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What could possibly go wrong when you're responding to an RFP? My 30 years of experience has taught me that A LOT can happen and the more prepared you are, the better. So, what are the most common speedbumps I’ve seen proposal teams run into over the years? And what can you do to prevent or plan for these delays? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share five of the most common issues that interrupt the RFP process, challenging you to expect missed deadlines and build extra time into your response calendar. I explain how to prepare for the unforeseen absence of a key team member and why it’s crucial to develop a strategy everyone can buy into. Listen in for insight on navigating technology problems and learn how to overcome the most common delays in the RFP process! Key Takeaways  5 of the most common things that delay the RFP process Why it’s crucial to expect missed deadlines and build extra time into your calendar How to prepare for the absence of a key team member Why I suggest submitting your proposal a day early and knowing who to call if you have issues The benefit of having access to a backup computer and printer How reading the entire RFP early on helps you avoid finding requirements you missed Why you need a strategy everyone on the team buys into Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Are you submitting proposal responses but rarely getting the YES? Even when the RFP is right up your alley? Then, you may be missing one of my five non-negotiables for winning a bid. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I discuss the five things you need to do to get the YES, describing why it’s crucial to meet 100% of the baseline requirements in an RFP. I explain how to convey your capabilities and experiences properly on paper and explore what it means to build trust in the context of an RFP response. Listen in to understand why it’s more effective to SHOW rather than TELL and learn how to make it easy for evaluators to read your proposal and find the information they need to give YOU the YES! Key Takeaways  5 non-negotiables to get the YES on a request for proposal Why it’s crucial to meet 100% of the baseline requirements in an RFP How to convey your capabilities and experience properly on paper What it looks like to build trust in the context of a proposal response How to SHOW rather than TELL in an RFP (and why it’s more effective) The value in knowing the issuing organization’s business or industry How to make it easy for evaluators to read your RFP response Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Invisible Ink Article on Showing vs. Telling Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

When Melissa Emler started bidding on RFPs to grow her event management business, she looked through a variety of opportunities and thought, ‘We could definitely do that.’ But after a year of trying to figure it out on her own, Melissa wasn’t winning contracts. And the frustration of losing left her playing small. Today, Melissa has changed her approach. She has identified the differentiators that set her organization apart and started seeking out best-fit opportunities for her business. Melissa is Owner of Modern Learners, a company that’s designing the future of learning by building community, content and events. Prior to Modern Learners, Melissa enjoyed a traditional career in education, serving as a special education teacher, principal and Statewide Systems Coach for Universal Design for Learning. On this episode of the podcast, Melissa joins me to discuss how her proposal responses have changed since she started working with The RFP Success Company and why she only bids on RFPs in her team’s niche. Melissa walks us through the process of ‘shredding the RFP,’ explaining how it helped her uncover Modern Learners’ unique value proposition—prioritizing community over course content. Listen in for Melissa’s insight on using aggregators to identify opportunities and learn how investing in the right support helped Modern Learners leverage focused bidding for the win! Key Takeaways  How Melissa transitioned from a traditional career in education to entrepreneurship How prioritizing community over course differentiates Modern Learners from other organizations in the event management space Melissa’s journey to finding opportunities for Modern Learners through RFPs How Melissa’s RFP responses have changed since she started working with the RFP Success Company What it means to ‘shred the RFP’ and how it helped Melissa identify her team’s differentiators How Melissa is developing a strategy for networking before the RFP drops Why it’s worth it to invest in support to help you respond to RFPs Why Melissa only bids on RFPs in her team’s niche that they already have systems to execute How Melissa’s mindfulness around the capacity of her team impacts which RFPs she bids on Melissa’s experiences using aggregators to identify opportunities How the event management space evolved before, during and after COVID (and how that changed Melissa’s approach to finding business) Melissa’s commitment to the process of bidding on business with RFPs Connect with Melissa Modern Learners Modern Learners on LinkedIn Melissa on LinkedIn Email missy@modernlearners.com Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com Resources Hopin altMBA Change School Wisconsin Procurement Institute Forecasting the Future of the SLED Market on The RFP Success Show EP111 RFPSchoolWatch Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

The good news is there's a ton of resources out there for finding RFPs in the state government space. The bad news is you have to work at finding the RIGHT opportunities. So, how do you build a consistent process for identifying RFPs that are a good fit for your business? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share five strategies for finding government contracting opportunities, explaining how to conduct regular research on RFPs in different states. I describe how to set up Google Alerts around a standard list of keywords and why aggregators are the easiest way to find RFP opportunities for your business. Listen in for insight on finding specific procurement sites for target states or agencies and learn how to build authentic relationships with buyers, so they give you a heads up when RFPs are coming out! Key Takeaways  The abundance of resources for finding RFP opportunities in the government space Why you need a consistent process for finding RFP opportunities 5 strategies for finding the right RFP opportunities in the SLED market Why I suggest conducting regular research on RFP opportunities in different states and agencies How to set up Google Alerts for a standard list of RFP keywords Why aggregators are the quickest and easiest way to find RFP opportunities How to find specific procurement sites for your target states and agencies (and get on their lists) Why it’s crucial to understand the procurement landscape in your state(s) How to get selected as an approved vendor in a particular state What it means to build authentic relationships with buyers and procurement officials How to build time into your calendar for finding the right RFP opportunities Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com Resources  How to Create a Google Alert FindRFP MyGovWatch Bidnet Direct Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Sometimes the RFP capability requirements are a perfect fit. But more often than not, we're just shy of what we need to really make a great showing. So, what can we do to overcome these weaknesses—now and in the future? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I discuss how to deal with a deficit for an opportunity in front of you now, describing how to weigh the significance of a requirement you don’t meet to make the go/no-go decision. I explain when to find a subcontractor or partner to overcome a weakness in staffing or experience and how to be strategic and creative in presenting information when you have a small deficit. Listen in for insight on brainstorming with your team to overcome weaknesses in the future and learn to create an action plan to improve your capabilities and win more RFPs in the next 12 to 18 months! Key Takeaways  How to overcome weaknesses in your capabilities for an RFP (now and in the future) How to weigh the significance of a requirement you don’t meet to make the go/no-go decision Why I suggest finding a subcontractor to overcome a deficit in staffing or experience When to partner with someone who has a strong relationship with the buyer How to be strategic and creative in presenting information if you have a small deficit What questions to ask your team around overcoming weaknesses in the future What do you wish you could say about your services or your company? What have you NOT had that caused you to pass or lose on other opportunities? How to identify 3 key weaknesses and create an action plan for the next 18 months Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources  Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

What do you wish you knew about government contracting? What if you had access to a seasoned contracting officer, so you could understand the process from their point of view? Kevin Jans is President of Skyway Acquisition, a team of former COs on a mission to bridge government and industry, helping clients target better and win more contracts. He also serves as host of the Contracting Officer Podcast. With 16 years of experience as a contracting officer for the Department of Defense, Kevin bought and managed more than $3 billion in products and services. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Kevin joins me to discuss the three deciders in every purchase and describe how much control contracting officers have in the decision-making process. Kevin walks us through the four acquisition time zones, explaining why you need to know about an RFP long before it drops and how to learn more about the budget for a given purchase. Listen in to understand the #1 thing Kevin feared when selecting a new vendor and learn what a contracting officer looks for—beyond simply meeting the requirements of an RFP. Key Takeaways Kevin’s background as a contracting officer for the Department of Defense How Skyway Acquisition serves as a bridge between government and industry The 3 deciders in every purchase—economic decider, customer and procurer How much control contracting officers have in the decision-making process What differentiates a technical sale from a business sale Kevin’s 4 acquisition time zones Requirement Market research RFP Selection Why you need to know about an RFP long before it drops The best way to learn more about the budget for a particular purchase 3 things you can do to go beyond just meeting the requirements of an RFP The #1 thing contracting officers fear when selecting a new vendor The limits of a contracting officer’s responsibility to engage with industry Connect with Kevin Skyway Acquisition Kevin on LinkedIn Contracting Officer Podcast Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Agile Government Contracting by John Stenbeck and Kevin Jans Save Your Time: A Former Contracting Officer Explains Why the Government Market May (or May Not) Be Right for You by Kevin Jans The 3 Deciders on Contracting Officer Podcast EP118 FOIA The Technical vs. the Business Sale on Contracting Officer Podcast EP222 What Is a Mid-Size Business? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP099 The Acquisition Time Zones on Contracting Officer Podcast EP003 Where Do RFPs Come From? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP381 Is Your Price Reasonable & Realistic? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP338 What Is a Red Team Review? on Contracting Officer Podcast EP396 Staffing Is Not Just Staffing on Contracting Officer Podcast EP097 The Execution Time Zones on Contracting Officer Podcast EP372 FAR 15.2 Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Are you struggling to win business with RFPs but can’t figure out why? If so, you can hire a company like ours to look through past proposal responses and identify what’s tripping you up. Or you can conduct your own RFP mini-audit. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, guest host Ted Koval, Proposal Manager at the RFP Success Company, interviews me around the five red flags that let you know you need an audit of your RFP process. I share my peanuts versus M&M’S analogy for making your proposal stand out, explaining how to address the agency’s needs, answer their requirements and speak to your differentiators in an RFP response. Listen in for insight on getting your proposal team in sync and learn how to leverage an RFP audit to improve your processes and consistently craft a winning response! Key Takeaways What’s involved in doing an audit of your RFP responses 5 red flags to let you know you need an audit of your RFP process How an RFP audit identifies why you’re losing bids My peanuts vs. M&M’S analogy for making your proposal stand out How it impacts your response if the proposal team is not in sync What it means when your SMEs don’t respect RFP deadlines Why you need a documented go/no-go decision-making process What issues proposal teams run into when they lack a content library The power in addressing an agency’s needs throughout your RFP response How to answer the requirements AND speak to your differentiators Why it’s important to get feedback whether you win or lose How graphics help evaluators read your RFP response Connect with Ted Email ted@rfpsuccess.com Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources RFP Audit Request Email wecanhelp@rfpsuccess.com Ted Koval on The RFP Success Show EP100 Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Most proposal professionals understand the importance of putting the client at the center of the bid process. But what if a client centric proposal is not enough? According to Kevin Switaj, a winning proposal takes things one step further, leveraging empathy and creativity to build an emotional connection with the evaluator. Kevin is President and CEO of BZ Opportunity Management, a full life cycle proposal consulting firm out of northern Virginia. With more than 15 years in proposal development, Kevin is a recognized thought leader and regular contributor to industry publications. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Kevin joins me to discuss his new book, Keys to the Castle: Building Empathy and Creativity into Bid Processes. Kevin discusses how an empathetic proposal builds emotional connection with prospective clients and describes how we might apply Pixar storytelling techniques in an RFP response. Listen in for Kevin’s insight on helping subject matter experts write with empathy and learn how to develop content that speaks to the client’s perspective and opens a conversation with evaluators. Key Takeaways How Kevin’s thinking around connecting with evaluators inspired Keys to the Castle How an empathetic proposal builds an emotional connection with prospective clients Kevin’s take on why writing to the client’s needs is not enough How we might apply Disney or Pixar storytelling techniques to a proposal response How to develop empathetic content by focusing on the client’s point of view Kevin’s annotated mockup approach to helping SMEs write with empathy How to reorganize the capture process around Kevin’s empathetic approach to RFPs Logistics Intelligence gathering Idea development Why you should only bid on opportunities that align with who you are as a company What it looks like to put the client at the center of the proposal process The first step in building empathy and creativity into your team’s bid processes Connect with Kevin BZ Opportunity Management BZ Opportunity on LinkedIn Kevin on LinkedIn Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Kevin on The RFP Success Show EP072 Keys to the Castle: Building Empathy and Creativity into Bid Processes by Kevin Switaj APMP Bruce Farrell Creativity, Inc.: Understanding the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace Pixar Storytelling: Rules for Effective Storytelling Based on Pixar’s Greatest Films by Dean Movshovitz She-Hulk 96-Step Shipley Process Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Evaluation criteria seems to be a bit of an afterthought for most companies bidding on RFPs. Sure, it’s one of the first things you look at. But are you making the evaluation criteria an explicit part of your bid strategy? And are you using it to your advantage in the content of your RFP response? On this episode of the podcast, I share 3 ways to leverage evaluation criteria in a proposal, challenging you to put yourself in the shoes of an evaluator and imagine the scoring tool they might be using to judge your RFP response. I explain why it’s crucial to use keywords that appear in the evaluation criteria throughout your proposal and describe how to map the evaluation criteria to your response. Listen in for insight on identifying what is most important to the client and learn how to use evaluation criteria to build out your bid strategy and write effective content for a proposal response. Key Takeaways 3 ways to leverage the RFP evaluation criteria in your response What it looks like to put yourself in the shoes of the evaluator How to demonstrate an ability to communicate complex information to diverse audiences How to leverage the language they use in evaluation criteria statements What it means to map the evaluation criteria to your response How to use callout boxes and specialty icons to map evaluation criteria to your response Why evaluators may have very little knowledge of the RFP itself How evaluation criteria reflects what is important to the client Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Bid Strategy on RFP Success Show EP085 Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Most people think there is little room for negotiation in a proposal response. But if you’ve done your homework to understand a buyer’s needs, you can negotiate in your answers to the questions on an RFP and offer solutions they may not even be aware of. Don Carmichael is Chief PreSales Evangelist at Winning Skills Ltd., a boutique technology sales enablement firm. Prior to founding Winning Skills, Don enjoyed a 30-year career in PreSales, heading EMEA PreSales Enablement at both SAP and Oracle. Don’s client roster includes Adobe, Deloitte and SurveyMonkey, among many others, and he is the cohost of Two PreSales in a Pod, a show that explores the world of PreSales and buyer enablement. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Don joins me to explain why everyone needs negotiation skills and what it looks like to negotiate an RFP answer through redirection. Don discusses the concept of buyer enablement and describes how it might shift our approach to sales, challenging us to serve as trusted advisors or buyer coaches rather than traditional sales reps. Listen in to understand why HOPE is a more effective sales strategy than FEAR and learn how to spot opportunities for negotiation in an RFP response! Key Takeaways Don’s background in technology presales for large enterprise software companies How technology presales consultants contribute to an RFP response Why everybody on an RFP team needs to be good at negotiation The concept of buyer enablement and how it might shift your approach to sales Why you can’t negotiate in an RFP response if you haven’t had pre-conversations with the prospect How to leverage redirection to negotiate in an answer on an RFP What to do when you can’t say YES to an RFP question (but you don’t want to say NO either) How to build relationships through content to become a buyer coach Why 43% of complex B2B solution buyers prefer a rep-free buying experience Why HOPE is a more effective sales methodology than PAIN or FEAR Connect with Don Winning Skills by Don Carmichael Two PreSales in a Pod Podcast Don on LinkedIn Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Don’s Piece on Henry Ford and RFPs Sandler Selling System The Jolt Effect Research ‘Traditional B2B Sales and Marketing Are Becoming Obsolete’ in Harvard Business Review The Jolt Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision by Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Yes, your team is qualified and capable of doing the job required by an RFP. But so is every other business that submits a response. So, how do you take your technical content and make it persuasive? What does it look like to write from a sales perspective? Dave Rynne is the copywriter and RFP response specialist behind The Sales Enablement Writer. After two decades on Wall Street, he built a successful content and copywriting business helping SaaS companies transform their proposal processes. Dave is an expert in leveraging copywriting techniques to articulate value in a way that wins business, and he is also a proud member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Dave joins me to discuss what it means to be a sales enablement writer and describe how technical writers might approach RFPs from a sales perspective. Dave explains what information he collects in the presale process to write to a prospect’s unique challenges and shares the strategies he uses to agitate their problem and position yourself as the solution. Listen in for insight on keeping a content library current and learn how to make yourself memorable by adding sales enablement techniques to your RFP response! Key Takeaways How Dave’s background on Wall Street led to a career in the RFP space Dave’s insight on what it means to be a sales enablement writer Dave’s top 4 strategies for making technical writing more persuasive What technical writers can do to inject sales enablement into their writing What info Dave collects in the presale process to help him write to a prospect’s challenges How knowing more about a company than what is stated in the RFP builds trust How to keep a content library current with a quarterly review Dave’s take on the biggest mistakes writers make in responding to RFPs Lose sight of who responding to Errors in spelling and grammar Why Dave recommends limiting paragraphs to 2 or 3 sentences each How Dave thinks about making a proposal response memorable Connect with Dave Dave’s Website Dave on LinkedIn The Sales Enablement Writer Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Dave on the HubSpot Sales Blog RFPIO Grammarly Mastering Editorial Peer Review on RFP Success Show EP114 Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Are you so busy bidding on RFPs that you don’t have time to build systems and processes? Creating systems may not be sexy, and it won’t result in an immediate win. But if your proposal team reinvents the wheel with every new RFP, you’re hurting yourselves in more ways than you realize. So, what is the benefit of setting up systems and processes for responding to RFPs? And what parts of the process should standardized? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I explain how standardizing or automating administrative tasks frees up time and brainpower for the creative needs of a response. I walk you through the five parts of the proposal process that should be systematized, challenging you to build an assessment criteria tool and clearly define each team member’s role in writing. Listen in for insight on what standardized content should be in your library and learn how to leverage software to create SOPs for preparing an RFP response. Key Takeaways How systems and processes promote consistency and make people’s lives easier How standardizing or automating administrative tasks frees up time and brainpower for creativity What 5 parts of the RFP process should be standardized or automated Assessment criteria Kickoff process Role definitions Response calendar Library content Why it’s beneficial to build an assessment criteria tool and define roles in writing What standardized content should be in your library and updated at least quarterly How you might leverage software to build systems for preparing an RFP response Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

A lot of my clients think they’ve got editorial peer review covered. But there’s a lot more to it than simply having someone read through your response and check for spelling errors. And a proposal that hasn’t been through a thorough peer review lacks the professionalism you need to win business with RFPs. So, what does an in-depth editorial peer review look like? Jana L. Burge is Founder and President of JLB Consulting, a firm that supports businesses through editorial peer review. Jana has 37 years’ experience in copy editing and proofreading, demonstrating an expertise in identifying errors and inconsistencies in RFP responses. She is also a master in improving the flow and readability of written work without altering the author’s overall tone. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Jana joins me to discuss the editorial mistakes proposal writers make most, challenging us to be succinct and embrace simplicity in our responses. Jana explains why she addresses formatting errors first in the EPR process and offers advice on how to suggest changes without bruising the writer’s ego. Listen in for insight on making time for a comprehensive EPR and find out what tools Jana suggests to build your skills in the realm of editorial peer review. Key Takeaways The misconception that just anyone can do an editorial peer review How prospective clients lose trust when your RFP hasn’t been through an EPR Jana’s insight on what editorial mistakes writers make most Why fixing formatting first is Jana’s top priority in any new editorial peer review How to be kind with your comments and suggested changes Jana’s tips for being consistent throughout an RFP response How long an editorial peer reviewer needs to read one page of an RFP What Jana does when she isn’t given sufficient time to conduct a thorough EPR What online tools Jana uses to support the EPR process Jana’s advice for proposal writers on being succinct and embracing simplicity How to get better at performing an editorial peer review Jana’s tricks for navigating page limits (without changing margins or font size) Connect with Jana Jana on LinkedIn Email janalburge@outlook.com Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Grammarly Dictionary.com Thesaurus.com Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Companies that are new to government contracting see it as a magic bullet. You respond to an RFP, and you win a lucrative five-year contract! And yes, it’s easy to get excited about an opportunity that seems like a great fit for your business. But if you don’t already have a relationship with the buyer, you’re chances of winning are quite low. So, you’re not doing yourself any favors by bidding cold. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I explain what it means to bid cold and why it’s almost always a bad idea. I discuss the competitive advantage you need to unseat an incumbent and describe how insider information helps you write a better proposal response. Listen in to understand why a buyer won’t take a chance on a vendor they don’t know and trust—and find out why you can’t speak to a prospect’s specific needs and challenges when you bid cold. Key Takeaways What it means to bid cold and why it’s almost always a bad idea The one time it's okay to bid cold and what you can learn from the experience Why you have a less than 5% chance of winning when you bid cold The competitive advantage you need to win an RFP (beyond being qualified and capable) 2 reasons why it’s challenging to unseat an incumbent How insider information helps you write a better RFP response Why a buyer will not take a chance on a vendor they don’t know and trust How ongoing relationship building and information gathering allows you to speak to a prospect’s greatest needs and challenges The #1 mistake companies make when responding to RFPs How a low win rate impacts the morale of your proposal team Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Should you build your own internal RFP team? Or outsource the proposal process? If your company is just breaking into the RFP space, you may be looking at larger companies that have as many as 10 dedicated proposal professionals and wondering, is that where we're going? Is that what we should be doing? So, what factors should you consider in deciding whether to buy or build an internal RFP team? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I explore the pros and cons of building your own in-house proposal team, explaining why it’s crucial to have the infrastructure to support an internal RFP team and invest in their professional development. I discuss what it looks like to outsource your proposal team and why I suggest the hybrid approach—hiring one or two people internally and then bringing in an external response management team like the RFP Success Company. Listen in to understand how a hybrid approach benefits growing companies and learn how we can function as your proposal team in the short term and help you build out an internal team over time. Key Takeaways What factors to consider in deciding whether to build or outsource your RFP team The volume of RFPs per month that merit building an internal proposal team The pros and cons of building your own internal RFP team Why it’s crucial to have the infrastructure and investment to support an internal RFP team What it means to ‘buy’ your proposal team Why I suggest a hybrid approach (1 or 2 internal hires + an external team) How the hybrid approach gives you a bigger, more experienced team right out of the gate Why the writer and proposal manager should be 2 different people How we help growing companies build out an internal proposal team Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources APMP Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

The state, local and education or SLED market took a hit in 2020 as COVID shutdowns forced governments to shift into remote or hybrid operations. But federal funding is helping the market rebound. And money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) means opportunities for businesses to break into or expand their reach in SLED government contracting. So, what industries look to benefit most from ARPA? And what can your business do to capitalize on growing opportunities in the SLED market? Chris Dixon is Senior Manager of SLED Market Analysis at Deltek, the leading global provider of software solutions for project-based work. Chris’ team conducts targeted research aimed at shedding light on the SLED market across multiple industries. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Chris joins me to share his SLED market forecast, describing why public sector markets are counter cyclical and how federal COVID relief funding facilitated the strong recovery we’re seeing right now. Chris explores opportunities provided by ARPA, explaining why cloud and cyber solutions are dominating the SLED market right now and what’s driving growth in the architecture and engineering and operations and maintenance space. Listen in for Chris’ advice on selling commercial solutions in the public sector and learn how to leverage GovWin’s database of opportunities to win state, local government and education contracts for your business! Key Takeaways Deltek’s role as the leading global provider of software solutions for project-based work How to develop business strategy using GovWin’s database of opportunities The 12 industries Chris’ team tracks for trends in the SLED market Why the public sector is usually up when commercial markets are down How federal aid buoyed the SLED market and prepared it for the strong recovery we’re seeing right now ARPA’s focus on serving communities disproportionately impacted by COVID Why there’s lag time before ARPA funding will be available (and how to best use that time) What mid-market companies need to know about the SLED market Why cloud and cyber solutions are dominating the SLED market right now What’s driving the biggest growth industries in the SLED market at present (e.g.: architecture and engineering, operations and maintenance) The likelihood that governments will maintain e-procurement systems in a post-pandemic world Chris’ advice on selling solutions built for the commercial market in the public sector  Connect with Chris Chris on LinkedIn GovWin GovWin on Twitter Deltek on Twitter Deltek on LinkedIn Deltek Email chrisdixon@deltek.com Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources National Association of State CIOs Office of Justice Programs CARES Act American Rescue Plan Act GovWin’s Q1 2022 State and Local Procurement Snapshot Public Technology Institute Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Are you struggling with state government RFPs? Though it seems counterintuitive, you will win MORE contracts by bidding LESS. Just ask the team at Highstreet IT Solutions. They reduced their response rate from six to three formal RFPs per month. And doubled their win rate in the process. Josh Ezring is Vice President of Business Development at Highstreet IT. He has more than 20 years of experience as a senior sales leader with top enterprise software companies including Oracle, HP and IBM. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Josh joins me to explain why his team committed to state contracts as a source of revenue and how they’ve evolved to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to RFPs. Josh discusses what he did to get buy-in from SMEs and describes Highstreet’s strategic process for making the go/no-go decision. Listen in for Josh’s insight on making time for the RFP review process and learn how doing less work translates to higher win rates on state contracts for Highstreet IT. Key Takeaways  Why Josh committed to RFPs as a revenue source at Highstreet IT The challenge Josh faced getting buy-in from SMEs to build a strong RFP response team How Highstreet IT incentivizes content contributors to support RFPs Why Highstreet reduced its response rate from 6 to 3 formal RFPs per month Highstreet’s process for making the go/no-go decision How Highstreet improved its down-select rate from 25% to 80% and doubled its win rate on RFPs Why Josh’s team stopped bidding on blind RFPs Highstreet’s ongoing commitment to serve both commercial and higher ed/public sector markets How Highstreet ensures that they have enough time for the review process Josh’s insight on how to bid less yet win more business with RFPs Josh’s advice for companies struggling with state government RFPs Connect with Josh Highstreet IT Solutions Josh on LinkedIn Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources Oracle American Rescue Plan Freedom of Information Act Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Bidding on RFPs that aren’t a good fit is a waste of time and resources, and it takes a real toll on your win rate—and the morale of your team. But to make better go/no-go decisions, you need a system. So, what does it look like to develop a successful go/no-go decision-making process? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share five steps to developing an effective go/no-go process, explaining how to determine your go/no-go criteria and create a corresponding checklist or scoring tool. I discuss what it looks like to establish checks and balances in the go/no-go process and describe how to develop a consistent process for using your scoring tool to make a final decision. Listen in for insight on training your team in the go/no-go process and learn to leverage go/no-go data to track trends, refine your criteria and win more business with RFPs! Key Takeaways  My 5 steps to developing an effective go/no-go process Brainstorm criteria Create checklist or scoring tool Develop consistent process Train team on process Use data to track trends Why it’s crucial to develop a go/no-go process for bidding on RFPs How to develop go/no-go criteria by asking what makes a good project (and what doesn’t) The process of building a scoring tool in Word or Excel What it looks like to establish checks and balances in the go/no-go process The value in developing a consistent process for using your scoring tool Who might serve as the central point of contact for managing the go/no-go process The benefit of a live training to communicate the go/no-go process to your team The power in using go/no-go data to track trends Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources How to Make the Go/No-Go Decision on The RFP Success Show EP103 Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

Let's say you have grounds to file a federal bid protest. What does the process look like? Are there steps your company can take to prepare now, before a bid protest comes up? Carissa Siebeneck Anderson serves as Of Counsel at Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, and her practice focuses on federal bid protests, government contracts, regulatory compliance and corporate law. Carissa has extensive knowledge around SBA 8(a), HUBZone, women- and veteran-owned programs, and before joining Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot in 2011, Carissa worked for Navajo Nation and the US Intelligence Community. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Carissa is back to walk us through the federal bid protest process, weighing in on why you should always ask for a debrief from the agency—even when you win. Carissa discusses what remedies are available to a protestor and how likely it is for an agency to take corrective action when a federal bid protest is filed. Listen in for insight on finding a lawyer with expertise in government contracts and learn what your business can do TODAY to prepare for a future federal bid protest. Key Takeaways  What it means to get a debrief from the federal government Why it's ALWAYS a good idea to ask for a debrief Why Carissa suggests being strategic about when you request your debriefing When a government agency can decline to give you a debriefing What remedies are available to a protestor and how likely it is for a government agency to take 'corrective action' A high-level overview of the bid protest process How the GAO commits to issuing a decision on a bid protest in 100 days What differentiates a size protest from a bid protest How every state has its own bid protest process and why you should reach out to state procurement officials and/or a lawyer with expertise in government contracts for more information How you can file a federal bid protest without a lawyer (but Carissa doesn't recommend it) What companies can do to prepare NOW before a bid protest comes up How Carissa supports small businesses beyond the federal bid protest process Connect with Carissa Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot on LinkedIn Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot on Facebook Email canderson@bhb.com  Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources US Government Accountability Office US Small Business Administration US Court of Federal Claims 8(a) Business Development Program HUBZone Program Regulations Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute

So, your small business lost out on a federal bid. But you feel like you were unfairly scored or that the contract requirements were biased. Do you file a protest? Carissa Siebeneck Anderson is Of Counsel at the Washington DC Office of Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot. She has expertise in the realm of small business government contracting, SBA 8(a), HUBZone, women- and veteran-owned programs, and she regularly represents clients in bid protests. Prior to joining Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, Carissa worked as Government & Legislative Affairs Associate for Navajo Nation and served as Management and Program analyst for the US Secret Service. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Carissa joins me to discuss federal bid protests, weighing in on the most common reasons for filing a bid protest and why she recommends filing through the Government Accountability Office or GAO. She explains the role of the protester, the procuring agency and the intervener in a bid protest, exploring when a solicitation or contract can be protested and how much time you have to file. Listen in for Carissa's advice on deciding whether the cost of a protest is worth it for your small business and navigating the process of filing a federal bid protest. Key Takeaways  How Carissa’s background in intelligence led to her current focus on government contracts law The most common reasons for filing a pre-award or post-award bid protest The 3 places where you can bring a bid protest and why the Government Accountability Office is the most popular venue The role of an intervener in a bid protest and why the awardee should always file to intervene When it makes sense to intervene if you’re not the awardee How to decide whether the cost of filing a bid protest is worth it for your small business How a bid protest impacts a company’s relationship with the procuring agency What it means to be an interested party to a bid protest When a company that’s been disqualified can file a bid protest How the status of a procuring agency and the nature of the transaction affect whether a solicitation or contract can be protested How much time you have to file a bid protest from the time you knew of the protest grounds How a CICA stay requires a federal agency to suspend the contract award/performance while a protest is pending  Connect with Carissa Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot on LinkedIn Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot on Facebook Email canderson@bhb.com  Connect with Lisa  Lisa’s Website Lisa on Twitter Lisa on Facebook Lisa on LinkedIn The RFP Success Company on YouTube The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn Subscribe on iTunes Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com  Resources US Court of Federal Claims US Government Accountability Office Competition in Contracting Act Book a Call with the RFP Success Company Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek The RFP Success Institute