The Dos and Don’ts of Requests for Proposals

Creating an RFP is time-consuming. We support companies in this process. Based on that expertise, we compiled the following list of "RFP Dos and Don'ts" for you.

With a seemingly endless pool of marketing technology solutions from which to choose, finding what you need can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, you have a tool you can use to hack your way through the tech that doesn’t align with your needs, moving you closer to the perfect solution. It’s a request for proposal (RFP).

When you create an RFP, you have the opportunity to distill everything your team needs down to a single document. This focuses your search and lets martech providers know exactly what you require. The only problem? Creating an RFP can be a daunting, time-consuming task.

We can help. Our consultants have years of experience running RFPs for a broad variety of brands, pinpointing the right options for them to test drive. We’ve compiled this list of RFP dos and don’ts based on that expertise.

DO take the time to talk to your people

You might have an idea of the functionality your new martech solution should include, but don’t stop there. To make your RFP as powerful as possible, take the time to talk with your team in the trenches about the way their ideal technology would work. Odds are high that they’ll tell you something you hadn’t considered. They’re the ones who truly know what can improve their work lives — and their output — day in and day out.

It’s worth putting in the work ahead of time to get your RFP dialed in. If you approach vendors before you have complete clarity about your needs, evolving requirements can make the process more chaotic and confusing for everyone involved. Take the time to get your requirements and user stories squared away first.

DON’T assume you already know what you need

It happens all the time. Marketing leaders see an ad or hear a pitch for a specific solution and think, “That’s it!” But that solution might just graze the edge of your specific needs, while another option could meet them more completely.

If you build your RFP with a specific solution in mind, you’re more likely to miss details that don’t align with that tech’s capability. And we all know the devil’s in the details.

In fact, you might not need a separate solution at all. As you explore your specific requirements, you might discover that a solution you already have in place has an untapped functionality that aligns with what your team needs.

DO consider your existing martech stack

If content is king, data’s the queen pulling the strings. But your data is only as meaningful as the way in which your team can use it. Don’t get stuck with a marketing technology that’s going to confine your data in its own silo.

Instead, make sure you think through integration and include your requirements in your RFP. A seamlessly integrated martech stack allows your data to flow freely, helping you get the clearest idea of your customers and create the most impactful marketing for them.

DON’T get caught up in flashy new features or the promise of turnkey solutions

Marketing technology — like pretty much all technology — loves to tout its bells and whistles. And because martech is evolving so quickly, there’s quite a bit of newness to get excited about.

It’s all well and good to feel some enthusiasm about tools and features that promise to make your team’s life easier. But don’t get distracted. Keep your RFP — and your specific needs — at the forefront of your mind. While seemingly innovative features might sound ideal, those things aren’t nearly as important as finding a tool that your team can use to solve their current problems.

“Turnkey” is another hot word in martech, but we recommend taking it with a grain of salt. While a solution might be plug-and-play, that often means customizing it to your specific use cases and requirements is a bigger challenge. It’s worth putting in the extra implementation work to make a solution truly useful and easy-to-use for your team.

DO future-proof your martech stack

Take a long-term mindset as you create your RFP and evaluate solutions. Your needs today may not be — and, in fact, almost definitely won’t be — the same as tomorrow.

Think long term to reduce the need to replace an existing solution a few years from now. Take the time to anticipate needs as your team grows or you invest in new channels. You can’t predict everything, but you probably have a fairly good idea of where you’re headed.

When you work to future-proof your stack and think about all of the needs you can foresee arising down the road, you minimize your risk of getting stuck with a solution that won’t hold up over time.