The Right Way to Respond to an RFP

There is most definitely a right way (and a wrong way) to respond to an RFP. We would know, given that we’ve helped design proposals for dozens of RFPs ourselves—many of them worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In this post, we’re going to give you the rundown on what we’ve learned about proposals and share some advice that we wish we knew before we started.

Read Between the Lines

Reading between the lines of an RFP isn’t easy, but it is critical to crafting a winning proposal. First, you need to fully understand and respond to the questions being asked in the RFP. Make sure to answer the questions directly. Then, you’ll need to go a little deeper. Expand your responses to include additional information that would be helpful to your future evaluator. Put yourself in their shoes, and try to think of supporting details that would paint a picture in their minds. For example, rather than simply stating how many years you have been in business, tell the story of how your company was founded. This forms a deeper connection between your business and the individuals judging your proposal.

Follow the Instructions

We can’t stress this one enough: always follow the RFP instructions. While is it great to provide additional information to help evaluators connect with your business, you also need to make sure you abide by the rules governing page count and overall length of your RFP response. Also, make sure your proposal keeps the same content structure as the RFP. This will make your proposal appear more organized and easier to digest.

Make It About Them

When composing your core content for your proposal, make sure that you aren’t placing all of the focus on your business and your ideas. The proposal should really be about the organization that issued the RFP and how you can help achieve their goals. Every bit of information you provide about yourself should be balanced with how it will impact their organization and their community. Consider the demographics of the area you will be serving. Look for ways to include local businesses in your proposal and consider the impact your project will have on the local job market.

Hire an Expert to Help

Of course, the best way to respond to an RFP is to bring in a team that has experience winning bids worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Diace Designs has the experience you need to craft a winning proposal. If you’re interested in responding to an RFP but you’re not sure where to begin, contact us.

About Kara Franco
Kara writes copy that speaks. She has a knack for creating clear, compelling messages without wasting words. She is passionate about digital marketing and believes that copy is the cornerstone of user experience.

Copywriter + Content Strategist
Kara@diacedesigns.com