Getting out of the procurement hellhole

When I speak to architects about their marketing efforts, it is very common that I'm told that their marketing person's sole responsibility is to handle proposals. While this an important, albeit small part of marketing, it is very dangerous to rely solely on these to keep your firm healthy.

Marketing is the discipline that consists of a set of activities, often outward-facing (i.e. initiating from the marketer to the prospects), aimed at turning prospects (people potentially interested in buying what you're offering) into leads (people intent on buying). Nothing more, nothing less. Once they become leads, then it's the sales' job to convert them.

Proposals are a different animal, as you're now playing someone else's game who has zero incentive to not waste your time and ask you to do a bunch of free work, in exchange for a tiny probability that you'll be hired.

With marketing, you have control over the message. With proposals, you're just jumping through hoops.

In order to stack the odds in your favour, here's what you can do:

  • If you don't already have one, create a proper marketing department with a proper strategy.

  • If you must continue to do proposals, read this book and learn to derail the RFP process.

  • Redefine your sales department role and turn them into closing machines, surfing on the expertise that's been established by your marketing.

When an RFP comes through, it should be looked at with a suspicious eye at best, and as a huge time waster in the worst of cases. Remember, procurement people are not your friends.

If you build a solid business development process (sales + marketing), you have a shot at getting out of the proposal hellhole.

 

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