15 Pieces of Advice for RFP Pros

In the realm of RFPs, waiting for an opportune moment is futile. Postponing tasks until certain conditions align ensures their perpetual delay. Adhering to the principle, “If it matters, find a way; if not, find an excuse,” is essential to ensuring no progress is made, as relying on excuses can only put a stop on success.

There is never a perfect time, particularly when you work in the world of RFPs. Waiting until the dust settles or until the next big RFP is out the door or until another writer is hired and trained to work on creating automation or implementing process improvements will only ensure one thing: that they will never get done.

Now is the time to make a commitment to start working toward improving your processes and increasing your efficiency regularly. For you this could mean:

• Learning a new Excel function to replace a task that was previously done manually
• Setting up a new style in Word to eliminate manually formatting your work in the future
• Sending out some content for verification weekly to enable downstream automation

Don’t underestimate the value of the small changes, they add up. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, calls habits the compound interest of self-improvement. Good habits are also the compound interest of process improvement.

If individuals discover a method to enhance their processes by 1% each week, assuming they are in the office for 50 weeks annually and persistently integrate weekly improvements, they can achieve nearly a 64% enhancement by the year’s end. However, many professionals may fall into the trap of perceiving it as insufficient, leading them to abstain from improvement actions. In such instances, progress stagnates, hindering the advancement of individuals and their processes.

At some point in our careers and our lives we have all the information that we are ever going to have to make a decision. We may feel like we want more information still or that we want to know for certain how things will turn out once we decide. The truth is that there is no way to know for certain other than to make the decision and find out. At the end of the day, there are no right or wrong decisions, there are just choices we make.

Many of us sit on the fence, in hopes that a decision will just come to us. Often, we decide with our indecision by waiting for the point of complete certainty which never comes, allowing opportunities to pass us by without acting.

Throughout their careers, people often find themselves navigating the office, engaging in various tasks, and expressing a lack of time for substantial, impactful projects that could significantly enhance their team’s efficiency. Over time, they come to the realization that they were immersing themselves in constant busyness as a means of avoiding challenges. By maintaining a constant state of busyness, they could justify their presence without confronting the substantial endeavors that would propel them beyond their comfort zone.

But how do you beat this challenge of the mind? You have to wrap your mind around the thought of being comfortable with being uncomfortable, which is what is required to achieve growth. You have to learn that any time you are about to start something that has the potential to be transformative, your brain could throw up all the safe meaningless tasks that you could be doing instead, like managing your inbox or dusting your sock drawer! Now when you get these thoughts, just know it is a just a defense mechanism trying to protect you from the possibility of failure. Take it as a signal to lean in to the hard stuff.

A recurring mistake observed in the experiences with clients and colleagues throughout their career is the reluctance to embark on a task unless they believe they possess the perfect knowledge to execute it flawlessly. This pattern frequently arises in the context of constructing an RFP database. Individuals become immobilized by the perception of a vast and insurmountable project, delaying action due to a perceived lack of comprehensive knowledge. Consequently, they continually postpone the task, ultimately failing to build a database to perfection.

The truth is, you know your business and if you put in the time and effort you will be able to get this at least 80% right. This will be leaps and bounds better than no database at all, in terms of quality of responses, compliance and efficiency. From there, minor refinements to perfect the database structure can be achieved fairly quickly and easily by making little tweaks. The bottom line is, skip the analysis paralysis (this feeling is totally optional). The overwhelm you feel, cannot live in the face of action so stop searching for the perfect next step and just start working.

Learning this particular subject can be quite challenging for individuals. At the onset of their careers, it is crucial to commit to experiencing every mistake at least once to ensure a firm understanding of the lessons. Oddly enough, some people tend to dismiss the option of learning from the experiences of others.

Consider a shift in thinking, exploring alternative approaches. Recognize the abundance of resources available, such as books, white papers, podcasts, colleagues, and Google searches. Understand that professional and life endeavors have likely been undertaken before, providing an opportunity to draw from others’ experiences. Crafting a unique and effective approach is achievable by incorporating these diverse resources.

One could utilize the multitude of available resources like an à la carte menu to craft personalized strategies through trial and error. Keep what works and discard what doesn’t until arriving at an approach perfectly suited for oneself, and the same applies to others.

Learning from the wisdom and experience of others serves as a valuable foundation, but continuing to make personal mistakes is inevitable for making progress. Mistakes often lead to discomfort, prompting the inclination to forget about them and start anew the next day. However, this approach contradicts the desired path, as it hinders the benefits of learning and growing from mistakes.

An alternative is to thoroughly examine what happened, focusing on identifying errors and engaging in self-criticism until a sufficient level of discomfort is felt. Unfortunately, this approach creates an environment that discourages risk-taking and new endeavors, impeding personal growth.

Upon realizing the flawed approach to handling mistakes, a commitment was made to never waste another mistake. Instead, the advice is to analyze each mistake thoroughly, considering alternative actions and acknowledging successful aspects for future reference. Importantly, approaching this assessment as an unbiased evaluation rather than a punitive measure is crucial. From that moment onward, a commitment to daily self-assessments in all areas of life was made, without engaging in self-criticism, recognizing it as a barrier to learning from experiences.

Even on slow days, the mind processes about 80,000 thoughts – that’s more than 3,000 thoughts an hour or almost twice that if most of the thinking occurs while awake. Understanding this realization led to the recognition that simply thinking through assessments was insufficient. Distractions were common, and the findings from assessments would often be lost amid the multitude of other thoughts.

The recommendation is to start each day with a hand-written assessment of the previous day, transforming the approach to focusing on self-improvement. This method provides a clear record of the events from the day before, viewed from a perspective of keep, start, stop. It involves identifying things to:

• Keep (activities one is proud of and wishes to continue)
• Start (new actions to initiate for personal advancement)
• Stop (activities hindering progress toward goals)

This includes documenting everything from minor details, like the choice of lunch and its impact on energy levels, to more significant occurrences, such as successfully engaging a typically non-responsive subject matter expert (SME). By recording both successes and failures, patterns and trends can be identified, offering insights into thoughts or actions that may limit growth in various life areas. Despite having a daily record, the act of hand-writing thoughts makes them more noticeable, reducing the need to frequently reference the record due to the distinct nature of the process.

Arriving at the office with a well-thought-out list of tasks to advance one’s agenda, only to find none completed by the day’s end, is a common challenge.

Imagine, it’s a Friday with just one critical task on the to-do list, anticipating a breezy day. However, a phone call quickly leads to extensive research, uncovering a system error, followed by meetings and further research. Despite being busy all day, no progress was made toward the initial goals.

This scenario can occur regularly, particularly for those inclined to please others. Prioritizing colleagues’ goals over personal ones may feel comfortable, yet it hinders accomplishing hired tasks and justifying one’s existence.

Recognizing the need for change:

• Avoid meetings without clear value addition.
• Close out email and messenger apps when focusing on important tasks.
• Cease routinely prioritizing others’ needs over personal priorities.
• Push back on deadlines, setting realistic expectations for task turnaround.
• Encourage specificity in requests to provide accurate results in one go, avoiding prolonged email exchanges and unmet expectations.

While truly urgent requests may arise, the realization that, as a financial institution, businesses don’t generally save lives, allows for a balanced approach. Balancing personal goals with assisting others becomes achievable in this context.

Accomplishing goals requires collaboration and relationship building, especially in the realm of RFPs where collaboration with colleagues across the organization is common.

Historically, the prevailing belief was that success hinged solely on business activities, and the importance of relationships was dismissed. The focus was exclusively on tasks, with relationship building seen as a distraction. The firm notion held that advancement would be driven by knowledge rather than connections. However, over time, it became evident that interpersonal relationships naturally develop, whether actively pursued or not. The realization dawned that progress could be achieved more efficiently with established trust and relationships among colleagues.

Understanding each other’s working styles and trusting intentions facilitated quicker and smoother accomplishments. Taking time to inquire about colleagues’ lives and engage in casual conversations not only increased productivity but also enhanced job satisfaction. 

In the world, there are two types of people:

(1) those who trust nobody, and

(2) those that trust everybody.

Those who are born into the first group, assuming the entire world is out to get them, poses challenges in the early stages of a career. Trusting others to assist even with simple tasks is difficult, fearing potential letdowns and missed deadlines. The inclination is to avoid delegation, justifying it with the belief that thorough reviews would be necessary, taking more time than doing the work independently.

Even when forced to let others help, the tendency of these people is to secretly perform the delegated work as a precaution against potential disappointment. Over time, letting go of the belief that one’s way was always the best required can open up to collaboration and trusting colleagues. Initially challenging, this new approach brings about positive transformations. 

In business today, the opposite approach is valued, offering trust until proven otherwise. This shift has resulted in numerous learning opportunities, most surprisingly, that giving trust rarely leads to disappointment, and the end results can exceed expectations, surpassing what could have been achieved alone.

In the role of an RFP writer and content manager, pursuing subject matter experts (SMEs) for content reviews and responses is a daily task, constituting a significant part of the workday. The apparent lack of responsiveness from colleagues is perplexing, given the clear importance of these activities to the firm’s success. As relationships develop, it becomes evident that many subject matter experts lack an understanding of the content management process, despite their years of participation. They receive extensive content verification packets, but the perceived lack of value in the review process leads them to consistently prioritize this task at the bottom of their to-do lists, causing frustration.

Recognizing the crucial role of communication in the content curation process, a strategy of overcommunication is employed. Steps include:

• Providing a detailed explanation to each subject matter expert of what will happen to the content after their review.
• Offering metrics on how many Q&As are answered directly from the database, highlighting the resulting time savings.
• Sharing the number of unused records archived quarterly and the associated time savings.

This elevated level of communication significantly improves subject matter expert buy-in, leading to the realization that more can be done. The next phase of the overcommunication plan involves listening more closely to subject matter experts, which includes:

• Seeking feedback on individual question review frequencies within compliance guidelines.
• Inquiring about optimal times for conducting reviews during the quarter, month, or year.
• Establishing monthly Lunch and Learns for writers to enhance their knowledge of subject areas covered in RFPs and effectively use existing content.
• Soliciting general feedback on the process and implementing suggestions for process improvements whenever possible.

These changes transform the dynamics. SMEs no longer feel their content reviews disappear into a void only to resurface the following year. They no longer perceive themselves as participants in a process they have no role in shaping. Quantifying the efficiencies of content verification, genuinely hearing their feedback, and demonstrating respect for their time make a significant difference in subject matter expert willingness to collaborate. Regular communication, even if it feels like overcommunication at times, is encouraged for everyone working with subject matter experts.

In the role of RFP writers, it may not always come naturally to focus on asking questions and taking the time to look up information. The pressure to meet deadlines and produce questionnaires can make these actions seem like a luxury within our production cycle.

It’s crucial to recognize that being a first line of defense expert on the topics covered in RFPs is an integral part of the role. Instead of simply cutting and pasting responses from SMEs, start to read and learn from them. Striving to become an expert in the content not only improves the quality of your RFPs but also enhances efficiency in analyzing database responses for more effective utilization.

Becoming knowledgeable about your Knowledgebase’s content facilitates crafting responses with greater precision, reducing email traffic and fosters SME trust in handling one-off questions. Understanding the Knowledgebase’s content proves to be a necessity rather than a luxury, allowing for an improvement in the quality and volume of output while streamlining the RFP process.

To achieve great results, prioritizing self-care is essential. Just like the oxygen mask analogy suggests, attending to your well-being is interconnected with overall success. Whether it’s intermittent fasting, engaging in physical activity, or daily meditation, establishing a self-care routine and treating commitments to oneself with the same seriousness as commitments to others is crucial.

In times of busyness or stress, leaning into established self-care routines becomes even more important. Despite the temptation to deviate from healthy habits, especially during hectic periods or tight deadlines, it’s essential to persist in prioritizing self-care. While perfection may not always be achievable, making a continuous effort to practice self-care during challenging moments is key.

A significant aspect of self-care involves taking breaks to clear the mind, contributing to increased productivity and focus. This practice allows for stepping back and gaining a broader perspective on ongoing projects. Walking away from the details helps assess the overall strategy, make necessary adjustments, and prevent getting stuck in unproductive tasks. Numerous instances showcase how taking an hour for self-care has prevented delving too deeply into counterproductive work and prompted a reevaluation of projects.

Recognizing that self-care enhances results transforms it from a perceived luxury to a necessary practice. Whether it’s a walk, yoga class, or listening to an audiobook, finding personal self-care methods and committing to them daily is crucial. Neglecting sleep and relying on stimulants can eventually impact results. Prioritizing self-care is not selfish; it’s a vital component of sustaining success in the long run.

You don’t need us to emphasize the value of a top-notch content management tool. However, the principle extends to various aspects of our work. We advise each of you to identify your strengths and areas where you provide the most value to your firm. Focus your efforts there and explore ways to streamline other tasks, such as:

• Training junior team members for ongoing task delegation.
• Utilizing relink functionality to expedite recurring requests.
• Exploring partnerships, like with RocketDocs, to revamp your RFP process or manage content.