After years of preparing custom RFP responses for our clients, we know better than to take for granted the convenience of having a library of off the shelf, pre-built templates that you can use to assemble a skeleton draft, adjust to incorporate out of the ordinary submission requirements, and finalize without too much extra energy.
Now, don’t get it twisted.
You can and more importantly should always look for opportunities to customize your entire submission to appear perfectly tailored to each and every pursuit. That’s best practice, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t make this recommendation. But we’re also realists – and we understand the response time, level of involvement from marketing and project managers, and associated costs (or non-billable time) that can go into putting these bad boys together.
Especially if you’re starting from scratch.
So why not start building in a few efficiencies along the way? Because as we all know…
Some things never change.
That’s just how it is, so you may as well use it to your advantage. Take the following fundamental sections, for example, and start here on your path to more efficient proposal management. These components somehow seem to be woven into nearly every RFP response and represent some of the best opportunities for templatization and standardization.
Firm Profile
Call it a company overview, call it a capability statement, call it what you will – but at the end of the day, this section’s primary intent is to reflect consistent brand messaging with a polished, unified representation of what you do, how you do it differently (or better!) than your competitors, and why the work you do matters. Pro-tip: Push beyond the “pay to play” information that is included in nearly every statement of qualifications. Your company should be focused on safety, quality and meeting budget/schedule. Focus instead on what really makes your business unique in the marketplace. This thread of consistency ensures that if a selection committee member does any independent research on your company, your proposal, website and recent LinkedIn posts would convey the same (general) story about who you are. Clearly articulated, unwavering positioning builds trust and reinforces that notion that what you see is in fact, what you get – regardless of the project at hand or the division involved.
Service Overview(s)
Whether you are a boutique, specialty consultant or multidisciplinary firm, it’s important to maintain both a high-level overview of company capabilities as well as standard descriptions for each core service.
Keep them locked, loaded, and ready to go. When responding to an RFP, you should focus on including details of the specific services being procured, and find opportunities to further connect the descriptions with relevant details—like notable past projects or specific credentials requested in the RFP.
Pro tip: These standardized write-ups with accompanying “areas of expertise” should be used not only in proposals but also in digital marketing, flyers and brochures, presentations, and related marketing communications.
Resumes
In the professional services industry, we hang our hats on the qualifications of our people and the relatability of their experience. Master resumes can be set up to showcase a brief summary of qualifications, education, professional credentials and most importantly – a listing of projects completed over the course of their professional career.
Pro tip: This may be a very long list! Standardize the title, description format/length, and staff member responsibilities details so that the same project can easily be applied to other master resumes by simply updating the individual’s specific role on the project. Don’t be afraid to include staff experience prior to joining your firm on the resumes – it can still be showcased, and you can qualify it as experience gained while employed by another company!
Project Descriptions
Similar to resumes, master project descriptions can be set up to convey a high level summary of the challenges posed and solutions implemented, with images and easy-to-read call outs summarizing key features/takeaways to support the reader’s ability to make a connection to their project.
Pro-tip: save a generous call-out area to allow for customization to the pursuit at hand, and the multitude of specific details that seem to be asked for time and time again in RFPs – whether design start date, number of change orders, or client reference. Keep all of this on the master – and remove ancillary details that aren’t specifically asked for.
Arguably one of the most obvious things to templatize within your proposal is the container itself. The presentation of every proposal you send out should be familiar to the last. The look and feel – to include general page layout, fonts, and design elements – should remain consistent across every submission. From the cover page and table of contents to the section dividers, resumes and project descriptions – you can foster familiarity and professionalism with each page turn.
Lessen the lift required on your next RFP response. We’ve helped firms put the infrastructure in place to get set up for success. Call us if you have any questions about where to start!