What differentiates you from the competition? If your answers involve years of experience or passion for what you do, it may be time to rethink your strategy. Listen in as I share the difference between baseline expectations and true differentiators and learn how to identify and express what sets you apart in an RFP!

If bidding on RFPs is a business growth strategy you’re considering, know that the process is not without challenges. Listen in as Karie Cowden of Connect the Dots Promotions explains how her team suffered through the disappointment of 8 unsuccessful proposals and find out how they leveraged storytelling on #9 to get the WIN!

If you’ve ever put together an RFP that is hundreds of pages long, you know the pain of formatting glitches, consistency issues, or losing hours of work in a crash. Listen in as Jen Parkinson of Billion Dollar Graphics shares her ninja tricks for mitigating the risks and getting the most out of Microsoft Word!

Once a prime and subcontractor have made the decision to team up on an RFP, it becomes necessary to define who’s responsible for what—in writing. And that’s where contracts come in. Listen in as Marsha Lindquist of Granite Leadership Strategies discusses the role of teaming and subcontract agreements in successful prime and sub partnerships!

You’ve come across an RFP that is a nearly perfect fit for your company. How do you decide whether to bring in a subcontractor or pass? Listen in as Marsha Lindquist of Granite Leadership Strategies explains when you should solicit a sub and learn the four steps to finding subs who are the right fit!

Your chances of winning a bid are remote if you throw your readers into a coma of boredom. But how do you convey professionalism, demonstrate your knowledge and abilities AND keep readers engaged? Listen in as I share 5 ways to avoid the BORING we associate with a highly technical RFP response!

If you’ve written an effective RFP, the next step in winning business is to deliver a successful finalist presentation. But how do you convey both technical skill AND relatability? Listen in as Dr. Sharon Lamm-Hartman offers insight on increasing your influence with an audience and shares her proven formula for presentation success!

What is the #1 mistake proposal writers make when incorporating graphics in the RFP? According to visual communication expert Mike Parkinson, we fall short in crafting a clear message BEFORE we start work on the images. Listen in as he explains how to create bid-winning proposal graphics that look professional AND deliver powerful content!

We do business with people we know, like and trust. But how do you build trust with a potential client through the RFP? Listen in as I share my top 5 strategies for building trust in a written document, discussing how to write in an authentic voice and substantiate your claims with solid proof!

We all understand the concept of doing business with people you like and trust. But what if your aim is winning federal contracts? How do you get the federal government to like you? Listen in as Judy Bradt, CEO of Summit Insight, explains how to build relationships with contracting officers and win federal business!

Emotional connection builds trust, and trust leads to sales. But what is the best way to establish that emotional connection? The answer lies in storytelling. Listen in as bestselling author Sandra Younger shares the three types of stories every business should have and explains how to incorporate storytelling in the RFP writing process!

What is the most frustrating aspect of writing an RFP? For many, the most difficult part of the process is simply getting started. Listen in as bestselling author Sandra Younger explains how to take the pressure off, liberate your inner writer, and set up a writing protocol that works for you!

In 2018, I wrote a book, started this podcast, filmed a reality TV show, rebranded my business AND doubled my revenue. Curious what productivity hacks I use to get so much done in so little time? Listen in as I share my top 10 strategies to accomplish MORE—more quickly!

RFPs suck. Whether you’re creating or responding to an RFP, the process is long and arduous. Listen in as Matt Wolach describes how Synlio software automates bidding for the real estate industry and explains how to design a consistent RFP process that eliminates most of the difficult work!

The overarching goal of any business is to generate revenue, and an RFP win does just that. So, does your organization make RFPs a priority? Listen in as Executive Coach Katina Koller explains how to align your team around a strategic plan that prioritizes the RFP process—and increase the value of your business!

To run a successful business in the modern world, it is crucial that you operate from a growth mindset, cultivating a willingness to evolve and adapt in order to stay relevant. But change isn’t easy. Listen in as Donna Warrick of Jamesson Solutions explains how to communicate the value in making a change!

So, you’re responsible for putting together an RFP, and some of your team members happen to be a level or two above you in the chain of command. Listen in as Donna Warrick of Jamesson Solutions explains how to INFLUENCE UP and deliver the best possible bid for your organization!

Are you guilty of adding graphics to your RFPs as an afterthought? Listen in as Richard Goring of BrightCarbon explains how to use visual storytelling techniques to convey complex information in an elegant way that is more engaging, more memorable, and easier to understand than a tedious wall of text!

Behavior style drives communication preference. Listen in as Drea Douglass of The Brooks Group explains how the ability to recognize and adapt to the DISC profile of your colleagues and clients has benefits in the realm of sales, hiring and team development—all integral parts of the RFP process!

If you are the incumbent in a bidding process, that contract is yours to lose. But how do you leverage your relationship with the client in the RFP to get that bid back? Listen in as I share my top 4 tips for defending your own contract!