A critical step we take in most RFP situations is creating a proposal response. Often, the prospect will set the rules by spelling out exactly what they want us to include in our response, from the required information to the specific font to use! After all, they want to level the playing field and break vendors down to the lowest common denominators - products and prices.

One client shared a situation with us recently where they (and every other competitor) were told to deliver only this information in their response: a company profile, their organizational structure; a detailed description of each of their offerings; a pricing schedule; an overview of their delivery situation. Although this is a fairly standard list of items, it highlights a key challenge - how do we get our proposal to stand out when the customer demands that every respondent shares the exact same information?

We can and should deviate from the prospect's demand by including a powerful executive summary at the front end of the RFP response. Although many salespeople utilize an executive summary, all too often they are glorified solution summaries - providing a high level solution and financial overview. We would recommend a different kind of executive summary, one that highlights your value and competitive advantage.

What should this summary look like? In a previous Tip (March, 2008), we talked about an effective flow for a finalist presentation - "Them, Us, Fit, Action". Using this flow, we focus on:


Reviewing our understanding of the customer's business and requirements;
Presenting ourselves as a strategic and capable resource;
Sharing our perspective of the business and solution fit between us and the prospect;
Summarizing our proposal response;
Recommending a specific action plan to implement.


For a powerful executive summary, why not follow this same format? You would be making your strongest possible first impression by reflecting on the customer first.

In summary, break this rule and position yourselves differently from the very start - as a business resource, not a typical vendor!