Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you charge by the hour or by the project?

Q: What services do you provide for RFP responses and proposals?

Q: Our office isn’t in Chicago, can we still work with RFP MD?

Q: Do you guarantee that your proposals will make the first-round cut?

Q: What sets your proposals apart from others?

Q: Will our company information be kept confidential?

Q: Do you sell any specialized RFP DAM system software?

Q: What type of services do you offer beyond proposal writing and design?

Q: Do you help clients with prospecting?

Q: Do you manage the entire RFP response process, or do you just handle writing and design?

Q: Do you have any tools to analyze the potential of a pitch? In other words, after receiving an RFP, sometimes we don’t know if it makes sense for us to invest the necessary resources to submit a proposal. Can you help with this?

Q: Do you charge by the hour or by the project?

A: Both. The compensation method is usually dictated by the type of work needed. For example, RFP responses are usually completed at a client’s office and billed hourly. Other new business materials (i.e., brochures, direct mail, boilerplate proposals) are usually quoted as a flat-fee project, based on estimated hours.

While these methods are the norm, RFP MD is open to other compensation arrangements. We are also quite good at working with your internal team, thus reducing the amount of hours you’ll need from us. If you have the manpower to spread the work around, this will help you reduce costs, while getting the project done early—which will always earn you points with prospective clients.

Q: What services do you provide for RFP responses and proposals?

A: We provide expertise with strategy, copywriting, design, secondary research, proposal management, content development, biography development, case study development, theme generation, proposal process analysis, proofreading, production, proposal audits, boilerplate proposal development, proposal packaging and design systems. For details, see our Treatments section.

Q: Our office isn’t in Chicago, can we still work with RFP MD?

A: Yes, depending on the project, we’ll either work from Chicago, communicating as necessary via teleconference or video conference (iMac), or work at your office. As mentioned earlier, RFP responses often require us to be onsite so we can have easy access to company information and key personnel. In this case, travel expenses (air, hotel, meals) are covered by the client. (And no, we don’t need to stay at the Ritz Carlton.)

Q: Do you guarantee that your proposals will make the first-round cut?

A: Unfortunately, we cannot make guarantees like this, as a company’s decision to make you a finalist can go far beyond the proposal itself (i.e., your company’s experience, reputation, case studies, etc). However, we have done compensation plans where a portion of the fee is performance based. With these, you’ll pay a little less initially, but if you make the first cut, you’ll pay more.

Q: What sets your proposals apart from others?

A: Our proposals are well organized, informative and prospect-focused, yet written and designed with personality. We answer each question thoroughly and convincingly, highlighting your company’s strengths in every area. We also incorporate research findings where available, rewrite bios if necessary, and design the proposal so it adheres to your company’s brand guidelines.

After we have strong and compelling content in every area of the proposal, we edit the copy throughout, ensuring that it’s written in “one voice” and never boring.

Our goal is to make the document so outstanding that the reader doesn’t want to put it down. We’ll do whatever we can to set it apart from the others, so in the end, it’ll be placed in the “A” pile.

Q: Will our company information be kept confidential?

A: Yes. Before working with most companies, we sign a confidentiality agreement, ensuring that all of your vital information is kept private.

Q: Do you sell any specialized RFP DAM system software?

A: No, but we did research this recently and found Pragmatech’s products (including RFP Machine) to be very comprehensive and easy to use. They are a Microsoft Word based system. For more information, visit: www.pragmatech.com

Q: What type of services do you offer beyond proposal writing and design?

A: Brochures, direct mail (all shapes and sizes), Web content and design, ID materials and other traditional types of advertising. For more information on our services, see our Treatments section.

Q: Do you help clients with prospecting?

A: Yes, but not directly. RFP MD primarily focuses on written communications and design. We do, however, team with prospecting partners to provide sales and lead generation for our clients on occasion. Services range from telemarketing to high-level introductions. For more information on prospecting, contact RFP MD president George Brumis at gbrumis@rfpmd.com

Q: Do you manage the entire RFP response process, or do you just handle writing and design?

A: Most of our clients are up to their necks in their own client work when they call us. They usually ask us to manage the entire process and either provide or oversee copywriting, research, design, proofreading, production and even shipping. Some of our clients have in-house art departments for us to work with, others look to us for design. Whichever way makes more financial and logistical sense for our clients is fine by us.

Q: Do you have any tools to analyze the potential of a pitch? In other words, after receiving an RFP, sometimes we don’t know if it makes sense for us to invest the necessary resources to submit a proposal. Can you help with this?

A: To pitch or not to pitch... that is the question. As much as RFP MD would like to work on every pitch opportunity that comes your way, we realize that it’s smarter for your company to pick its battles when it comes to new business opportunities. There are some advantages to pitching a piece of business, even if it may not be winnable, but sometimes it’s better to bow out gracefully. RFP MD has a priority grid that we share with our clients, giving them a way to assess opportunities. It’s not a crystal ball by any means, but it can help make your “pitch or pass” decision more objective.