The RFP Success Show Lisa Rehurek

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 requirements and why you should submit FOIA requests for scoring sheets, proposals from other bidders and previous contracts.
 
Listen in for insight on learning who your competitors are before an RFP hits the streets and find out how our RFP Flash Audit can help you level up your RFP game in the new year!
 
Key Takeaways
 
5 of the most common questions we get about RFPs
How to ask if insurance requirements can be negotiated to accommodate small businesses
Why agencies typically aren’t willing to extend the due date on an RFP
Why we recommend submitting FOIA requests for scoring sheets, proposals from other bidders and prior contracts
How to find out who your competitors are before an RFP comes out
Why it’s crucial to build relationships with buyers long before an RFP hits the streets
3 ways to distinguish yourself in a proposal response
 
Connect with Lisa 
 
The RFP Success Company
Lisa on X
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on LinkedIn
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
 
Resources
 
LIMITED TIME: RFP FLASH AUDIT
The Role of Contracts in Successful Prime + Sub Partnerships on RFP Success EP036
How to Develop Your RFP Pricing Strategy on RFP Success EP081
How to Make a FOIA Request
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company
Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Institute

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 and how to price your proposal so it’s a win-win for you and the client.
 
Listen in for insight on what to do if you’re not getting the scores you deserve and learn how to audit your previous RFP responses in a way that jumpstarts your win rates for 2024!
 
Key Takeaways
 
5 of the most common questions we get about RFPs
When it’s worth it to bid against the big guys (and when it’s not)
How to highlight the benefits of being a small business in your proposal response
What to do if you don’t meet all the qualifications in an RFP
How to price your proposal so it’s a win-win for you and the client
The top 3 signs that an RFP is wired
Why you might not be getting the scores you think you deserve
What it looks like to write a proposal that resonates with evaluators
Why we suggest auditing your proposals every year
 
Connect with Lisa 
 
The RFP Success Company
Lisa on X
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on LinkedIn
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
 
Resources
 
LIMITED TIME: RFP FLASH AUDIT
The Role of Contracts in Successful Prime + Sub Partnerships on RFP Success EP036
How to Develop Your RFP Pricing Strategy on RFP Success EP081
How to Make a FOIA Request
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company
Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Institute
 

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 what to do if your business lacks a candy coating and learn how to take your business from simple peanut to delicious M&M in your proposal response!
Key Takeaways  
Why it’s crucial to distinguish yourself from competitors in an RFP response
What happens when you bore, overwhelm or confuse RFP evaluators
The legend of how M&M’s got their differentiator—a candy coating
Why it’s challenging to identify the ‘candy coating’ in your own business
Why I recommend getting outside counsel to help uncover your differentiators
What question to ask employees and clients to discover your differentiators
What to do if your company doesn’t have a distinguishing candy coating 
Connect with Lisa
Lisa’s Website
Lisa on Twitter
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on LinkedIn
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Subscribe on iTunes
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
Resources  Elaborating on RFP Response Answers: The ‘Baked Potato’ Episode on The RFP Success Show EP134
Get on the RFP Success Accelerator Waitlist
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company
Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Institute

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 certifications, challenging you to be strategic in the certifications you pursue to grow your business.
Listen in for Heather’s insight on subcontracting opportunities for diverse businesses and learn how Certify My Company can help you win RFPs through certifications!
Key Takeaways   How Heather’s team serves small and diverse businesses as well as corporations
Why you can’t simply raise your hand and say you’re a diverse business
Why it’s advantageous for a small or diverse business to get certified within a state
Opportunities for small and diverse businesses to subcontract with large corporations that win state bids
5 primary demographics for certification—women, minority, LGBT, veteran and disability owned
The private sector national certifications available to small and diverse businesses
How long it takes to get certified through national organizations vs. state governments
How certifications can help grow your existing business and land new contracts
How corporations benefit from robust supplier diversity programs
How to know if your business qualifies for small or diverse business certification
How the lack of a certification can be the reason you lose a state contract
The benefit of getting help from experts like Certify My Company 
Connect with Heather Certify My Company
Certify My Company on Instagram
Certify My Company on TikTok
Diversity Masterminds
Email heather@certifymycompany.com
Connect with Lisa Lisa’s Website
Lisa on Twitter
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on LinkedIn
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Subscribe on iTunes
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
Resources  Heather on RFP Success Show EP003
WEBENC
NMSDC
DBE Program
Disability:IN
NaVOBA
NVBDC
NGLCC
8(a) Business Development Program
WOSB
Heather’s Missed Opportunities Video
Get on the RFP Success Accelerator Waitlist
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company
Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Institute
RFP Success Audit Service wecanhelp@rfpsuccess.com

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 there other AI apps that we should know about?
Stephanie is the CEO and Certified AI Marketing Consultant behind SizzleForce Marketing, a firm that combines the power of AI and human intelligence to help growing, mission-driven companies execute digital marketing solutions.
On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Stephanie explains what’s wrong with dropping an RFP question in ChatGPT and simply copy-pasting the answer.
We discuss how to train ChatGPT on your company’s differentiators before it helps you write content and why you still need a human editor to work together with the bot.
Listen in for Stephanie’s insight on the privacy and copyright issues associated with artificial intelligence and learn how to choose the best AI tools for your business goals!
Key Takeaways    What inspired Stephanie’s decision to go all-in on AI in her marketing business
Why using ChatGPT to write effective copy is not as simple as asking the bot a question
What it means to ‘train the bot’ and why it’s so important
What’s wrong with dropping an RFP question in ChatGPT and copy-pasting the answer
How to train ChatGPT on your company’s differentiators before it helps you write RFP content
Why you still need a human editor in conjunction with AI writing tools
Why Stephanie recommends Hemingway for writing to a specific grade level
How AI can help you build credibility through consistent content and competitive research
The biggest mistakes people make when it comes to using AI
How to choose the best AI tools for your business goals
What privacy and copyright issues we should be concerned about when it comes to AI
Stephanie’s favorite AI tools for writing and image creation
Connect with Stephanie SizzleForce Marketing
Stephanie on LinkedIn
Connect with Lisa
Lisa’s Website
Lisa on Twitter
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on LinkedIn
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
Resources   
Stephanie’s AI Strategy & Execution Session
Stephanie’s Blog on Building a Digital Marketing Funnel
ChatGPT
Hemingway App
Midjourney
Claude
Jasper
Grammarly
Get on the RFP Success Accelerator Waitlist
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company
Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Institute

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 on RFP response answers.
I explain how it might confuse evaluators if you add or change offerings and describe the challenge of evaluating a response that doesn’t align with the score sheet.
Listen in for insight on positioning additional offerings in a way that boosts your score and learn how to demonstrate that the additional information you’re providing serves the client’s needs.
Key Takeaways   What to do if an RFP isn’t asking a question you think it needs to ask
My ‘baked potato’ analogy for adding additional information to a proposal response
How it might confuse an evaluator if you add or change offerings
Why you should only include additional offerings IF you can demonstrate how it adds more value to what they need
How to position additional options in a way that boosts your score
Connect with Lisa Lisa’s Website
Lisa on Twitter
Lisa on Facebook
Lisa on LinkedIn
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Subscribe on iTunes
Email podcast@rfpsuccess.com
Resources   Get on the RFP Success Accelerator Waitlist
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company
Dare to Be Influential: Maximizing Your Positive Influence While Still Being True to You by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
The RFP Success Institute