What is the #1 question we’re getting about RFPs from clients and prospects lately? Is it a tactical question about time management, contradictory requirements, or formatting? Or a high-level question about managing stress and continuous improvement? On this episode of The RFP Success Show , Lisa Rehurek tackles some of the most frequently asked questions about navigating RFPs. From mastering time management to handling contradictory requirements and managing stress, Lisa shares her expert advic...
Oct 07, 2024•17 min
What’s the secret to getting the most out of AI when crafting RFP proposals? Is it about using AI to generate quick responses, or are there specific strategies to fine-tune the AI’s output for high-quality, customized proposals? In this episode of The RFP Success Show , Lisa Rehurik dives into how to create effective AI prompts that will elevate your RFP responses. Lisa explains why the key to strong AI-generated content is in how you prompt it and shares tips on getting the best results by bein...
Oct 01, 2024•19 min
What’s the biggest challenge proposal professionals are facing with AI in RFPs? Is it about how to effectively integrate AI into their workflows, or concerns about losing the human touch in their responses? On this episode of The RFP Success Show , Lisa Rehurik discusses the rapidly growing role of AI in proposal writing. She answers some of the most pressing questions about AI’s impact on content generation, data analysis, and personalization, along with addressing common concerns around the ac...
Sep 26, 2024•16 min
Welcome back to The RFP Success Show ! After a brief hiatus, host Lisa Rehurik, founder and CEO of the RFP Success Company, returns with key insights from her 30+ years in the RFP arena. In this episode, Lisa takes us behind the scenes to share the most impactful lessons learned from her journey—stories of pitfalls, setbacks, triumphs, and unexpected opportunities. From her first proposal heartbreak to the evolution of her RFP processes, Lisa dives deep into the challenges small businesses face ...
Sep 19, 2024•15 min
What is the #1 question we’re getting about RFPs from clients and prospects lately? Is it a tactical question about insurance requirements, due dates or FOIA requests? Or a high-level question about standing out from your competitors? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I answer five more FAQs we get about RFPs, including our most frequently asked question around distinguishing yourself in the proposal process. I explain what to do if your small business can’t meet the insurance requirement...
Dec 13, 2023•15 min•Ep. 139
If you had the opportunity to ask an expert questions about winning business with RFPs, what would you want to know? Do you have questions about pricing? Competing with big companies? Or recognizing when an RFP is wired? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I answer five of the most frequently asked questions we get about RFPs, discussing when it’s worth it to bid against the big guys and when it’s not. I explain what to do if your small business doesn’t meet all the requirements in an RFP a...
Nov 29, 2023•16 min•Ep. 138
To win business with RFPs, you’ve got to distinguish yourself from the competition in your response. But what if you don’t know what your differentiators are? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share my M&M analogy for discovering what makes your company different and better than the rest. I discuss why it’s challenging to identify the ‘candy coating’ in your own business and explain what question to ask clients and employees to uncover your differentiators. Listen in for insight on ...
Nov 02, 2023•7 min•Ep. 137
Are you losing bids because you aren’t certified as a small or diverse business? Heather Cox is Cofounder and President of Certify My Company , a firm that connects corporations with diverse businesses to create economic value and opportunity. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Heather walks us through the five primary demographics for certification, explaining how to know if your business qualifies as small or diverse. We discuss private sector national versus state government certificati...
Oct 18, 2023•35 min•Ep. 136
Can you leverage AI to write RFP proposals for your business? Since ChatGPT came on the scene last November, people have divided into two camps: Some folks are afraid of the technology, and others think it’s a magic bullet that will write all their copy with minimal effort on their part. But Stephanie Nivinskus contends that when it comes to AI, we should be careful but not scared. So, what’s the best way for small business owners use tools like ChatGPT to write better proposal responses? Are th...
Oct 04, 2023•42 min•Ep. 135
If an RFP isn’t asking a question that you think it needs to ask, is it okay to provide additional information? While it’s tempting to tell a client what you think they need in your proposal response, it’s not always well received. Just like ordering a baked potato with butter and getting a loaded one. So, what is the best approach to elaborating on RFP response answers? So you stand out in a good way? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I’m sharing my ‘baked potato’ analogy for elaborating...
Sep 20, 2023•10 min•Ep. 134
How do you set yourself apart in an RFP response? We recently helped a small business client get their first RFP win. And they were up against some big players in their industry. So, what did they do to stand out among the competition? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I’m discussing three categories of content that will take you from MEETS to EXCEEDS expectations on your next proposal response. I explain how to demonstrate DISTINCTION in an RFP and share our top three strategies for catc...
Aug 09, 2023•24 min•Ep. 133
Here at the RFP Success Company, we get some of the same questions over and over. And in episode 129 , we covered eight of the most common questions we get from our clients and community. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I’m answering seven more FAQs, explaining why you can’t wait until orals to go into detail on your requirements and what to do if you don’t think the procuring agency is asking the right questions. I discuss why you shouldn’t assume the evaluators aren’t going to read yo...
Jun 14, 2023•16 min•Ep. 132
Steve Schramm’s team has achieved 80% win rates on state government contracts by making RFPs part of a larger business development process. So, how does Steve identify target clients and build relationships with them before an RFP hits the streets? How does he track prospects and recognize when opportunities are coming down the pike? Steve serves as Founder and Managing Director at Optumas , a strategy and actuarial consulting firm out of Scottsdale, Arizona, that specializes in publicly sponsor...
May 31, 2023•29 min•Ep. 131
Steve Schramm’s proposal team was bidding on 12 state government contracts per year and only winning two or three. He was frustrated by the amount of time and effort they were putting into RFPs with such a low ROI. So, Steve invested in support, and one year later, his team’s win rate increased from 25% to more than 80%! What are they doing differently? And what can you learn from Steve’s team to win more business with RFPs? Steve is Founder and Managing Director at Optumas , a strategy and actu...
May 17, 2023•35 min•Ep. 130
What questions come up when you write an RFP response? It’s likely that you share concerns with our clients and community here at the RFP Success Company. So, on this episode of the podcast, I’m answering eight of our most common FAQs, discussing why you need to repeat key information multiple times in an RFP response. I explain how to compare your business to others in the industry without mentioning them by name and explore how case studies build credibility and make your response more believa...
May 03, 2023•18 min•Ep. 129
Shredding an RFP is a phrase that those of us in the proposal industry use to describe how we will get an RFP ready for the proposal process, right after we receive the solicitation but before we begin writing. What does it mean to shred an RFP? And why would you add this extra step to the process when you could just jump right in to writing the response? On this episode of the podcast, guest host Ted Koval, Senior Proposal Manager at the RFP Success Company, walks us through the steps of shredd...
Apr 19, 2023•18 min•Ep. 128
Here at the RFP Success Company, we not only help our clients design, develop and write a top-notch RFP for submission, but they also look to us for guidance on proposal best practices. And over the years, we’ve noticed some common mistakes our vendors make when it comes to RFP processes. On this episode of the podcast, guest host Ted Koval, Senior Proposal Manager at the RFP Success Company, sits down with team members Cheri Fisher, Director of Operations and Client Services, and Kevin Cleary, ...
Apr 05, 2023•30 min•Ep. 127
What could possibly go wrong when you're responding to an RFP? My 30 years of experience has taught me that A LOT can happen and the more prepared you are, the better. So, what are the most common speedbumps I’ve seen proposal teams run into over the years? And what can you do to prevent or plan for these delays? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share five of the most common issues that interrupt the RFP process, challenging you to expect missed deadlines and build extra time into your...
Mar 22, 2023•19 min•Ep. 126
Are you submitting proposal responses but rarely getting the YES? Even when the RFP is right up your alley? Then, you may be missing one of my five non-negotiables for winning a bid. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I discuss the five things you need to do to get the YES, describing why it’s crucial to meet 100% of the baseline requirements in an RFP. I explain how to convey your capabilities and experiences properly on paper and explore what it means to build trust in the context of an ...
Mar 08, 2023•12 min•Ep. 125
When Melissa Emler started bidding on RFPs to grow her event management business, she looked through a variety of opportunities and thought, ‘We could definitely do that.’ But after a year of trying to figure it out on her own, Melissa wasn’t winning contracts. And the frustration of losing left her playing small. Today, Melissa has changed her approach. She has identified the differentiators that set her organization apart and started seeking out best-fit opportunities for her business. Melissa...
Feb 15, 2023•48 min•Ep. 124
The good news is there's a ton of resources out there for finding RFPs in the state government space. The bad news is you have to work at finding the RIGHT opportunities. So, how do you build a consistent process for identifying RFPs that are a good fit for your business? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share five strategies for finding government contracting opportunities, explaining how to conduct regular research on RFPs in different states. I describe how to set up Google Alerts a...
Feb 01, 2023•27 min•Ep. 123
Sometimes the RFP capability requirements are a perfect fit. But more often than not, we're just shy of what we need to really make a great showing. So, what can we do to overcome these weaknesses—now and in the future? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I discuss how to deal with a deficit for an opportunity in front of you now, describing how to weigh the significance of a requirement you don’t meet to make the go/no-go decision. I explain when to find a subcontractor or partner to overc...
Jan 18, 2023•13 min•Ep. 122
What do you wish you knew about government contracting? What if you had access to a seasoned contracting officer, so you could understand the process from their point of view? Kevin Jans is President of Skyway Acquisition , a team of former COs on a mission to bridge government and industry, helping clients target better and win more contracts. He also serves as host of the Contracting Officer Podcast . With 16 years of experience as a contracting officer for the Department of Defense, Kevin bou...
Jan 04, 2023•44 min•Ep. 121
Are you struggling to win business with RFPs but can’t figure out why? If so, you can hire a company like ours to look through past proposal responses and identify what’s tripping you up. Or you can conduct your own RFP mini-audit. On this episode of the RFP Success Show, guest host Ted Koval, Proposal Manager at the RFP Success Company, interviews me around the five red flags that let you know you need an audit of your RFP process. I share my peanuts versus M&M’S analogy for making your pro...
Dec 21, 2022•36 min•Ep. 120
Most proposal professionals understand the importance of putting the client at the center of the bid process. But what if a client centric proposal is not enough? According to Kevin Switaj, a winning proposal takes things one step further, leveraging empathy and creativity to build an emotional connection with the evaluator. Kevin is President and CEO of BZ Opportunity Management , a full life cycle proposal consulting firm out of northern Virginia. With more than 15 years in proposal developmen...
Dec 07, 2022•40 min•Ep. 119
Evaluation criteria seems to be a bit of an afterthought for most companies bidding on RFPs. Sure, it’s one of the first things you look at. But are you making the evaluation criteria an explicit part of your bid strategy? And are you using it to your advantage in the content of your RFP response? On this episode of the podcast, I share 3 ways to leverage evaluation criteria in a proposal, challenging you to put yourself in the shoes of an evaluator and imagine the scoring tool they might be usi...
Nov 23, 2022•11 min•Ep. 118
Most people think there is little room for negotiation in a proposal response. But if you’ve done your homework to understand a buyer’s needs, you can negotiate in your answers to the questions on an RFP and offer solutions they may not even be aware of. Don Carmichael is Chief PreSales Evangelist at Winning Skills Ltd. , a boutique technology sales enablement firm. Prior to founding Winning Skills, Don enjoyed a 30-year career in PreSales, heading EMEA PreSales Enablement at both SAP and Oracle...
Nov 09, 2022•39 min•Ep. 117
Yes, your team is qualified and capable of doing the job required by an RFP. But so is every other business that submits a response. So, how do you take your technical content and make it persuasive? What does it look like to write from a sales perspective? Dave Rynne is the copywriter and RFP response specialist behind The Sales Enablement Writer . After two decades on Wall Street, he built a successful content and copywriting business helping SaaS companies transform their proposal processes. ...
Oct 26, 2022•38 min•Ep. 116
Are you so busy bidding on RFPs that you don’t have time to build systems and processes? Creating systems may not be sexy, and it won’t result in an immediate win. But if your proposal team reinvents the wheel with every new RFP, you’re hurting yourselves in more ways than you realize. So, what is the benefit of setting up systems and processes for responding to RFPs? And what parts of the process should standardized? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I explain how standardizing or automa...
Oct 12, 2022•11 min•Ep. 115
A lot of my clients think they’ve got editorial peer review covered. But there’s a lot more to it than simply having someone read through your response and check for spelling errors. And a proposal that hasn’t been through a thorough peer review lacks the professionalism you need to win business with RFPs. So, what does an in-depth editorial peer review look like? Jana L. Burge is Founder and President of JLB Consulting, a firm that supports businesses through editorial peer review. Jana has 37 ...
Sep 28, 2022•35 min•Ep. 114
