagged, categorized and continually updated. Knowledge management allows SMEs to focus on their day-to-day work because proposal content is easy to find and reuse.

In addition to improving efficiency, KM protects your business from loss. For example, if one of your key stakeholders leaves the business, they take their knowledge with them ⁠— unless you’ve retained it in the knowledge library. If responses are stored in the knowledge library, new, onboarding team members can find crucial information quickly.

Knowledge management resources:

Responsive RFP software

This platform is designed specifically for response management. Its robust Content Library makes it easy to collect, categorize, collaborate on and search for RFP responses within the Content Library. It also captures data about who authored the question, when it was last updated and how many times it’s been used. Responsive integrates with the most popular CRMs, productivity and communication tools. 

Five tenets of corporate knowledge management infographic ⁠—  University of Southern California

From benefits to best practices, this infographic offers a high-level view of knowledge management. The ideas can easily be applied to proposal knowledge management.

3. Content editing

The best proposals tell a story. They are engaging, interesting and they clearly express why partnering with your business will benefit the buyer. Unlike a traditional story that has one author, a proposal has many. Unifying the perspectives and voices of all your subject matter experts into one cohesive narrative is a challenge. Excellent proofreading, editing and writing skills are critical to proposal management.

Writing compelling proposal content isn’t easy. You’ll find that while your SMEs all contribute vital expertise, they may communicate it in very different ways. Some people will relay the facts in the most concise way possible, while others may add unnecessary detail that could confuse the reader. Merely copying and pasting RFP answers is risky. It can create an unprofessional, disjointed narrative with an inconsistent style and tone. 

The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) offers a great editing checklist. In general, you’ll want to carefully review each answer for three things:

  1. Content
    Does it answer the question? Does it provide the required information in the requested style?
  2. Tone
    Does it sound and look like your brand? Does the tone sound consistent throughout the proposal?
  3. Grammar
    Is everything formatted, spelled, capitalized and punctuated correctly?

In a proposal with hundreds of questions, reviewing each question may seem overwhelming. However, this is where the value of your knowledge library comes into play again. If you consistently add your RFP answers to the library, you’ll have a head start with proposal content you’ve already edited. You can simply customize the answer to the customer and move forward.

Quick tips for proposal content editing:

  • Write in an active voice as much as possible ⁠⁠— it creates a more confident and knowledgeable tone
  • Create a style sheet to share with SMEs like this one: APMP style sheet template
  • Strike a balance to make sure your content isn’t too dry, but also not too fluffy and verbose
  • Format the proposal in a way that makes it visually approachable and scannable, include bullet points where possible
  • Include the proposal cover letter and any other standard documentation in your content editing review

Content editing resources:

LinkedIn Learning ⁠— Online video courses

These quick courses are great for brushing up on grammar, copy editing, identifying active voice and more. There are even quick videos that cover proposals if you’re looking for even more tips and tricks.

Online style and grammar tools: 

Grammarly ⁠— Available as a free web app or a Chrome extension, Grammarly will offer suggestions to fix spelling and grammatical errors

ReadablePro ⁠— With Readable, you can quickly check your proposal’s readability, tone and sentiment. It will also identify passive voice, long sentences and cliches to avoid

Winning skills

Proposal management is a balancing act and time to focus on learning new skills is short. However, simply improving your awareness of the skills proposal management requires will help you create more effective proposals and win more business. Luckily, project management, knowledge management and content editing skills are almost universally useful. So, spending time improving them will serve you well no matter how many proposals you manage.

If you’re ready to take your proposal management skills to the next level, request a Responsive demo to see how technology helps maximize efficiency, centralize knowledge and automate processes.

Can a RACI matrix improve your proposal process?

Can a RACI matrix improve your proposal process?

Products/Features/Solutions

Over my career in software, I’ve participated in a lot of projects from large-scale rebrands and implementations to relatively minor version releases. Some of these projects have gone poorly, and some have been seamless and successful. Regardless of the scope of the project and my role in it, I’ve noticed that many that have been successful have used a RACI matrix.

The RACI matrix organizes the team and keeps projects on track. It’s incredibly beneficial when responding to RFPs, security questionnaires and due diligence questionnaires. Indeed, it ensures that everyone involved in the response is on the same page from beginning to end. In this post, I’ll provide an overview of the RACI matrix, the basic steps to get started, a RACI matrix template and some pitfalls to watch out for along the way.

Contents:

What is a RACI matrix?

A RACI matrix (sometimes called a RACI chart, RACI diagram or RACI model) is a project management tool used to clearly assign the specific roles and responsibilities within a proposal project. Specifically, RACI is an acronym for roles within the process. It charts out who is Responsible, who is Accountable, who is Consulted and who is Informed.

Using a grid to create a RACI chart helps team members understand the project and players at a glance. A plan with a RACI diagram of project resources can help better forecast completion timelines. At the same time, it also eliminates confusion and delays caused by uncertainty about who should be doing what within the project. In the RFP process, the RACI matrix establishes who must be involved in which project life cycle stages, from subject matter experts to stakeholders.

RACI role definitions

Responsible (R)

The person or people who will do the work required to complete a task or make a decision. Most projects will require multiple people to be responsible for items and steps throughout the project.

Responsible role examples in RFP response process:
  • A subject matter expert (SME) is the person responsible for creating new response content
  • The salesperson may be responsible for tailoring proposal content to the client’s needs

Accountable (A)

The person who owns the work, reviews it and signs off when a task or decision is complete. When two consulted stakeholders have different opinions, the person who is accountable makes the final call. Each task should only have one person designated as accountable.

Accountable role examples in the RFP response process
  • A proposal coordinator who receives the RFP from sales and facilitates its completion
  • The salesperson who manages the proposal themselves and coordinates with SMEs
  • A marketing team member who creates the proposal and works with other parties
  • The business operations team member who works to complete the proposal and ensures it aligns with business goals

Consulted (C)

The person or people that need to provide input before a specific task is started or finalized. Each task or decision may require multiple people to be consulted. Outlining expectations for those needing consultation ensures they are ready to provide input and won’t create a bottleneck in your process.

Consulted role examples in the RFP process
  • Legal team members may need to discuss compliance and contract details
  • An IT team member or the CSIO can provide input about security or technical capabilities
  • The finance team may need to offer insights about requested financial terms

Informed (I)

The person or people who should be in the loop and informed throughout the project. Their input is not needed on the task, but they do need to know the output and receive regular progress updates.

Informed role examples in the RFP process
  • Executive stakeholders may need visibility to the sales and proposal process
  • Business operations or finance may want regular status reports to create forecasts

Benefits of using a RACI matrix

A RACI matrix provides additional benefits beyond outlining the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the proposal process. When all stakeholders and participants involved agree to the roles before the project begins, it creates a quick reference point that helps keep your team aligned. It also increases the likelihood that your project will be on time, complete and successful. Another benefit is that including the RACI matrix in your onboarding information can help new employees quickly understand the structure and process. Surely with all these benefits, it’s worth a try.

How to create a RACI project management matrix

Once you have a clear idea of the different roles, you’re ready to implement the project management RACI matrix. Here are the basic steps to follow.

  1. Identify all the tasks and decisions you need to complete.
  2. List out everyone who will participate in the project.
  3. Create your matrix. Typically, the number of tasks and decisions will be greater than the number of people participating in the project. If this is the case, you’ll want to list your tasks in the rows of the Excel chart and your involved people in the columns.
  4. Go through each task and assign roles. Make sure to only assign one A per task and at least one R, C and I.
  5. Socialize your matrix with your stakeholders, incorporate their feedback and finalize the project plan. It is key to get sign-off from all stakeholders, making sure they fully understand roles and expectations.

RFP response RACI matrix example

Let’s see it in action. In this example, a software company is responding to an RFP. The proposal is being managed by a dedicated proposal manager. An account executive owns the client relationship. The CISO must contribute proposal content. To protect the business, the legal team must have visibility to the project. And finally, business operations must be aware of how the project contributes to business goals.

Note that every task has at least one A and one R, but not every role is involved in every step.

RFP response RACI matrix template

Creating the RACI matrix isn’t complicated, but it can help to start from a template. Here’s an RFP RACI matrix template you can download.

If you want to take your RACI matrix even further or implement it across a number of teams, check out Hubspot’s free tool. 

5 potential pitfalls to watch for when using the RACI matrix:

1. Responsibility confusion

Even with the RACI diagram, there can still be some stakeholders that are either confused or don’t respect the boundaries of their roles. The most common confusion I’ve experienced is between the consulted and informed roles.

Nothing slows a project down more than someone who is designated as informed providing input as though they must be consulted. The best way to avoid this delay and conflict is to be very clear at the beginning of the project. Let each person know exactly what is expected from them and then remind them of their roles when sending out project updates.

2. Too many tiny tasks

While outlining tasks and being specific is important, including too many subtasks and dependencies in your RACI matrix can be counterproductive. If your task list is too granular, it can be hard to keep the attention of your stakeholders when reviewing the proposal for sign-off.

3. Information overload

With all the moving parts of a project — especially a big project — the RACI chart can be hard to follow. Group your tasks into project phases and your stakeholders into teams. This will keep your chart easy to digest and quick to consult throughout the project. Try adding color coding for an easy-t0-understand visual element.

4. Unbalanced workloads

The RACI matrix is not meant to be a one-man show. For instance, if one person manages too many Rs and As, they become overwhelmed. As a result, you may not get the necessary perspectives and the project may be derailed. Instead, spread the work out to the appropriate team members and help avoid a scenario where one or two people are putting in all the effort.

5. Too many opinions

If your discussions seem to go around in circles, your matrix may have too many Cs across the board. While consulting is necessary, if you consult multiple team members for every task or decision, you can easily get bogged down in unnecessary back and forth.

Think hard about who really needs to be consulted and ask yourself a few questions. Do they have knowledge that is crucial to this step of the project? Are they an expert in this particular area? Will the project be at risk if their advice is not considered? If you answer no to these questions, consider updating your matrix and changing these people to informed instead of consulted.

Should you use a RACI chart for project management?

So, can a RACI matrix ultimately improve your proposal process? If you’ve ever walked away from project kick-off or weekly stand-up not knowing who was doing what, or if your projects get behind because the wrong people get involved and the right people aren’t consulted, a proposal RACI matrix might be a good tool for you.

To create a more efficient process, you might consider Responsive RFP software. You’ll save hours over manual processes and make lives easier for those who are Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed.

Brand storytelling in RFP responses

Brand storytelling in RFP responses

Templates & guides

What do Dr. Suess, Toni Morrison, and winning RFP responses have in common? They all tell their stories in surprisingly similar ways. A great story follows an arc. It draws the reader in, moves the story forward in an emotionally engaging way, and provides a satisfying conclusion.

You might think that comparing RFP responses to great works of fiction is going a little too far, especially because a quality RFP response is proofed and fact-checked to ensure complete accuracy. But fiction, nonfiction, or business proposal, it doesn’t matter.

Why using brand storytelling delivers a better RFP response

A study by neuroscientist and tech entrepreneur Paul J. Zak, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, found that regardless of the medium, storytelling that captures emotions signals oxytocin—the love hormone—in the brain.

But wait, you aren’t trying to make people fall in love with your company, are you? In a sense, yes. Odds are that your company is one of many that can meet a prospect’s needs. So, how do you make your proposal stand out? How do you make a customer want to do business with you?

You differentiate yourselves by appealing to the readers’ emotions in the hope that you’ll awash their brains in the love hormone. It’s important to note that oxytocin also signals trustworthiness and motivates cooperation, which are both critical factors in closing business deals of all sorts.

“I advise business people to begin every presentation with a compelling, human-scale story. Why should customers or a person on the street care about the project you are proposing? How does it change the world or improve lives? How will people feel when it is complete? These are the components that make information persuasive and memorable.” Paul Zak

Examples of companies that use storytelling to connect with their customers

Nearly every B2C ad you read or see attempts to emotionally connect with you. Apple wants to “share the joy.” Subaru wants to “share the love,” and Patagonia will help you help save the environment.

But what about B2B examples? How can a business document make a reader “fall in love,” or at least emotionally connect with your company? Straddling that line between professional and oxytocin-producing content takes some skill, but these two companies get it right:

Salesforce

Salesforce is the top customer relationship management platform in the world. Tracking customers through sales cycles might not exactly trigger love, so Salesforce took another approach. Their story is as much about their customers’ stories as their own.

KPN is a Dutch telecom company. While their customer success story includes the pain points/solutions specifics you’d expect to find, their customer quotes use emotional trigger words like “happier” and “excited.”

You’ll find emotionally engaging words peppered throughout their customer success stories. Salesforce helped T-Mobile’s customers feel “crazy about its service” and gave American Water “peace of mind.”

You get the idea. You don’t have to pivot away from your main selling points to insert some emotion. If you feel your story could be more engaging, tell your customers’ stories as part of yours.

Amplifi

Is there anything that evokes a sense of warmth and comfort more than the yeasty, buttery smell of freshly baked bread? What about a freshly baked data strategy? Are you hungry yet?

In one blog post, Amplify, a data management company, does a brilliant job of connecting these two disparate subjects to tell a story about creating and following roadmaps, just as you should follow every step of a recipe when baking bread.

In another, the author compares data management to alchemy and even TNT. In short, if data is well-managed, it can turn into metaphorical gold, and if not…boom!

While Amplifi doesn’t rely on emotional statements like “happier” or “excited,” they use clever metaphors to take readers on an emotional journey through the world of data management.

Best practices and examples for writing competitive RFP responses

We probably don’t need to mention that RFP response storytelling is not about making up characters and plotlines. Your job is to use the company’s story to sell a product or service. Write for your audience, not award committees or even yourself.

The academic journal Psychology and Marketing published a study called “Brand narratives: Content and consequences among heritage brands.” The study authors interviewed brand managers, analyzed heritage brand websites, and tested their findings with consumers to pinpoint what customers wanted to see from a seller’s story.

While it is true that their study focused on B2C organizations, it’s always good to remember that human beings spearhead every step in a B2B purchasing cycle.

So, what resonated with consumers?

  • Founding date – Interestingly, it didn’t seem as though a long history was important, but consumers still wanted to see how long a company has been in business. Most RFPs ask for the founding date.
  • Your unique approach or method – How are you different from your competitors? How does your product or service relate to your company’s core values?
  • Linking the past to the present – Even if yours is not a heritage brand, link your vision or product to the past. For example, if your product uses a modern solution, such as artificial intelligence, give a brief history lesson of the challenge before your company addressed it using AI.

The study also examined common storytelling elements that don’t resonate, such as:

  • The founder’s story – The buyer wants to go into business with your company, not its founders.
  • Your business’s struggles – Readers like success stories. They don’t want to know that your company almost folded in its first year, even if it rose like a phoenix. They definitely don’t want to know about your cultural or product-related struggles.
  • Where you were founded – Today’s business world is nearly borderless. Your California location, for example, will mean very little to a company in Europe.

Now that we have the very basic dos and don’ts, it’s time to further break down response stories.

1. Tell your why

As every middle school journalism teacher will tell you, there are six elements to a good story: who, what, where, when, why, and how. It’s the same with RFP response.

“Who,” as we mentioned above, is about your company, not your founder (with an exception we’ll talk about in a moment).

“What” is the product or service. “Where” is less about your location than the product or service (e.g., Where will onboarding take place? Where are your products manufactured?). “When” should outline deliverable dates. “How” is pretty self-explanatory, but what about “why?”

“Why” is an opportunity to genuinely resonate with your audience. Perhaps your company began because your founders were once in the customer’s shoes, or they saw a need that they were in a position to fill.

It might be tempting to include “why” when responding to a question about your company’s founding date or one that asks about product specs, but you’ll run the risk of annoying your customers by using valuable space for what they might see as superfluous information in those contexts. Also, you might have character and space limits.

Unless the RFP offers organic opportunities to present your “why,” save it for the cover letter.

RFP response example:

If, for example, a company wanted to improve efficiency. Here at RFPIO, we might say something like:

“We understand your desire to improve efficiencies in your organization. We founded RFPIO for that very reason. Our platform helps you take back time to spend with your customers, family, and of course, on yourself.”

2. Show you’re human

Individuals and company decision-makers all want to feel good about their buying decisions. Highlight the good that your company does.

RFP response example:

At RFPIO, we’re proud of our workplace ideals and culture. But simply patting ourselves on the back might seem inauthentic. We let our employees speak for themselves. In our RFP responses, we often include something like:

“RFPIO is committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. Our employees voted this year, and we were honored as a Comparably Award winner for Best Outlook, Best CEO for diversity, and Best Leadership team.”

3. Share a testimonial

Who better to speak for your company’s quality and customer service than your customers?

RFP response example:

We might, for example, use the words of Brian Z. of LinkedIn:

“Hundreds of hours saved in responding to questionnaires and RFPs. RFPIO offers very competitive cost savings over most of the larger RFP software providers. The same functionality at a fraction of the cost of the big guys. Customer support is top-notch — all questions or requests for help are addressed within the same day (or within 24 hours at most). Great, direct support from the management team — no call centers, no outsourced product support. You get assistance from people who helped build the product.”

4. Customize answers with specific deliverables

When an RFP asks about deliverables, the customer wants more than just a timeline. They want to know that you understand their needs. If you sell a product, how long will it take for the customer to receive it? If you sell a service, what is the onboarding process? Sure, it’s easy to answer these questions with dates or predicted time from purchase, but remember, you’re telling a story.

RFP response example:

Let’s pivot from RFPIO for a moment. Perhaps your company offers SEO services. Rather than simply listing timelines, say something like:

“At ____ SEO Consultants, we value partnership with our clients. First, we’ll meet with your content strategists to help devise a plan to leverage your strengths and highlight your values. On average, we will deliver a detailed SEO strategy within X months.

By month X, we will begin weekly strategy meetings with content writers and key stakeholders. Implementation will be ongoing but expect your first results within X months.”

5. Be succinct and real

Most products or services are relatively dry. If you’re in tech, things can get rather *um* technical. If you sell a product, you might have to explain its manufacturing or logistics.

Odds are, the procurement person looking at your proposal has high-level knowledge of what they are seeking, but their eyes might start getting bleary if you go into too much detail, especially technical detail. Avoid jargon as much as possible.

RFP response example:

If, for example, the RFP asks about your approach to project management. Rather than describing your methodology or Gantt chart, say something like:

“Our project management team is agile. We tailor our proven process to each client’s unique needs with the main steps remaining consistent: build, test, and deploy to deliver value.”

6. Make life easier for the issuer

Reviewing a (long) proposal is a tedious enough process, don’t also make the issuer do extra work digging to find answers. Rather than directing them to an attachment or a URL to find the answer they’re looking for, answer their question within the proposal itself. In addition, you can always provide an attachment to expand on your answer or offer supporting evidence for it.

RFP response example:

“We practice secure application design and coding principles. Engineers are required to undergo security training for security awareness and secure coding.

We use third-party services to perform vulnerability/application security scans annually.

The most recent penetration report is attached to this package: .”

7. Elaborate when appropriate

You don’t want to be too wordy or provide unnecessary information, but there are instances where a bit of elaboration is valuable. Sometimes you have to read between the lines to determine what the customer needs. Rather than just providing the most direct answer to the question, try to understand what the buyer is actually trying to learn. If a more detailed response fits better, go for it.

RFP response example:

The customer may want to know how you communicate new features to clients. Sure, you could respond with something like, “Upcoming platform enhancements are communicated to customers via email. You can also access them from the Help Center.”

Yes, that answer is succinct, but does it set you apart from your competitors? Maybe they asked that question because their current vendor doesn’t listen to suggestions or communicate new features. Instead, try something like:

“Our roadmap is heavily influenced by our customers through a feedback/enhancement request feature within the application. Customers can interact with one another’s requests, as well as with the development team. Their comments, voting, and status reports all influence future enhancements.

We then communicate enhancements to our customers via email release announcements. This email will have the major highlights from the release, a document outlining all the release details, and a link to the release details that can be accessed 24/7 in the Help Center.”

8. Say no with style

No one likes to pass up a business opportunity, but there are times when your company won’t be the right fit, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Rather than responding to an RFP and misleading the customer into believing that yours is the right solution, tell them “no” but do it the right way.

A well-composed “no” response might help open doors to future opportunities with the issuer.

RFP response example:

Imagine the customer is looking for a specific integration you don’t currently offer. Instead of a simple “No, we do not integrate with that tool,” say something like:

“Currently, the solution does not integrate with XYZ tool. However, a potential integration is on our 6-12 month product roadmap. We would love the opportunity to partner with you in identifying the best path forward to build an XYZ tool integration.”

More RFP examples and response resources

While we’re on the subject of storytelling, part of RFPIO’s story is that we also respond to RFPs, so we have several experts within our ranks who are always willing to offer sage advice.

RFPIO’s website and blog have multiple resources to help you craft a bid-winning story, such as:

Sample RFP response cover letter

A great cover letter is short and sweet but also informative. Click here for tips and tricks for writing the perfect cover letter. Kelly Barnard, RFPIO’s Response Management Strategist, even included her go-to example.

Winning RFP response examples using storytelling

Are you hungry for more storytelling examples? Click here.

Free RFP response template

Hubspot has a fantastic RFP response template. Click here.

Modernize your RFP response process and complete more winning bids with artificial intelligence

None of these best practices are worth much if you can’t complete each potentially winnable RFP or find time to customize them when you do. To get to the point where you can actively put this advice into practice, you need RFP software that takes care of the more tedious and time-consuming parts of the process.

RFPIO’s advanced response technology includes features that help you create better, faster, more winning responses:

  • Business intelligence – RFPIO’s advanced analytics and reporting capabilities let you use data to drive your business decisions.
  • Content Library – RFPs aren’t known for their originality. You’ve probably answered most questions before. RFPIO’s AI-enabled recommendation engine finds the best preapproved content, leaving you the option to accept, edit, or reject its suggestions.
  • Import and export – Whether an RFP comes as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or through your CRM, you can import it directly onto RFPIO’s platform.
  • Standard and customized templates – RFPIO lets you create proposals using your favorite templates or one of ours.
  • Customization – As they say, every picture tells a story. Add tables, images, and rich text to visually narrate your response.
  • Integrations – RFPIO integrates with the most popular productivity and sales enablement tools.

Related: Create proactive proposals at scale with proposal automation software

Create rich narratives that will help you win more business, spend more time in front of customers, and live your life. With RFPIO, you can make that happen. See how with a free demo.

Proposal automation guide: Benefits, uses, tips & software

Proposal automation guide: Benefits, uses, tips & software

Selling & Enablement

For most bid and proposal professionals, working through the steps of answering RFPs is second nature. Unfortunately, for those using manual processes, much of that work is tedious, repetitive and time consuming. Indeed, you may be all too familiar with the ctrl+f, ctrl+x and ctrl+v loop of working in Word and spreadsheets. Luckily, with proposal automation solutions, you can make the process faster and easier. Not to mention, you’ll be able to give those well-worn keyboard shortcuts a rest.

Powered by rapidly-advancing AI technology, the number of bid and proposal management tasks that can be partially or entirely automated continues to grow. For organizations looking to speed up sales cycles, work lean and increase win rates, proposal automation  delivers a lot of value. Fortunately, RFP response software is purpose-built for managing RFP responses, bids and proposals — and it’s increasingly impactful, adaptable, accessible and affordable.

Understandably, the prospect of increasing automation may not excite you. In fact, it may raise uncomfortable questions. For example, you might wonder if your job is at stake, if it actually saves time and if it’s really worth it. In this post, I’ll strive to explore each of these concerns about proposal automation and more.

To start, we’ll begin with the definition of proposal automation as well as how it works. Then, we’ll cover which steps in your proposal process can be automated and how human input is still required. Next, you’ll learn the three primary benefits of automation. I’ll also share a quick buyer’s guide for proposal automation software. And finally, I’ll share a few ways your team can prepare now for proposal automation in the future.

What is proposal automation?

Proposal automation is the use of technology to perform actions in the proposal process with reduced human intervention. Sometimes called bid automation, the term refers to the actions that technology performs automatically according to established rules.

Proposal management software includes  automation capabilities designed for the RFP and proposal process. It can assist with proposal completion, formatting, workflow tasks and content management.

How does it work?

Certainly, proposal managers don’t need to understand the engineering and code that makes proposal automation solutions work. However, a basic grasp of the concepts and logic behind automation is helpful. With this knowledge, users understand how to maximize automation’s value. And, they can troubleshoot if needed.

With origins in manufacturing lines, automation has come a long way in the last few decades. While technology continues to push the boundaries of automation, the basic motivations remain the same.

Whether automation is moving car parts from one assembly line to another, or transferring information from a content library to a proposal draft, the goal is to reduce the human effort required to complete tasks.

Proposal automation example 

Generally, automation works using if/then logic. For example, in the proposal process, you may want to send a reminder to your subject matter experts (SMEs).

So, the logic for that task could be stated as:
If SMEs have not approved their assigned questions by three days prior to the due date, then send a reminder email to their inbox.

In this case, the ‘if’ part of the statement defines the required conditions that must be met for automation to occur and the ‘then’ of the statement is the action that is triggered.

Each piece of automation requires several key pieces of data. For the simple automation in this example to work, the system needs to recognize and pull together all of the following data:

  • Users designated as SMEs
  • Which SMEs are assigned
  • Status of their questions (draft, in progress or approved)
  • Today’s date relative to the due date
  • SME email addresses for the notification
  • The notification text to be sent

When you understand that each element of the if/then statement is a piece of data, it’s easier to see the possibilities for new automations.

Beyond workflow automations like the example above, proposal and RFP response tools also use artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to expand and improve proposal automation capabilities.

Proposal automation uses and limitations

Just like other sales technologies, AI and proposal automation are tools that must be directed and used by humans. Certainly, it can save your team a lot of time, but it definitely won’t be able to replace you. Proposal expert Ashley Kayes, addressed the potential of automating proposals in a recent post on her Proposal Reflections blog saying,

“Will automation tools and AI eventually replace all of us and independently write the proposals for our companies? I think most of us agree that this will never happen in our lifetimes. However, I do believe that enhanced versions of these AI and proposal automation tools will ultimately empower our proposal teams to focus our efforts on tailoring content to meet the needs of individual customers and other critical tasks.”

We expect that AI capabilities and proposal automation will continue to advance in the future. In fact, at Responsive we’re constantly evaluating emerging AI and creating new ways to automate tedious steps of responses of all kinds including proposals, RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, DDQs, security questionnaires and so on.

When considering investing in proposal automation software it’s important to understand that these tools are not a replacement for people. They only work in partnership with users. However, when applied thoughtfully by skilled users, strategic response management software has the potential to cut your response time in half.

Examples of how proposal automation partners with people

Automating proposals effectively means balancing AI’s ability to perform mundane tasks with the need for human input and interpretation. Here you’ll find a list of ways you can use automation as well as short explanations of how users must provide input for the best results.

– Bid selectively and ensure compliance –

Automation can: Analyze and organize requirements

When receiving long-form RFPs and customer requests, it can be difficult to identify each individual requirement you must to meet. Fortunately, proposal automation can sift through the text of any request and create a list of requirements you can review at a glance.

With a clear list of the customer’s needs, you can more confidently decide if the opportunity is a fit for your company. Then, you can also use this list of requirements to ensure that the RFP responses and proposals will meet the customer’s guidelines and expectations.

Users must: Review and confirm the analysis

In this use case, proposal automation works by searching for keywords like shall, may, should, must and more to gather requirements. It does a good job of listing individual requirements, but a human must always verify the output for any requirements that didn’t use one of the established keywords.

– Find content and answers faster –

Automation can: Identify repeat questions and suggest answers

One of the most impressive and valuable features of RFP automation software is the ability to import an RFP and automatically review it for repeat questions. Not only will automation identify the questions you have encountered before, but it will also suggest relevant answers from your content library. So, you no longer have to search through endless emails and old proposals to find the right answers.

When considering investing in proposal automation software, it is important to understand how each automation tool works to find relevant answers. Some systems use exact match searches, while others leverage AI, machine learning and natural language processing to find synonyms and related knowledge records.

Users must: Select the right answer with context in mind

While AI can suggest the best answer and offer alternative options, it can’t yet fully understand the nuance and context for the request. So, it’s essential to have a human review the options. Certainly, it still saves time by providing you with all of the relevant choices, but final selection should be done by a proposal professional.

– Help write and edit responses –

Automation can: Create a first draft or revise an answer

Staring at a blank screen can be a roadblock for SMEs, so offering a first draft can help get them started — AI can help with that. In addition, if you get their response back and it’s a little too long and technical, AI can help with that too. With the GPT assistant in Responsive, you can leverage AI to create response drafts, expand short answers, transition from passive to active voice, improve readability, shift from technical jargon to plain speech and more.

Users must: Review, customize and fact check

Outputs from the GPT assistant sound more like a human than ever, but don’t be fooled. AI cannot create content tailored to your organization. Because GPT is trained using general information like internet content and books, it doesn’t know your brand’s proprietary information, competitive advantages, messaging, tone or style preferences.

Users must still infuse responses with compelling win themes, create a consistent style and update automated responses to ensure accuracy and effectiveness.

– Keep your content library clean –

Automation can: Identify potential answer duplicates

As you answer more RFPs, create proposals and leverage your response solution, your content library will grow. Naturally over the course of time, you’ll respond to variations of the same question over and over. Then, if you’re not careful to review, prune and consolidate similar responses the library can grow out of control and become difficult to navigate effectively.

Fortunately, AI can help you manage the content by identifying similar question and answer pairs. The system can then flag the content for potential deduplication.

Users must: Review duplicates and make the final call

Typically, duplications are created when an answer has been customized to fit a particular customer or situation. AI can identify the similarities to other responses, but it can’t decide which answer is the best option to keep for future use. Users must provide input to combine, edit and optimize the responses before deleting duplicates.

– Improve SME collaboration –

Automation can: Send reminders and schedule reviews

We all know that as the proposal coordinator, you spend a significant amount of time wrangling answers and approvals from various subject matter experts and stakeholders. Often, this means countless emails, follow-up calls, chat messages and reminders. And managing that communication via email is cumbersome and risky. Fortunately, all of these activities are centralized in automated proposal software.

As you work through the proposal, SMEs receive notifications when you assign them questions, request reviews, send reminders and secure final approval. In addition to avoiding sending these communications manually, the platform also retains a record so you can review the process if questions arise.

Users must: Manage assignments, responsibilities and settings

Proposal automation isn’t able to identify who plays which role in the response process without your help. Indeed, for large organizations, the number of variables that determine who contributes to a proposal or RFP make it far too complex for a computer to understand. However, for you, it’s a simple matter of matching sections and questions to the relevant users.

– Keep momentum moving to meet deadlines –

Automation can: Track real-time progress

When your boss wants an update on how the proposal is coming together, automation has an immediate answer. Rather than reaching out to every contributor and finding out the status of their work and compiling a report that will be out of date before you can even send it, proposal automation software enables you to see real-time visualizations of each project.

Users must: Interpret and optimize

While dashboards and reports are much easier to create and view in proposal software, they lack the context and big-picture view you provide. The real-time information can help you identify bottlenecks, but it won’t be able to determine why they’re happening or how to fix them. There’s simply no replacement for the strategy and process insight you provide.

– Surface data insights –

Automation can: Gather data and schedule maintenance

Curious how often subject matter experts make adjustments to answers from previous proposals? Wondering when the last time was someone reviewed your compliance content?

Proposal automation tools collect this information as well as other helpful response metadata. In addition, you can set up periodic, automatic review cycles to prompt SMEs to verify and refresh the content they’re responsible for.

Users must: Review and optimize

Proposal automation can only provide you with the information it finds in your content library, it can’t verify if that information is still true and accurate. In addition, it can’t warn you that one of your answers has a bullet point that isn’t relevant to the customer or refers to a contact that has since left the company. Indeed, when it comes to avoiding embarrassing moments like that and ensuring you’re using timely responses, there is no replacement for your careful review.

Additionally, users must determine how often content should be reviewed and who should review it to minimize risk.

The 3 biggest benefits of proposal automation

At the end of the day to be truly worth it, proposal automation must deliver value to the bottom line. There are three primary benefits to consider.

1. Enhanced efficiency

Automation saves time (a lot of time). RFP responses are an investment, so as efficiency increases, so does profit. When you leverage automation, you spend significantly less time finding information, sending reminder emails and verifying responses. In the time you save, you can take on more strategic, higher-value projects.

For example, Crownpeak leverages proposal automation to complete the majority of their responses:

“Today we’re filling out 80% of an RFP with Auto Respond. But next time we get an RFP, that percentage might be 81%. The more answers we put in the library, and the more RFPs we respond to, the more accurate Auto Respond becomes,” -Paul Taylor, Vice President of Solutions Engineering at Crownpeak

2. More consistent processes

Automating proposals using an established, repeatable process in a centralized location provides much needed organization and clarity. Manual responses often involve information that’s shared through email, spreadsheets, calls and more ⁠— this siloed knowledge increases the risk that your proposals contain inaccurate or inconsistent responses.

3. Data capture and analytics

Each RFP and corresponding proposal contains a wealth of data. Indeed, data collected from automated processes enables organizations to calculate proposal software ROI. In addition, RFP data analysis uncovers avenues for process improvements, pricing optimization, sales messaging refinement and more.

Proposal automation software buyer’s guide

Finding the right proposal automation solution for your organization can deliver tremendous value. So, here are a few things to discuss with your team before making a purchase.

Essential proposal automation software features

  • Centralized content library: How is information saved, organized and reviewed? Is the library easy to navigate and use for power users and occasional SME contributors alike?
  • Response automation: When you upload an RFP or request, does the platform suggest relevant answers automatically?
  • Request import: Are requests quick and easy to upload? Does the software consistently identify sections and questions?
  • Project management tools: How can proposal managers track their projects, engage collaborators and ensure on-time delivery?
  • Integrations: How will the proposal automation solution integrate with existing processes and sales technologies?
  • Data analysis: Does the platform capture key metadata, have helpful reporting capabilities and detailed audits for transparency and risk management?
  • Document tools: Does the platform offer tools for e-signature, document library management, embedded media and attachments?

Additional considerations

  • Solution updates and enhancements: Does the platform keep you ahead of trends and give you a competitive advantage with regular releases designed to improve your process?
  • Reputation: Is the company a leader in the industry? Do they have strong reviews from users?
  • Customer success: What kind of support will your team need?
  • User experience and adoption: Is the tool easy to use, navigate and understand?
  • Broader value: Is the platform flexible enough to be used for additional use cases?
  • Security and controls: How does the software manage security and data? Do they allow various user permission levels to keep information secure?

How to prepare now for automation in the future

While automation can undoubtedly save almost any proposal team time, some organizations may not quite be ready to make the investment. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do now. First, create a business case for proposal software. Then, begin building the foundation for successful automation.

Map your current proposal process in detail

Creating a detailed, step-by-step map of your process is the best way to identify areas that are ready for automation. Start at the beginning. What steps happen when you receive a new RFP? Who is involved in the decisions? What information is gathered? Who plays which role in proposal creation? And so on.

Benchmark key metrics

After you’ve defined your process as thoroughly as possible, estimate and note the hours required to complete each task. Consider what steps take the longest and which are the most repetitive. This exercise will point you to the areas where automation will be most impactful. Not to mention that benchmarking the time and cost involved in RFP responses allows you to calculate return on investment once you adopt a solution.

Plan how you will redirect time saved

Another powerful way to prepare for automation is to consider what you will do with the time you save. We all have a list of projects and ideas in our heads, and with automation, you’ll be able to put them into action. If nothing comes to mind, we have a couple of ideas to further improve your efficiency and effectiveness.

Dig into your data

The more information and historical RFP response data you have, the better off you’ll be when you are ready to adopt proposal automation. Explore your proposal library and identify knowledge gaps as well as any opportunities to improve the quality of your data.

  • Remove duplicate and outdated answers
  • Ensure on-brand messaging
  • Improve consistency in tone, word choice and style
  • Record which answers appear in winning proposals
  • Identify commonalities in won and lost opportunities

Final thoughts

Despite all the advances in automation for proposal teams, the RFP process is still human. At its core, it’s still about connecting people and finding customers that will help you reach your goals while you help them reach theirs.

Again, Ashley Kayes, sums up the potential of proposal automation nicely saying,

“Leveraging these tools effectively in the future, I believe we will increase the efficiency of our business development and proposal process by automating some of the most time-consuming pieces of the process and helping us to make smarter, more-strategic decisions on the opportunities we pursue.”

There can be no doubt that automation is part of the future of RFPs. But, the real question is: Will you be ready? Are you ready now?

See how it feels to respond with confidence

Why do 250,000+ users streamline their response process with RFPIO? Schedule a demo to find out.