Those charged with evaluating Request for Proposals (RFPs) face a difficult challenge that requires a major commitment of time. Some RFP evaluators tend to look for “indicators” of non-compliance so that they can eliminate a proposal to make their assessment task easier.
“The art of proposal writing consists of providing a compelling solution that addresses all of the requirements specified in the RFP, and avoiding the trash pile,” says Richard White, president of Fedmarket (www.fedmarket.com). “Don't bid if you don't think the evaluators will move you into the good pile quickly with a minimum of effort.”
One of the things to be aware of, he points out, is that RFP evaluators begin their process by reading the executive summary and start the “You have got to be kidding” pile – the trash pile – for proposals that start with such language as: “Our firm is a world-class, best-of-breed company that is eminently qualified to serve your organization.” The objective should be to make the executive summary “hypnotic,” meaning that “you completely understand the solution they want and can convince them in two pages that you can provide it with minimal risk.”
Most evaluators want to make the trash pile large and the “read completely” pile as small as possible. The evaluator typically will read just as much as necessary to put a proposal in one of the two piles.
All RFP evaluators do not work this way, says White, “but busy, overworked or bored people tend to find the easiest way to accomplish their objectives. Give them precisely what they asked for in the simplest, clearest and most compelling way.”
