EP067: RFP Success Stories – with Robin Davis
“The people who do proposal work have a variety of skills that you just cannot find in just anybody. We’re curious like journalists, we’re problem solvers, we’re salespeople on paper, we’re big-picture focused, we’re detail oriented, we like structure and order but we’re flexible and adaptable, and we’re creatives. We’re here to keep businesses in business. And that’s the bottom line.”
Robin Davis is the Founder and CEO of Metre Works LLC, an APMP-certified consulting firm dedicated to helping sales teams in the healthcare industry win business through RFPs. Her client roster includes Blue Cross Blue Shield, CareNet, HealthCheck360, Teladoc and Verizon Wireless Healthcare Solutions. Prior to Metre Works, Robin spent nine years building the proposal team at Healthways, where she successfully led 700-plus RFP projects and generated more than $500M in new business.
On this episode of the podcast, Robin joins us to discuss the biggest mistakes she sees people make when it comes to RFPs, from failing to backup claims with evidence to thinking that sales and marketing messages are the same. She offers advice for companies struggling to win business through proposals, explaining why they should only bid on winnable opportunities and engage the right people with the right skills to turn out the RFP. Listen in for the story of Robin’s favorite win (an $18B contract!) and learn the integral role capture planning plays in RFP success.
Key Takeaways
Robin’s early experience building an RFP team at a healthcare company
Why it’s crucial to provide SMEs with guidance on how to answer questions
The biggest mistakes Robin sees people make when it comes to RFPs
Think marketing + sales messaging are interchangeable
Don’t back up claims with data or testimonials
Lack of capture planning, bid/no-bid process
Robin’s top lesson learned around the importance of relationships
Robin’s advice for companies struggling to win business
1. Only bid on winnable opportunities
2. Engage right people with right skills on RFP
3. Determine strategy BEFORE RFP hits door
Robin’s favorite RFP win for a large healthcare company (worth $18B!)
How Robin dealt with a difficult client who did not follow her advice
The wide variety of skill sets necessary to be a proposal professional