7 Tips For Successfully Responding to Your Request For Proposal (And Winning The Project)

by Rael Carey Business Associate

RFPs are prevalent in both the corporate and nonprofit world. When companies need help with a project, they will often write up and send RFPs to receive a variety of proposals and bids.

Winning the project can be very competitive, so responding to an RFP request can be a bit daunting, especially if you've never written a response to such a request before.

Here are seven tips to help you do that.

1. Research

Before you start writing projects, it's always essential to understand your audience. It is no different here.

For an effective RFP response, you must understand the organization's requirements that issued the request for proposals. So you need to research both the company and its industry. In-depth research will also give you a better perspective on the scope of the project.

2. Be specific

Put yourself in the shoes of the company that wrote the RFP - its employees must read hundreds of pages of proposals before making a decision.

They will appreciate it if you are precise and to the point.

3. Keep it simple

Use clear and simple language. Do not add jargon or unnecessary buzzwords as this will make your proposal more difficult to read.

We understand that this may vary slightly by industry. So, when using jargon, ensure that there are just things that people who read your proposal will understand.

If you are unsure, stick to plain, clear words - this will make your proposal much easier to read and understand.

4. Explain how you are different

Why should they select you over everyone else? You must address this query in your proposal.

It's usually best to differentiate between something other than price because you don't even know if your bid is the lowest anyway. Pick something in terms of quality and service that will help you differentiate your organization from the other bidders.

Just choosing something isn't enough, though - you have to make it clear and compelling. You can do this by adding data, examples, and anything else that supports your claim.

Stick to the format

Most request for proposals have a described format. So, follow that as closely as possible. Now is not the time to get creative and spin it as you desire.

If the RFP does not include a format for the response, choose something simple and professional.

You don't want the format to interfere with the overall message of your proposal. It should reinforce the content, not hinder it.

6. Start as soon as possible

Write the proposal as soon as possible. This gives you enough time to research and edit before the deadline.

Waiting until the last minute usually results in a weak proposal. It also makes the whole process more stressful than it should be.

7. Reread the proposal

Nothing can kill an RFP response faster than botched mistakes like misspelling the company name. It's not a good idea to ignore this step.

A first draft almost always contains errors - and that's fine, but you should correct them before submitting your proposal.

Ideally, the person reading the proposal is not the same person who wrote it. It is too easy to ignore your own errors during the editing phase. This could be another skilled person in your company or an experienced professional proofreader - the latter is always the best.

At The Bid Lab, we have years of experience looking at proposals and RFPs, and we understand the entire process well. If you are working on an RFP response and need a quick and professional proofreading before submitting it, we are happy to help. Contact us now for a quick and free quote!