Public Relations RFP Haters (and Lovers) Are Wrong (and Right)
It’s a thin line between love and hate sing the Persuaders. And while this may well ring true, reality is generally more nuanced… but not, it seems, when it comes to discussions of PR RFPs.
When discussions become ideological, the ability to see and discuss the middle ground is closed down. And this is where discussions of RFPs are now in the industry. This is not a good thing.
Having worn the hats of head of corporate communications, founder of agencies, and CEO of CommunicationsMatch™ (which incorporates Agency Select™ RFP tools), I do have a dog in this fight.
I’ve had many spirited discussions with friends in the industry on the agency side of the business who are firmly in the RFPs “over my dead body” camp. And, colleagues in the industry, particularly on the large-client side of the business, who use them to efficiently identify agencies for finalist in-person presentations. None would describe themselves as lovers of RFPs.
In a perfect world, no agency would ever want to go through an RFP process. As consultants we would all want clients to find us and be hired with the words “you got me at hello.”
But of course, we do not live in a perfect world.
In our imperfect world, clients don’t know every qualified agency, and have a responsibility to their management or shareholders for selecting the best firms for their business.
The reality of the middle path between reflexive love or hate is both parties need to understand the other and find the most efficient and effective path to getting hired and establishing long-term relationships.
This does not have to start or end with an RFP, but for larger companies, and almost always for government entities, RFPs have a role to play. For smaller companies or organizations, an informal RFP-like process that helps them find and hire qualified professionals is more likely the norm.
The argument built into the always-say-no school of RFP advice (which is never always-say-no when pushed) is that RFPs are a waste of time unless there’s a pre-existing relationship or referral, and if there’s an incumbent agency. Having been a client for most of my career, it’s a fallacy to think most clients have nothing better to do than spend time on a search to nowhere. And, the idea that having an existing relationship is the basis for participating in an RFP makes little sense.
But agencies need to be able to sort the wheat from the chaff, because there is a bell curve for searches. There will be client firms who will never hire at one end of that curve, and those who go into the process with their decision made at the other end.
For agencies, it is absolutely right to ask as many questions as you need to, so you can make the decision to participate or not. I’d bring this down to three that matter most:
Is the assignment genuine (where is it from, web scrape or reputable firm; does the RFP signal that the client knows what they are looking for and have a budget to pay for it)?
Is the client genuinely interested in working with your firm (have they done due diligence or been referred)?
Are you qualified for this assignment (as a high bar, do you believe objectively that you are among the top 3-5 most qualified)?
As a consultant reminded me recently, there is a behavioral trap for agencies asking themselves these questions. We all want to believe that we are the most qualified and best-suited for any assignment! And, when money is at stake, as I wrote in “Tunnels and Funnels: Why we make bad decisions and how we can make better ones,” it is all too easy to lose perspective on what is and is not a good opportunity, especially when looking for new business.
I’ll go so far as to say that if you are unable to say no to RFPs that are not a good fit, a blanket just-say-no to all may be the right strategy. With RFPs, the point is to position your firm to have an MVP-level batting average. You will not win everything, but a high rate of wins means that you are choosing the right pitches to swing at.
If you’re striking out most of the time, it will be tempting to blame clients or the RFP process. This is precisely the wrong thing to do. Instead, ask yourself, “Am I pitching for business for which I am qualified, or do I need to qualify myself for the business I am pitching?”
This requires a level of self-awareness and the ability to see how clients are seeing you, rather than a head-down continuation of what you have been doing.
Getting some outside perspective at these moments is valuable. There are a lot of people – including many in the never-RFP camp – who can provide valuable perspective on the most effective approach to new business, in general, and RFPs, in particular, for your new business needs, agency size, and goals.
It is not a thin line between loving and hating RFPs. There is a big area in between the two where both parties can meet and find common ground. The key to finding the right strategy for your agency or consultancy is an open mind and disciplined approach to new business that may or may not include RFPs.
