EP066: How to Convince Your VP of Sales to Value Proposals – with David Blume
Why is it that the sales team gets the glory if you win an RFP, but the proposal team gets the blame when you lose? If the leadership in your organization sees the proposal as an operational necessity rather than a strategic imperative, it’s time to build an internal case for the value you deliver. But how do you earn that buy-in from the VP of Sales? How do you demonstrate that you’re an integral part of the sales process?
David Bloom is the Senior Director of Sales at RFPIO, a software platform designed to automate and streamline the process of responding to RFPs. He has 30-plus years of experience in international sales management, predominately working in the enterprise software space. David is an expert in the realm of RFP response and sales proposal automation, and in his role at RFPIO, he is responsible for new business sales and the ongoing success of clients in the US, UK and mainland Europe.
On this episode of the RFP Success Show, David joins us to explain what drives the head of sales’ decision-making process and why they focus on initiatives that deliver the biggest return—fastest. He offers advice on how to position your team as a strategic imperative and show leadership the correlation between proposal quality and win rate. Listen in for David’s insight on building an internal case for the value your proposal team delivers and learn how to help your VP of Sales understand how you contribute to the bottom line.
Key Takeaways
What drives the head of sales’ decision-making process
Why there is tension between the proposal and sales teams
Why sales leadership is seeking big returns and quick wins
Why proposal teams struggle to get buy-in from leadership
The integral relationship between the RFP and sales teams
Building an internal case for the value a proposal team delivers
How resourcing their proposal team benefits the VP of Sales
The correlation between proposal quality and win rate
David’s advice on advancing your career in proposals
Specialized training + consulting firms
Tech vendors
Resources through APMP