A Note on RFP Responses

Mister Thorne, in a now defunct blog, once wrote that responses to an RFP (request for proposal) are ineffective when written poorly and contain primarily propaganda about the law firm, rather than something interesting, innovative and compelling. Bullet points don't replace good prose, and the assumption that no one reads anymore is false. Thorne quotes an article (original author not provided):

"If the content is truly interesting and valuable to its audience then you should have no fear of lost readership as a result of communicating in well written prose."

This calls to mind a time when I was managing business development efforts for a BigLaw firm. I retained an experienced proposal manager to help us clean up our disorganized RFP response process, and move us toward client-focused needs analysis as the basis for our proposals. She was wholly ineffective.  As one senior partner and department chair expressed, "This isn't rocket science and we don't need a high-paid professional to do it. List our past deals, attach our bios, fill in the blanks on the RFP and we're done. This has worked in the past and will work in the future."  Perhaps he confused high demand with competence?

This partner’s workflow has steadily dried up in recent years. The proposal writer is now successfully assisting another law firm take work away from the BigLaw firm. When demand declined, and when buyers recognized they had more options from which to choose, the partner's template responses that simply touted his experience were ineffective. Competitors won the engagements by placing the client's needs above all else, and in their RFP response they offer specific solutions and techniques and budgets and project plans. THIS is interesting to the prospective client, and will ensure a full read-through.

Timothy B. Corcoran is principal of Corcoran Consulting Group, with offices in New York, Charlottesville, and Sydney, and a global client base. He’s a Trustee and Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management, an American Lawyer Fellow, and a member of the Hall of Fame and past president of the Legal Marketing Association. A former CEO, Tim guides law firm and law department leaders through the profitable disruption of outdated business models. A sought-after speaker and writer, he also authors Corcoran’s Business of Law blog. Tim can be reached at Tim@BringInTim.com and +1.609.557.7311.