EP007: Soliciting Feedback on Your RFP—WIN or LOSE – with Robin Merritt of Axsium Group
If your business is struggling to win RFPs, it can be of great benefit to solicit feedback and identify your areas of weakness. But have you ever thought about debriefing with the client when you WIN?
Robin Merritt has 18 years of experience with the RFP process and 25 years in the workforce management industry. She currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Global Strategy for Axsium Group, a global strategic consulting practice that supports organizations in the full spectrum of workforce management-related needs. In her roles with both small businesses and large companies, Robin has an extensive background in helping clients create RFPs and winning business herself through the RFP process.
Today, Robin and I continue our conversation by discussing the biggest mistakes she’s made in writing RFPs over the years. She explains the danger in trying to ‘read between the lines’ or thinking you cannot win a particular bid. I ask Robin about the process of soliciting feedback, and she shares the benefits of debriefing with the client—even when you WIN the bid. Listen in for Robin’s insight on using your status as incumbent the right way and learn to implement her all-in approach to telling your story through the RFP!
Connect with Lisa
Resources
The RFP Success Book by Lisa Rehurek
Key Takeaways
Why you should avoid trying to ‘read between the lines’
The danger in thinking you cannot win a particular bid
Robin’s advice around the right way to toot your own horn
The benefit of asking for feedback when you lose a bid
What you can learn from the debriefing process when you win
Robin’s most painful RFP loss AND her favorite win
Why incumbents tend to write the weakest proposals
Robin’s insight on utilizing subject matter experts in your organization
How a team member who enjoys writing can serve to tell your story
Robin’s take on going ALL IN with every RFP