When a request for proposal—RFP, RFI, or other detailed questionnaire is presented to your organization, is collaborative teamwork in place to answer the questionnaire, or is it passed around like a hot potato?

Too often, the sales rep tosses the RFP to the proposal manager to answer the questions against a tight deadline, with minimal help from others in the organization. When the proposal manager reaches out to subject matter experts (SMEs) for assistance, SMEs sometimes respond that they are too busy with "other priorities." It becomes a case of the “that’s not my job” syndrome.

Your colleague hands you a cup of coffee in a generic paper cup – and you’re told it comes from your favorite, well-known barista. Do you have confidence that the coffee came from your favorite source? Will your tasting experience be tainted by being uncertain of the brand? The same uncertainty can occur with the proposals we serve our clients.

Before sales proposals are delivered, clients navigate your website, download fact sheets and infographics, view video clips and attend webinars – potentially all with branding controlled by your marketing team. Clients experience your organization and its solutions through a defined brand.

When the proposal disconnects from the brand

Finally, you deliver the important sales proposal. But the team has used a "creative" or unique proposal format – that is not consistent with the client’s previous experience with your brand. There can be negative consequences of this "creative" proposal branding.

Managing sales proposal content can be a challenge. Ensuring that each prospect or customer receives a proposal that helps win more business can be a bigger challenge!

Generally speaking, most companies have some form of a standard sales proposal template that contains approved information. For companies that don’t have a standard template, the sales team usually starts with the last proposal they wrote and makes it the foundation for the next sales proposal.

Here are the three common challenges that I see with new clients who want to improve their sales proposals. Can you relate to any of these?

Do you feel that RFPs are never done—just due?

Here are 5 signs that you may need to automate your RFP response and sales proposal process by investing in RFP and proposal automation software. 

1. Your RFPs do not align with your value proposition

Your RFP responses do not successfully convey and align your value proposition with your customer’s objectives. This is a missed opportunity that may result in a prolonged sales process—or even lost sales.