Fixing the RFP: A better way to choose agencies
Shai Luft, co-founder and COO at Bench Media, on how the request-for-proposal model is broken, and how it could be a much better process for everyone involved.
Last year I wrote about why the RFP process needs a marketing makeover and I certainly didn’t expect the wave of feedback that followed.
Clearly, I wasn’t alone in thinking the current system is outdated, overly bureaucratic, and ultimately detrimental to the kind of strategic partnerships marketers are trying to build. This is particularly true for smaller request-for-proposals, where size makes it unlikely a pitch consultancy would be involved, and where the process can be even more inconsistent. But the issue goes deeper than timelines and templates.
If we want to get better outcomes from the RFP process, we need to look not just at procedure, but at the culture around it – and that starts with how agencies are engaged. This isn’t a complaint. It’s a reflection shaped by many years in the industry and reinforced by recent research.
