What If There Is No RFP?
The CapturePlanning.com MustWin Process and Content Planning are both designed with proposals based on written RFPs in mind. However, if your customer isn’t going to issue a written RFP you can still adapt the approaches. All you need to do is formally identify the customer’s requirements.
The challenge will be identifying the customer’s requirements. Your sales process and other customer contacts should incorporate questions designed to solicit this information from the customer. The information should be captured in written form, even if it’s done in a report prepared after the meeting or contact. As a last resort, you could define the requirements by using your best judgment based on what you know about the customer.
It is a good idea to group the requirements into the following sections:
- Statement of Work. This section should address the customer’s requirements and specifications.
- Proposal Instructions. This section should address any requirements the customer may have regarding the format, organization, and procedures for submitting the proposal.
- Evaluation Criteria. If the customer will formally evaluate the proposal, then this section should include the criteria they will use in their assessment and selection. If they will not have a formal evaluation, this section should still identify what will be important factors in the customer’s selection decision.
From these three lists, you can follow the same procedures as companies who respond to written RFPs.
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