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RFP Response: What Clients Want in RFPs

Guest post by: Michele Harris

Article Overview: When your agency is invited to respond to an RFP, do you get excited or cringe? While new business is the lifeblood of any agency, agency RFP responses drain resources and are poorly executed. What do clients want in RFPs? Find out out marketing companies can win more new business by tapping into hot buttons into proposals. These best practices from marketing agency selection firm Smarti Solutions provides key suggestions to help agencies respond more effectively to an RFP.

RFP Response: What Clients Want in RFPs

When your agency is invited to respond to an RFP, do you get excited or cringe? While new business is the lifeblood of any agency, agency RFP responses drain resources and are poorly executed. Recently cited in the PR Council’s The Firm Voice article, "What Clients Want in RFPs: Firms Can Win More New Business by tapping Nine Hot Buttons in Proposals," the following are key tips to consider when responding to an RFP:

Top tips for an RFP Response:

• Always get a meeting (or an at least a WebEx) to first see if there is a meeting of the minds.

• Don't hold out—offer real, strategic insights. Each agency has a different approach, a different perspective on how to drive the client's business. Clients need to know yours. There's world of difference between sharing a strategic vision and giving away the store.

• Ask questions. You are not working on their account yet, so don't assume you have all the answers, or know the client's business better than they do. You don't have to have the answers—but you want to show you've thought through the issues.

• Carefully consider the case studies. Before you throw in the boilerplate, think about how relevant the case studies are to the client’s initiative. Is there any relevancy in areas such as industry, market share, and budget or brand recognition?

• Talk ROI—focus on business outcomes, not just outputs. Focus on what the client is going to get for the fee. Return on investment has never been more top of mind. What can they expect in the first 30 or 90 days?

• Focus on the frontline team—not figureheads. A common complaint among clients is meeting Team A, working with Team B. You can tout your management—but if possible, let the client see whom they'll be working with.

• Avoid sloppy mistakes. It happens to the top agencies in the industry. It’s embarrassing. Have someone else who was not involved in developing the RFP proofread it last.

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Article Tags: Proposal, Proposals, RFP, RFP Response, RFP Responses, RFPs

About the Author: Michele Harris RSS for Michele's articles - Visit Michele's website   Marketing expert Michele Harris has 20 years experience developing revenue-rich marketing programs for Fortune 500 companies and leading business development and client services for premier advertising agencies. As founder and Chief Matchmaker of Smarti Solutions–the leading marketing agency selection firm for the mid-size marketplace—Michele provides clients with sales and marketing consulting, an unparalleled, intimate knowledge of the boutique and mid-size agency landscape and an expert selection of qualified advertising agencies, PR firms, media and marketing companies across industries, capabilities and other criteria. Michele has been covered by The NY Times, NY Post, PR Week, Inc. Magazine, CNN’s Money Magazine and Crain's BtoB Magazine. To get sales and marketing guidance or assistance finding just the right advertising agency, PR firm or marketing company for your business’ needs, visit http://www.getsmarti.com        Click here to visit Michele's website More from Michele Harris Opportunity in a Down Economy Website is an Ad Online Advertising Selecting a Marketing Company Dos and Musts Social Media and PR Firms The Cost of Expertise

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