This document provides guidance for vendors responding to a request for proposal (RFP). It outlines the key steps, which include reading the RFP thoroughly, establishing win themes in an internal kickoff meeting, collecting questions, framing the response, ensuring proper grammar, conducting an internal review, submitting before the deadline, preparing for presentations as an assembled team with rehearsal, taking nothing for granted by being overly prepared, negotiating if selected, celebrating the outcome, and conducting a post-mortem review.

1. Responding to the RFP
The Vendor’s perspective

4.  SLAs and SLTs
 Case studies
 References
 Samples
 Cover letter
 Executive Summary
 About us
 Security Statement
Proposal
Builder
Software

5. You’ve received an RFP.
now what?

6. Read it

7. Seek Guidance

10. Establish your Win Themes

11. Kick-off Meeting
 Forward the RFP with
notations for each stakeholder
in advance of the kickoff
meeting
 Include all stakeholders as
determined in your RFP
Response Process
 Communicate the win-theme
 Provide as much competitive
information as possible
 Ensure everyone is aware of
key dates
 Indicate location of critical
resources such as the google
calendar for the response
 Set clear expectations

12. Collect Your Questions

14. Pricing

15. Frame your response

17. Grammar Counts

18. Final, internal, stakeholder
review

19. Submit it before the deadline

22. Prepare for the Pitch
 Assemble your “away team”
 Frame your presentation
 Establish your preparation plan
 Yes, everyone needs to rehearse
 No, you don’t “have it down” already

23. Incumbent vs Challenger

24. Take Nothing for Granted
 Be prepared
 Be OVERLY prepared
 Function as a team from the moment you enter the
building to the moment you walk in your door at home.

28. Negotiation

29. Celebrate

30. Post-mortem
 Win or lose, you need to review what transpired
 Take note of what worked, and what you’d do
differently

31. Pet Peeves