How can you balance proposal requirements with evaluation criteria?

In my experience, a trusted advisor can elevate this stage by positioning themselves as a strategic partner to the customer during the process of defining criteria. It’s much easier to align the proposal with the customer’s requirement if you help them define it by bringing insightful industry and market trends. To engage with customers and become integral part of their team when they define criteria; invest your time and resources to be a subject matter expert and build credibility in the industry.

My contribution as a procurement consultant is helping companies to prepare a sound and responsive proposal to RFPs issued by the MDBs and the UN. I find SMART very much in line with my usual advise. I see a few other additions. For eaxample, the problem I often see is that companies do not believe in following carefully the TOR, they often think there is no need in elaborating on steps in the process they are describing to reach the objectives. They justify it by saying "it is an obvious step". Evaluation team, however, is not always or not only comprised of specialists in the specific matter and this is not the only reason to describe the steps (obviously balancing in terms of length of the proposal).

From my experience, a layout of the proposal should be created in alignment with the RFP requirements first. An ideal approach is story telling unless any compulsion to follow the predefined structure of the RFP. A compliance matrix covering all the evaluation points is required in the story telling method. It will not allow us to miss anything and act as our proposal guide helping evaluators to find what they need to rate.

In case of an RFx type opportunity, a tag team based approach helps is getting two sets of perspectives of client requirements and understanding of evaluation criteria. Additional proactive research/information gathering about client's business, their transformation ambitions/initiatives, regulatory or industry specific mandates etc. can help immensely to put additional context to these requirements & criteria. This can be complemented even further by actively leveraging the opportunity provided by client to ask for additional information and by going through all the responses provided by client to questions asked by competitors.

1. Understand requirements 2. Analyze evaluation criteria 3. Align content 4. Highlight qualifications 5. Be comprehensive and concise 6. Provide evidence 7. Regularly refer back

Prioritising quality over quantity is the key. Sometimes, out of our eagerness to attend an RFP, we tend to provide more information than what is necessary. To ensure a strong submission, it’s best to start by first understanding WHY the organisation has opened up the proposal. A clear understanding of the background will guide you in determining which specific details to include in your submission and which ones to skip. And once you’ve understood the why, you can focus on the HOW.

My recommendation here is to make the life of the reader as easy as possible. So, follow the document structure and ordering preferred by the client. Then, summarise how evaluation criteria and customer goals are achieved in each section with a table or chart. And, always, always include a requirements matrix with level of compliance of your solution.

I managed many tenders in my procurement leadership career. The evaluation criteria published in the tenders gave every supplier the opportunity to focus on the key areas and maximise their chances of winning the bid. Use this information to your advantage!

When the customer tells you how they are going to evaluate the proposal, why make it hard for them? Use the same language and terms they do, so you ensure both parties understand the parameters of your proposed solution.

While many people hesitate to niche down, it's a powerful strategy for differentiation. By clearly communicating your expertise in a specific area, you make yourself the obvious choice for those seeking support in that domain. And you can charge more too!

A critical review step is crosschecking for alignment. My proposals have a high success rate because I begin with an analysis of the prospect's problem. I highlight the gap in a very thoughtful and thorough way so that by the time I present the solution, the prospect is already convinced of the need for it.

In my B2B sales experience, the post-proposal follow-up is a pivotal phase. It visibly demonstrates commitment to the client's success by addressing their concerns, fostering trust over time. Based on my experiences, these follow-up conversations often drive clients to make decisions and offer a competitive edge. It allows adaptation to changing circumstances and serves as the concluding step in the sales process. It's also a valuable feedback loop, integral for continuous improvements. In essence, follow-up isn't merely a task but it's indispensable in B2B sales, shaping trust, influencing decisions, and underpinning enduring client relationships.

One major aspect this article doesn't consider at all - pre-RFX engagement. How strong of a relationship have you built with the prospective client? Have you helped to shape the RFX? If you haven't influenced it, it's likely one of your competitors has.

Utilize the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to enhance your proposal. Ensure that your responses are specific, measurable, achievable within the given constraints, directly relevant to the evaluation criteria, and completed within the specified timeframe.

Balancing proposal requirements with evaluation criteria involves aligning our proposal to address the specific criteria outlined in the RFP. - To carefully review the RFP to understand the evaluation criteria, then structure the proposal to directly address each criterion. - To clearly articulate how the solution meets or exceeds each requirement, providing evidence and details to support our claims. - To ensure consistency between the RFP requirements and our proposal content to enhance our chances of meeting evaluators' expectations.

Balancing proposal requirements with evaluation criteria involves aligning our proposal to address the specific criteria outlined in the RFP. - To carefully review the RFP to understand the evaluation criteria, then structure the proposal to directly address each criterion. - To clearly articulate how the solution meets or exceeds each requirement, providing evidence and details to support our claims. - To ensure consistency between the RFP requirements and our proposal content to enhance our chances of meeting evaluators' expectations.

Un aspecto que es necesario considerar en la propuesta, es la expectativa de innovacion embebida tanto en los requisitos como en los criterios de evaluacion, lo cual implica leer entre líneas la invitación a cotizar; el contenido innovador de nuestra propuesta podría ser el diferenciador definitivo para ser ganador.