In the EPCM (Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management) Industry, every decision you make needs to be strategic. This is the case right from the outset upon receiving the RFP from the client, all the way through to project completion.
Having started my journey with RFPs in architecture before moving into engineering, I have experienced working with a wide array of people within the industry and familiarized myself with the varying standards and correct tools for submitting high quality and compelling proposal responses that not only win projects but also elevate the firm’s branding and prestige.
Here’s my formula for proposal writers:
1) Do Your Research.
RFPs can include important details in seemingly unimportant places. Thoroughly reading through the RFP document and synthesizing relevant information is just the first step.
Start by defining the project’s scope and identify key deliverables. Consider whether the opportunity is the right fit for your business before investing valuable time, resources, and collective energy.
This stage also includes identifying your competitors. Complete a SWOT analysis with your main competitors and evaluate your chances of winning the project against your investment.
2) Structure Your Proposal Persuasively.
Balance brevity with thoroughness. Rigid brand standards with a creative flair. Unifying themes with individualistic stamps.
Having worked at very well established firms, I’m familiarized myself with content databases that streamline the response process and create harmony in all steps. Develop a win strategy through defining your value proposition and the key themes to be woven throughout the document.
If you’re replying to multiple RFPs that require similar answers, start from a template rather than starting from scratch every time. Having these base steps covered will ensure your response is client and solution focused, transparent and engaging, and communicates in multiple levels.
3) Project Implementation & Schedule.
Go into detail about your implementation plan and/or the deliverables you plan to produce for the prospect. Add a clear timeline to your proposal, one where you reflect all the important milestones.
Alongside your content plan, create a rough work-back schedule outlining each contributor’s responsibilities, specific deliverables, and the deadlines you need them to meet. To comply with page limit restrictions, use your outline to budget space for each section and to develop a schedule for completion of the proposal.
Depending on the discipline, structuring a proposal in terms of an important problem to be solved or question to be answered is advantageous. Such a structure typically relies on starting with a clear hypothesis or research objective.
4) Differentiate Your Brand.
Personalization is key. Boilerplate responses won’t cut it anymore. The purpose of responding to an RFP is to win the deal, so you should include anything that strengthens your case and makes you stand out from the other responses.
Tailor your response based on the insights you learned about the decision-makers and stakeholders’ requirements, pain points, and values during research. This will immediately differentiate you from the competitors. Further, be sure to incorporate graphics that reinforce your value and images that help convey your brand and the story you are telling.
Ask yourself these:
Have you explained the benefits your prospect would get from choosing your solution over your competitors?
What’s your competitive advantage?
Is your value proposition strong?
5) Complete the Foundations.
Though it seems simple, responding to every requirement outlined in the RFP is critical to the success of any proposal. Your Cover Letter, Executive Summary, Project Info Sheets, Resumes, Relevant Photos, Charts, and any other content or design requested in the RFP fall into this category.
This also covers what points such as what conveys several potential differentiators, including experience, proposed team, customer base, recent successes, approach, processes or technology, pricing, and reputation.
6) Assemble a Winning Team.
RFP responses are a team exercise. Your team should be diverse, representative, and accountable. The first step of building a winning proposal team is to identify the players and define the proposal team structure. Then, outline the team roles and responsibilities.
The proposal team structure varies widely from one organization to another. For example, depending on the size and organizational structure of your business, you may have a consistent three-member team. Alternatively, you may have thirty people on the proposal team who all work on separate projects.
Before embarking on a new proposal project, gather the team and hold a short, 15-30 minute kickoff meeting. RFPs require a lot of people with differing expertise and perspectives to work together to create the perfect proposal. With so many people involved in the proposal, it’s crucial to understand how each role contributes to the success of the team. When you establish clear expectations you’ll be well on your way to winning together.
7) Go the Extra Step.
Outline a robust implementation or management plan that gives the client confidence in your abilities. You can do this once you know the RFP is a good match and then dive into specifics. The idea is to find golden nuggets of information that tell you more about the prospect, what they’re looking for, and how to win their business.
Through this approach, prove you will deliver maximum value and ROI through quantified benefits and outcomes. Then turn your research into an actionable plan everyone agrees on.
8) Edit. Edit. Edit.
Ensure the response is error-free, cohesive, and professionally presented. Fix any typos, smooth out awkward sentences, and ensure the proposal is easy to understand. Also, double-check to see if you’ve answered every question.
You can also give your proposal to a design flare, if possible, to tell a visual story, adjust the format to submission guidelines, and find opportunities to rebrand the document.
9) The 4 Cs.
Is your Proposal Compliant? Consistent? Clear? Compelling?
Compliant:
Make sure your proposal fits the funding objectives of the competition. Follow all formatting, page-limit and organization guidelines. Strive to eliminate unnecessary words and phrases that do not contribute to the overall text. This helps to make the material more concise and easier to read.
Consistent:
Your content must agree with yourself and be consistent with anything published by you or your organization. When designing a product, it is important to adhere to the company's brand guidelines to maintain consistency across all platforms and increase brand awareness. A consistent design helps to improve the user experience and build trust, as users can expect the design to feel familiar across all platforms and products.
Clear:
Organize your proposal so that reviewers can easily find what they are looking for, can skim through the document and have an idea of what you have presented and how you address each evaluation criterion. This helps the reader to follow the logic of the text and understand the main points being presented.
Compelling:
Everything’s my your write has a goal and your writing must motivate readers to each that goals with you. Highlight your most important points at the beginning of paragraphs or sections, followed by supporting details. Avoid structuring paragraphs, sections, and the entire proposal such that important conclusions come at the very end.
10) Gather Feedback.
Once an RFP response is out the door and a decision is rendered, the process is revisited and everyone discusses on how to continually improve the process next time. Reach to the evaluator(s) to preview scoring and priority rankings and any other relevant metrics.