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Re: Questions About Using Standard Answers in RFPs
Subject:Re: Questions About Using Standard Answers in RFPs From:rjayz -at- yahoo -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 15 Apr 2003 11:08:19 -0600
>> Questions:
> - Have you ever created such a list/repository?
> - If not, how have you addressed this issue?
> - What steps specifically did you take to achieve this goal? (For example,
> I've suggested using three-five of the longest RFP/RFIs we've submitted, for
> which we've won the contract, as a starting point).
> - What was your delivery format? (I think a database would be overblown for
> our purposes. I would like to keep this information in a spreadsheet, but
> I'm open to other suggestions).
> - Most importantly, has it truly reduced the amount of time you spend
> gathering information, or do you still find yourself spending the same
> amount of time customizing the answers for each potential customer?
We've implemented this sort of thing, and it works wonderfully. Of course,
we still have to do some information gathering, but not to the degree that
we did before.
First we developed a series of questions and answers that dealt with the
following topics: 1)What is the issue that warrants our service--what need
will our service fulfill for the client; 2) What outcome does the client
hope to achieve by using our service; 3) Why should our client use us over
any of our competitors; 4) What is the history, background and experience
of our company; 5) Who are our best references; 6) What's our methodology
(here we had to be specific enough so potential customers understand what
we do and how we do it, yet vague enough so we don't disclose any
propietary secrets); 7) Contact data and location of offices; 8)
management information and experience; etc.
Then we created some Word documents to address these topics. The Word
files contain generic information that can be re-used not just in our
proposals, but in all our documentation. We used VBA to automate the Word
files with bookmark fields and fill-in-the-blanks, so they could be
customized for each client. We developed a front-end database that allows
us to input information about the client and choose the structure of the
final proposal. When we do a build, we can mix and match and pick and
choose which topic files will be included in the final proposal, and the
client information is inserted in the appropriate bookmarks. It's really
pretty sophisticated, actually, but extremely easy to use.
Robin Johnson
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