Picture this situation... you are responding to an RFP and you are invited to present your response. The invitation is prescriptive and you are told exactly what to present, how to present it and how much time to take. You now have a decision to make - do you follow their rules or do something different?

Why did the customer set these rules? Often, they are trying to level the playing field and drive an "apples to apples" comparison. The problem - you're not an apple and you don't want a level playing field.

You have options. You can follow the rules and give the customer exactly what they ask for. There are some good times to do this. For example, when you are the incumbent and you helped write the bid specs.

You can also bend the rules and present differently. You could still give the customer all of the information they are requesting but do it in a different format. You could follow a format like this:


Them - sharing what you've learned about the customer's business and solution requirements
Us - some of the reasons why your company should be considered as a timely and strategic resource
Fit - the business fit between your companies that shows how your relationship can help the customer achieve some of their high priority objectives, implement some key strategies and/or address some critical business issues
RFP Response Overview - a review of the solution you are recommending
Action Steps - your recommendations on how to move forward.


You don't have to follow the rules. You can if you choose, but you have options. You can still give the customer what they ask for (solutions, implementation plans, case studies, pricing...) while standing out from the crowd.