The RFP trap
Most RFPs are not real opportunities. They're due diligence for a decision already made. The incumbent agency is winning, but procurement requires "three quotes."
Responding to a wired RFP can cost 30-60 hours and produce nothing. Worse, it crowds out time you could spend on real opportunities.
The 6-question filter
Before spending hours on an RFP response, run these six questions. If you can't answer 4+ in your favor, walk away.
1. Who's running this RFP?
- ✅ A marketing leader you can talk to before submitting
- ❌ Procurement, with a no-contact policy until proposal due
2. What's the existing relationship?
- ✅ No incumbent (first time outsourcing)
- ⚠ Incumbent exists but unhappy
- ❌ Incumbent rumored to be re-winning
3. Did you have any input on the RFP requirements?
- ✅ Yes (you helped scope it informally)
- ❌ Surprised by the requirements
4. Are the evaluation criteria specific?
- ✅ Specific deliverable scope, weighted scoring rubric
- ❌ "Best fit" with no weights — likely subjective + already decided
5. Are deadlines reasonable?
- ✅ 2-3 weeks to respond — real evaluation
- ❌ 5 days — wired for the incumbent who's already drafting
6. Is the budget visible?
- ✅ Budget range stated
- ❌ "Provide pricing options" with no constraint — fishing for benchmarks
When to respond anyway (even with red flags)
Three exceptions where it's worth responding to a wired RFP:
- Strategic positioning — winning would be category-defining (large brand, high visibility)
- Long-game — losing this round positions you for the next opening
- Free intelligence — the RFP itself reveals competitive insights
In these cases, write a tight response (10-15 hours), don't customize beyond standard, send.
The 80/20 RFP response
If you're going to respond, structure for time-efficiency:
Hours 1-2: Read the RFP twice. Identify the 3-5 evaluation criteria that actually matter.
Hours 3-5: Build the executive summary tightly tied to those criteria.
Hours 6-10: Adapt your standard proposal template. Don't write from scratch.
Hours 11-12: Customize the case study to be industry-matched.
Hours 13-14: Pricing tiers + scope.
Hour 15: Final review.
15 hours is the cap for RFPs. If you're going beyond that, you're either over-engineering or the RFP is wired.
When to fight for a meeting
Always request a clarification meeting before submitting. If granted:
- That's a positive signal — RFP is real
- Your relationship-building advantage starts before submission
If denied:
- Likely wired — adjust your effort downward
- Submit a tight, standard response, save your hours
Templated RFP responses
Most RFPs ask the same questions: scope, methodology, team, pricing, references. Build a master RFP-response document and adapt 30% per opportunity.
The agencies who win RFPs aren't writing custom responses — they're using a template that's been refined over 50+ submissions.