When Asking For an RFP Are You Playing Nice?

Did You Get Asked To Create  a Proposal

with no data to define what is a success?

A couple of years ago Jason Falls of Social Media Examiner and Maggie Fox of Social Media Group discussed what you want to be asking when hiring a Social Media Consultant.  Out of that came what was known as the RFP “Bill of Rights.”

I am reprinting them here to remind all parties that working together is a partnership where when anyone feels they are on control, it will not give you the desired results you want.

2012 is a new start, let’s find ways to support each other vs fostering competition.

RFP “Bill of Rights”

In every sense of the word, responding to an RFP should be a partnership. You (as the issuer) are offering an opportunity to win new business. They (as the respondent) are investing in that opportunity with no certainty that their investment will pay off. As a client, you do have obligations to vendors who respond to your RFP. The following “Bill of Rights” is intended to encourage fairness and acknowledge this investment and the mutual respect that should be observed in all business relationships.

I will not issue an RFP “Cattle Call”. Issuing an RFP to more than six or seven agencies is overkill. Instead, identify agencies you would like to work with and be selective in whom you invite to respond. Fifteen or 20 responses are too many to be able to truly judge relative merit, and it’s wrong to ask agencies who are not a good fit to waste valuable resources on an RFP they are unlikely to win.

I will be thoughtful. This and other RFP templates are intended to provide guidance, but don’t simply cut and paste the contents. Think about what you actually need and edit accordingly. Information overload will only winnow out quality agencies that are too busy to wade through all the unnecessary details.

I will do my own homework. Asking agencies to identify their own competition is only going to get you two things: a list of second-tier competitors that is of dubious value and respondents annoyed that you essentially asked them to undermine their own competitive advantage. A thorough briefing on your needs at some point during the process is also essential for success (ever heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out”?). Spend the time.

I will be flexible. Yes, we know you have a timeline. We also know (even though you might not) that it is going to slip. Don’t ask vendors to meet your timelines or else. There are significant cost savings in being able to book flights in advance (and you want an agency that keeps an eye on the pennies, right?). Give respondents at least a week’s notice and be flexible in your dates.

I will keep you updated. Nothing is worse than the “black hole”. A response is prepared at great effort, submitted and… crickets.  Let respondents know that their RFP has been received, and what the next steps are. When the dates slip, let them know that, too. They put a lot into their submission – show them the respect that this effort deserves.

I will give you feedback. You can’t win ‘em all – any agency team who responds to RFPs knows this well. What they don’t know (magic crystal balls being in short supply) is why they didn’t make it to the next round or win the brass ring. Acknowledging vendors’ efforts and letting them know why their response didn’t meet your needs helps them improve, and is more than a fair trade for the cost and effort invested on their part. It also ensures good feelings – you never know what your needs meet your needs helps them improve, and is more than a fair trade for the cost and effort invested on their part. It also ensures good feelings – you never know what your needs might be next; maintaining good vendor relationships is good business.

How will you play nice if you knew your results

depended on it?