One of the best options we have for responding to an RFP is to not respond at all, but to "head them off at the pass". We can do this by getting out ahead of an RFP and proactively selling the value and solution that we can bring to the table before a customer initiates the RFP buying process.

This isn't easy to do. It requires us to:


Understand the accounts in our territory and which of them may be going out to bid in the near future
Do our research on the customer's business and application
Identify the potential decision maker
Design a solution (even at a high level)
Deliver a customer focused presentation that causes them to re-think their process


This also requires a proactive effort, which isn't always easy to make. Many times it's easier to work reactively on deals that are identified, even if our odds of winning are low, than it is to proactively try to uncover opportunities. In that case, it may be easier to work with our existing customers. We certainly know when our current contracts are expiring. We could decide that a few months before any contract expires we are making proactive, high impact customer focused presentations to extend, expand or renew these contracts. We could also leverage our good coach relationships to find out when our customers are looking at new opportunities.

When done well, this can result in a decision maker asking themselves, "why go to all of the work in issuing and managing an RFP, when we have an organization right here that knows who we are and what we need?"