RFP Proposal Writer: How to Write Like an RFP Expert
Whether you’re a small company or a major firm, you might need to purchase a product or service from an external source. That means shopping around. An RFP will give you a chance to collect offers from various vendors. But once you’ve found your perfect procurement opportunity (maybe you found it through Bid Banana, the user-friendly RFP search engine?), you’re now faced with a major hurdle. You need to become an RFP proposal writer.
Yes, now you need to write the RFP response. However, we have great news: we can help! As professional RFP proposal writers ourselves, we have a few tips to share. So, here’s how you can write and design your professional, glossy proposal response. We know you can do it just like the experts. So, are you ready to write like an RFP proposal writer?
What Is an RFP Proposal Writer?
An RFP asks specifically for a proposal. An RFP proposal writer can create this proposition document that directly responds to the RFP. The proposal defines why your company is the best candidate. On the surface, this might sound straightforward, like the RFP is asking for a simple outline of the labor, budget, and timeline details required to fulfill a project. However, an RFP needs to not only contain the key components but must also be told in a compelling way to set you apart from the competition.
The key to writing like an expert RFP proposal writer is understanding the language and having insight into what makes a winning response. After all, an RFP proposal writer is an expert at telling a story. Creating the story of your business, including structure, employees, history, financials, and successes, also demonstrates where you excel and how you can deliver successfully for the potential client.
Why Should the Evaluator Choose You?
You have spent extensive energy establishing your brand in the marketplace. It is your key differentiator, and your responses in the completed RFP represent your unified brand standards, consistency, language, and tone. Well, hopefully.
Identify specifically what the potential client is after and tie your differentiators explicitly to that goal. That makes the opportunity to stand out even greater if you dedicate the time to nail this section. So, the more your brand shines through, the more memorable your RFP will be!
Your value proposition is your promise to achieve the desired results if they partner with you. That simple promise is missing from most proposals, so make it clear how you add unique value they cannot find elsewhere. Don’t focus on features but rather on benefits and outcomes. Consider highlighting your organization’s approach to its work and stance on customer success: What is your unique methodology? Your proven best practices? Your time-proven systems and processes? An expert RFP proposal writer writes for the evaluators, not for the industry.
The Process
RFP proposal writers are masters of this process. Understanding all the complexities of structure, design, and formatting to ensure the response meets every requirement is critical. There is no point in crafting a response if you misunderstand the project and submit a proposal that misses the mark. However, if you take the time to understand the RFP, every point you include in the proposal will speak directly to your potential client’s needs. Answering the question is important; answering in a way that demonstrates your unique value is critical. In other words, you need to know what you can offer that your competitors cannot and explain that clearly in a way that resonates with your prospect.
By organizing the large volume of complex data into manageable chunks, you create a solid foundation to build a proposal that is easy for the client to understand. An outline will help ensure that the proposal addresses all the RFP requirements and is logically organized. The outline should include sections on your company’s capabilities, experience, qualifications, and the technical approach to meet the RFP requirements. Research the potential client and note their mission, objectives, and goals to help determine your response’s key components.
Additionally, each section of the RFP should respond to the specific deliverables and indicate what is not included. Structuring your proposal with bullets and numbered lists will organize your text, making it more scannable and digestible. In addition, highlight your key points and other important bits of information and draw the most attention after your headline and subheads.
Writing For Selection Criteria
The way you write RFP responses must be intentional. Proposals should also proactively answer your potential clients’ critical questions as they work through selecting a new vendor. Also, leave out the filler and buzzwords. That’s how a professional RFP proposal writer does it!
Did you ever have a teacher who told you what sections of your textbook would be on the quiz? You were certain to study those exact pages and ensure you remembered them all. So, understanding the specific selection criteria in an RFP is a bit like that. Yes, the deadlines, solutions-specific questions, required format, forms and legal terms are critical to review and follow. However, understanding the evaluation criteria and how to win the most points will move you from being compliant to winning.
Spell out the precise details that will make you the best choice by responding directly to the variables that matter most to the client!
Ready to Start Writing Like an RFP Proposal Writer?
Are you looking for an RFP proposal writer services for your procurement? Are you trying to write a winning bid? Trying to avoid common procurement mistakes? Or just looking for more tips about how to respond? We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again– we’ve got you covered! Reach out to us at respond@thebidlab.com or by calling 1-844-4BID-LAB. Schedule a free consultation and see how we can help you succeed today!
