How to write a great RFP!

What is a great RFP? It depends upon who you ask. A traditional Purchasing Agent will say a great RFP is one that makes all the vendors propose the exact same thing, to make each a commodity, and by doing so force all the vendors to compete on price alone. This type of RFP will often result in the cheapest price.

But is that what you want the “cheapest product”? Really? Let me ask you this; Do you drive the cheapest car you can find? Do you wear the cheapest suit or buy the cheapest TV that you can find? I think not! I think that you shop for the best value. You want a car, a suit, a TV that has value, so why not your copier?

I received a GREAT RFP about a month ago. What, you ask made it great? The verbiage of the RFP was written to allow each vendor to tell the client what made them different, or unique, or special. It asked us to answer the question “Why should we pick you?”

Here is a sample of some of the questions in this RFP:

Describe your company’s core capabilities and business approach.

Please describe the key elements of your proposal. Highlight any major features,
functionality, or areas of support that differentiate your specific service offerings from your
competitors.

We value creativity and originality. Please note that we are not looking for a generic approach or boilerplate, rather for a description of how you would approach the scope of work specifically for (Customer’s Name)

Define how you will ensure a secure printing network.

Describe how your proposal will improve cost-effectiveness. Please be as specific as
possible.

These kind of question allow each of the Vendors responding to the RFP by showing why you should do business with them, rather than their competition. And that is WHAT MAKES IT A GREAT RFP!

That’s My $0.02
Vince McHugh
vince.mchugh@yahoo.com