Find out what the buyer is asking you to commit to
A request for proposal can lead to a strong project, but it can also ask your team to estimate weeks of work from a brief nobody can clarify. When an enquiry comes through your website, get enough detail to decide whether to meet, ask a question by email or decline. Save the full proposal review for requests your team can realistically pursue.
Start by asking what the buyer expects in the first response. A short statement of capabilities is a different commitment from a fixed price, a detailed work plan and a presentation. Ask for the deadline and what is due on that date. A Friday deadline for expressing interest may leave room for discovery next week. A Friday deadline for submitting a final quote may leave no room at all.
Ask who can clarify scope and how suppliers are selected
- Scope. Ask which deliverables are required and which are optional. A website brief that includes copywriting, migration and training needs a different team from a request for design alone.
- Access. Ask whether suppliers can speak with the project team or submit questions in writing. If the process requires a single channel for questions, ask how and when answers are shared.
- Selection. Ask what the buyer will evaluate, when they expect to decide and whether there is an approved budget range. This gives your team a basis for judging whether it can compete and deliver.
A large budget can make a request attractive, but it cannot create delivery capacity. For example, a design agency could take a call about a funded project with an open discovery window and clear deliverables. The same agency might ask a single written question if the request includes a migration with no inventory, or decline if the buyer requires an unsupported service.
Give qualified buyers a clear next step
If a call is allowed, tell the buyer what you will cover, such as clarifying the first phase and agreeing what your team needs to price it. If the process requires written questions, follow the stated channel and keep a record of what you asked. See how to write down your service fit criteria and identify who owns the project.
For RFP enquiries that come through your site, describe the projects you can deliver and the information you need in your MeetQuickly ideal lead profile. The widget generates qualification questions, scores responses and offers booking to Hot and Warm leads. Test it with a clear fit and a request you would decline before sharing it publicly. Use the Free plan for one widget or compare options on MeetQuickly pricing.