Proposal Palace

B.U.R.N.O.U.T. Solutions consultants and sales friends, this one is for you. Managing RFPs on top of selling and demo'ing is a recipe for burnout. As solutions consultants and sales professionals, your primary focus is on demoing and selling – showcasing the value of your solutions and driving business growth. However, many of you find yourselves juggling these responsibilities with the demanding task of managing RFPs. Balancing these dual roles can lead to late nights, missed opportunities, and serious burnout. The pressure to deliver high-quality RFP responses while meeting sales targets and engaging with potential clients is immense. Carrying this burden alone is unsustainable - as I'm sure you're well aware. If you never bring this up to your leaders, you’ll be expected to continue managing RFPs on top of your main job responsibilities. It's time to have a conversation with your leadership about the challenges you face. Advocate for dedicated resources to help manage RFPs effectively. By doing so, you can focus on what you do best while ensuring that RFP responses are handled with the expertise and attention they deserve.

Wondering how you can gain an edge when you’re met with the dreaded “We have to go to RFP” scenario? You've already cultivated essential relationships with the prospect and served as a trusted advisor, providing guidance and sharing best practices. You may have even showcased your platform's capabilities through a solution demonstration. But what if there's more you could do? Have you considered offering them an RFP template? Imagine this: "Hi, Joe! Thanks for letting us know you’re going to RFP. We understand the effort it takes to put together these documents. As a leader in the industry, having responded to numerous RFPs, we'd like to offer you a template with key questions every vendor should answer. It's designed to save your team time and effort – feel free to use it as is, customize it to fit your needs, or discard it if it doesn't align with your approach." Attach your strategic template to the email, knowing you've just given your competitors a run for their money. Keep a filled-out version handy, so you're prepared with baseline answers that only need client-specific tweaks. In doing so, you've: - Streamlined the RFP creation process for your prospect. - Simplified your team's RFP response efforts. - Put your competitors on the spot by forcing them to address potentially uncomfortable questions that highlight their weaknesses. You’re welcome. —————————————————— Want to use this proven tactic but don’t know how to get started? You know where to find us.

I came home furious. It was the first day of kindergarten and all we did was play stupid baby games. I was all geared up to show off my sweet writing skills and peruse their book selection for a new read. According to my mom, at the end that first day, I walked through the door, slammed my backpack on the table, and vowed to never go back. I started reading as a toddler, and I’d written a book I was very proud of the summer before that fateful first day of school. My love of reading and writing only grew over the years. I read my brother’s class-assigned books and wrote his reports for him (he’s six years older than me), I wrote my cousin’s entire senior portfolio (she got a ‘Distinguished,’ thank you very much), I reviewed and edited schoolmates’ papers — many times just rewriting them altogether (they were as shiny as a new penny when I was done with them). So, it’s not far off that I sought out work that hinges on reading, writing, and editing. That passion wasn’t going anywhere, and I get to do what I love everyday. Proposal professionals dig into each RFP as if it’s our favorite book, leaving no word unread. We highlight and take notes and re-read…and re-read…and re-read. Then we get to tell our (or our client’s) story. We paint a picture with words in direct response to what we read in the RFP. It’s a magical dance. We know when we’ve nailed the writing. When we’ve said something in a way that leaves zero doubt it’ll resonate with the evaluator. When we’re sure we’ve struck a chord with the prospect. When we package it all up and we can say “yep, we’ve got this one.” It’s an exhilarating feeling, and it’s what we’re always reaching for. It’s wild to think of how tangibly my life has come full circle. From a determined little girl to a determined grown woman - tethered by an obsession and love for reading and writing. There’s no work I’d rather be doing. There’s no business I’d rather be growing. And I’m high-fiving my kindergarten self every step of the way.

I frantically googled “what does RFP stand for” as a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead. I had to get this right and sound like I knew what the hell I was talking about. That was me 15 minutes before my interview with the hiring manager for my very first role in proposal operations. Talk about preparation. A lot has happened in 10 years. I landed that job. Maybe because I put on a great performance. Maybe because they were desperate. Probably a mix of both. Either way, I was thrust into the federal RFP world. (I still think the proposal gods got a laugh out of that one: this jackass fluked her way into this profession, let’s see how she maneuvers multiple Department of Labor RFPs at once with no experience and very little training…ha!). Over the years, I’ve found myself managing RFPs for various SaaS organizations – some of the most well-known companies in the HR tech industry. As I honed my skills, expanded my knowledge, and grew my expertise, I started helping transform the way the companies I supported approached proposal operations. I went from simply managing proposals to offering best practices, mentoring junior team members, developing and implementing processes, providing thought leadership, and contributing to significant revenue generation. Eventually, I began consulting on the side, then I launched Proposal Palace. Think about that. I went from literally having no clue what managing an RFP meant to running a whole business managing RFPs. And being really f%&#ing good at it. Like *helping businesses win millions of dollars* good. I’ve had a lot of help along the way. People took chances on me (Kathryn Kelly [may her genius, hilarious, one-of-a-kind soul rest in peace]), people mentored me (Nancy Chambers), people supported me (way too many to name). But I also bet on myself. And all the help and mentorship and support – as grateful as I am for it – couldn’t have taken me to where I am without *me* believing in *me*. What is it that you want out of life? What are you prepared to do to get it? I’m willing to wager you’re further along than I was 10 years ago scrambling last-minute to sound like I had half a brain on a job interview. Where you are 10 years from now starts with the decisions you make today. Bet on yourself and let’s see where it takes you.

If it makes you feel any better... I hurt my back getting a bottled water from the fridge. A bottled water. From the fridge. Yes. It's as ridiculous as it sounds in your head. Goodbye, youth. I will miss you forever. https://lnkd.in/eCzH97zw