Having a solid plan for completing an RFI is essential. How you go about fulfilling it will of course be different for every agency, but here are some best practice tips to get you off to a good start.
Ensure you are answering their specific ask, and not simply submitting an ‘off the shelf’ response. Tailor your case studies, use their language and be relevant.
Review their competitor landscape, do some ‘light’ research, share your own proprietary thinking, get to know their product so you can talk knowledgeably about it in the RFI.
Show your interest for the business. This is the stage where you’re up against the most number of competitors, and a bit of passion goes a long way.
If you don’t need to stick to the template, then don’t. Think creatively about your response.
Rell a consistent and compelling story throughout the whole narrative that ladders back to your agency positioning.
To set yourself apart from the rest of the stack, give an opinionated opinion about their brand. Be interested and interesting.
The clients will have a lot of these to read. Keep the copy concise and to the point.
Explain why you are the right partner. Make it an easy decision for them.
If you need to get it printed externally, give yourself plenty of time to get the RFIs back from the printers and delivered to where they need to go. Lateness is never a good first impression.
Read and re-read requirements at the beginning and the end. Make sure you’ve ticked all the boxes. Make sure it is proofread at least once before hitting submit.
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