expert insights

Great people. Great work. Great results. Whether we’re working with a large corporation or a start-up, we go the extra mile to provide creative solutions to communication needs.  Along the way, we’ve picked up some great insights.


Thursday, November 05, 2009
by Cynthia Howard

Get the Most Bang for your RFP Buck

If you’re looking for top-notch work and want an open competition, releasing a Request for Proposal (RFP) will attract a variety of agencies: big, small, old, new, etc. How you write your RFP greatly influences the responses you will get from agencies, which, in turn, affects the decision you will eventually have to make.

Within your RFP, the best option is to define a budget and then ask agencies to pitch their best recommendations to you within the confines of that budget—even a preliminary one. Doing this puts all of the competitors on even footing—no one runs the risk of over- or under-bidding.  This also means that you’ll get to see who can offer the best product for the money.

Many are wary of prematurely discussing finances within an RFP. The truth of the matter is that it can save both you and the competing agencies a lot of time and confusion. You’ll have an idea of what you can spend, and they’re able to show you what kind of deliverables they can give you for your money. People are often pleasantly surprised by the amount and degree of options agencies are able to get out of an initial, proposed budget.

So think about how you write an RFP.  If you’re careful about it, you’ll inspire some really exciting competition, and you’ll be able to find an agency that can partner with you to take your brand to new heights.  Good luck, and we’ll be looking for your next RFP.


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