Mind Your RFPs & Qs

• Posted on Carolyn
• in RFPs
• on March 10, 2014
• Comments Off on Mind Your RFPs & Qs

Does anyone remember being told as a child to “mind your Ps & Qs?” There are several theories as to what this phrase means (Google it and see!), but growing up I knew it meant to mind my manners and be thoughtful about what I was doing or saying.

This meaning can apply to RFPs & RFQs – do we pay thoughtful attention to the process?    Are we respectful of the other party & mind our manners?

How Can You Mind your RFPs & Qs?

As a meeting planner, do you carefully target your RFPs or RFQs and provide sufficient information to potential vendors or do you send requests out to “anyone with a pulse” with incomplete information?  When vendors reply, do you let them know their response was received and inform those who were not chosen why they weren’t selected, or do you ignore those who didn’t send back the “winning” proposal?

As a meeting supplier – how do planners find out about you?  If they look on your website can they find the information they need quickly or do they have to spend a lot of time searching?  Do you make it easy for them to submit an RFP?  When you respond, is it in the format they have requested or your standard boilerplate?  Have you reviewed their meeting objectives and crafted a response that highlights how your product or service fits their stated needs or do you send a generic reply with irrelevant information?

The RFP/RFQ process is a necessary tool to evaluate options to see which best fit our meeting requirements.  How both sides (the buyer & seller – planner & supplier) view the process affects the outcome.  The request and the response are a reflection of the individuals and companies who produce them.  Do you care?  Are you being thoughtful and respectful?  Are you minding your Ps & Qs?