RFP

How to Overcome Pandemic Challenges by Streamlining Your RFP Process

Ray Meiring
Written by Ray Meiring / Feb 25, 2021

I lead QorusDocs’ award-winning team of professional problem solvers to create the absolute best customer experience possible. My background in software development and starting new business ventures gives me the ability to oversee projects at every level.

As the pandemic continues to sweep across the nation and working from home becomes the new normal, it is vitally important that companies take the necessary steps to combat the fractured nature of remote work.

By streamlining operational processes, especially those tied directly to driving sales activity, companies can ensure they stay afloat during these challenging times.

In a recent article published in Sales & Marketing Management, our CEO, Ray Meiring, shared his thoughts on the importance of streamlining the RFP process to propel sales efforts and overcome the challenges stemming from remote working:

As businesses attempt to cope with new pandemic-related obstacles and inefficiencies caused by team members working remotely, many are prioritizing their digital selling efforts, especially now that trade shows and conventions are off the table for the foreseeable future. In conjunction with the online sales push, streamlining processes across the enterprise to help boost sales efforts has never been more important. 

One of the biggest problems companies face when it comes to managing teams during the pandemic is finding ways to foster effective collaborative efforts when members cannot meet up in person. Using collaboration tools and platforms can help improve communication and simplify the sharing of information between employees which, in turn, can dramatically improve your organization’s sales capabilities while working with a remote team. 
 
Streamlining processes can help in several ways, including:

  1. Effectively setting priorities: Learning how those responsible for working on a big project allocate their time can help to better prioritize tasks for each team member. This can reduce the time team members spend on repetitive tasks and can improve collaborative efforts. Win-win!

  2. Automating non-customer-facing responsibilities: Under normal circumstances, sales team members spend substantial time in front of prospects. Automating non-customer-facing duties while working remotely frees up time for sales team members to hone their digital sales efforts and prioritize value-add tasks. Effective automation ensures sales team members can do their best work while making life easier for them.

  3. Centralizing storage efforts: Having to chase down team members for feedback and information can have a major impact on a team’s ability to effectively manage its time. Instead, having all data, insights, and templates in a central location enables team members to focus on strategy development and craft compelling responses to requests for proposals.

The Consequences of Not Streamlining Digital Efforts

Teams that fail to streamline digital efforts can face an array of negative consequences. Quite often, brand issues become apparent across the board. Teams must be able to collaborate effectively so they can deliver a consistent message to clients. And to create successful RFP responses, teams must be able to present themselves in the best light. If your team has communication problems, what your organization has to offer and what it stands for, can be lost in translation, compromising the ability to seal the deal.

If your team is unable to effectively coordinate efforts, it can have a drastic impact on the efficiency and timeliness of responses. The team could end up spending valuable hours needlessly sifting through information and sending out repetitive content between team members and to clients. Not only does this make it extremely confusing to understand the information being presented, but it also impacts the overall quality of the work provided.

Slapping together mediocre RFPs won’t be beneficial for anyone. We already face endless constraints with not being able to meet in person. Failing to overcome the obstacles in front of us can damage the ability to secure necessary sales and make it through the pandemic. 

The Benefits of Streamlining Digital Efforts 

One of the most overwhelming challenges we face while working remotely is time management. It is critical that teams can respond quickly to RFPs, fulfill customer requests, and bring new products to market in a timely manner. By streamlining the RFP process with digital tools and platforms, teams can expediently and effectively deliver top-quality proposals that win business.  

With streamlined digital efforts, teams are better positioned to tailor proposals that address specific objectives outlined by the RFP issuer. Teams can collaborate easily among business units, overcoming ideological and geographical challenges to create proposals that stand out to prospects. 

Effectively managing the complicated technology ecosystem requires business leaders to reimagine their sales and marketing technology stack. By taking a broader view of how content, technology, and data can help improve collaborative efforts, companies can strengthen their teams’ ability to collaborate and overcome pandemic-related remote working challenges that threaten the bottom line.

If you’re seeking solutions to streamline your RFP and proposal process to help combat the challenges of working remotely, request a free demo to see how Qorus can help.