I know several marketing professionals who love to pursue new business. They enjoy the prospecting, the networking, the strategizing, the problem-solving, the pitching. Yet I know absolutely no one who likes responding to RFPs (requests for proposal). I don’t even know any clients who like RFPs (and they originate them!).
Why are RFPs still around? It’s because they are perceived as:
- fair (Everyone has a shot, including the unqualified.)
- nonpolitical (Absolutely not true)
- economical (The finalists are often asked to discount their fees to win the business.)
- empowering (C’mon, it’s entertaining to watch these overpriced consultants jump through hoops, isn’t it?)
- defensible (There is, after all, lots of process, paperwork and meetings to back up the hiring decision. This is why publicly funded organizations issue them.)
Everything about the RFP process is wrong and guarantees getting the worst candidate for the job hired.
Think about it. The firm that successfully navigates the process and “wins” the account:
- had lots of free time on its hands
- filled out all of the forms correctly
- was more than willing to tap dance
- shared ideas for free
- worked all of the political angles
- buckled to the compensation demands
The firm that did not respond:
- was too busy being productive to participate in a cattle call
- would rather talk strategy than fill out forms
- prefers not to play politics
- believes it offers fair market value without negotiating
- would not staff with juniors after the award
- gains business primarily through referrals
Here’s how to get a smarter hire minus the RFP:
- Start by knowing what you are asking for. Know your objectives, your budget, your criteria, and who is making the hiring decision. Be willing to share all of this with candidates upfront.
- Don’t limit your selection by geography or size. Limit instead by capabilities and experience.
- Start a short list. Ask businesses whose marketing you admire to refer their firms.
- Don’t waste the time of firms of who don’t meet your criteria, even if they beg.
- Set up casual get-acquainted no-pressure meetings. Get to know the candidates. Learn how they think.
- Visit their shops. Review their case studies. Get a feel for their culture.
- Select a couple of them and give them small projects to find out what they’re like to work with. Kick their tires. Maybe you’ll find a good match without conducting a formal review.
- If you decide to conduct a review, only invite 2-4 firms. Not 37.
- Keep your review quiet or you will invite calls from non-candidates wanting in.
- Don’t ask for speculative creative. Think about it: how could a firm that barely knows you make an intelligent recommendation?
- Instead of asking for spec, ask how they might approach a problem strategically. Give them a reasonable amount of time to respond. Provide background research if they ask for it.
- Accept that good work will come through partnership. Hire the best collaborator–not necessarily the best idea.
What other hiring tips do you recommend?
Yes, yes, yes – a thousand times, yes!
Nothing is more infuriating than the RFP process. Often when filling out an RFP, my team it a point to provide all the information they ask for, but in the actual proposal section, tell the company what it is that they actually need and how to get it: conduct a strategic review and then decide upon the solution that best matches need and budget. As you might guess, we almost never win RFPs. But the thought is that when the results of the RFP fail miserably, they’ll remember that one company that told them so ahead of time.
The process seems unconnected to the purpose, doesn’t it? As if the goal is to eliminate all of the strategic thinkers from the review and hire those who are good at checking boxes. Thanks for your comment.
Excellent post, Kirk! I found an fresh take on the RPF process from an interestingly named company Airbag Industries > http://rfp.airbagindustries.com/demo/video.php > they have clients fill out a simple 4 step form that allows Airbag to get an idea about the project and sets clear expectations on the follow-up. I’m liking this approach!
Love this! They flip the RFP back the other direction. “Good projects start with clear, straightforward communication. Unfortunately, the requests for proposals we typically receive are neither. This isn’t your fault: Our industry hasn’t really done much to help you understand how to approach great studios and how to persuade them to work with you.” A great way to separate reasonable requests from the unreasonable. Thanks for sharing.