GREAT AGENCIES (sometimes) IGNORE RFPs
Why? You may ask. I’m glad you did.
- Many RFPs are poorly written (or obviously written by AI).
- They ask for unnecessary information.
- They require enormous investment…with no guarantee of return.
- In many cases, the winner is already decided.
- They don’t provide the most critical detail: budget.
A BETTER APPROACH
I could argue that this might be a better approach for ALL RFP processes (one’s that are truly looking for the best agency to work with) but that might not have the budget for an agency search consultant; which is arguably the best approach if you find the right resource.
But, specifically — (that’s a real m-dash that I put in there) if you don’t have a large budget (or you don’t know your budget at all), work with your prospective agencies to figure out the best approach.
STEP 1: OPEN INVITATION
Send a simple one-page, bulleted list to a handful of agencies outlining the basics of your project, including:
- Budget range (Yes, you need to share this)
- Assumed scope (But remain open to agency recommendations)
- Project goals (What success looks like)
- Ask for:
- When they could potentially start (This helps gauge how busy they are…longer is not a bad thing)
- Paragraph on why they are interested (This helps gauge their excitement)
- A request for relevant work samples (This helps gauge quality quickly)
STEP 2: INTRO CALLS
From those responses, identify a shortlist of agencies and set up 30-minute calls.
STEP 3: CREATIVE PROPOSAL
Once you’ve narrowed it down to two or three agencies, request a proposal with a concise 2-3 page request.
- Project Objectives – Clearly stated goals and success metrics.
- Scope of Work – The key tasks and deliverables.
- Budget – A defined range to ensure realistic recommendations.
- Timeline & Milestones – The key deadlines and decision dates
THE TAKEAWAY
RFPs are amazing and incredibly helpful. When it makes sense.
If you have a significant budget, your shareholders are requiring it, and/or you put a little time into preparing an RFP that guides select agencies through a process that is clear and straightforward, please keep the RFPs coming.
But if you are writing an RFP with ChatGPT and you don’t know your budget…have a conversation with the agencies first. If you find a talented agency, they will help you through the process.
Good luck out there.
Here’s to the future.