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“I’m not going to bid on that RFP because I don’t have a perfect team in place.” “I don’t look perfect in this outfit so I’m going to duck out of the job interview.” MORE
Better yet, try putting an SEO RFP together, there is a SEO Request for Proposal template right here. No wonder the SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) industry has such as bad reputation. I am amazed that there are still so many SEO snake oil salesman out there spamming small businesses. MORE
Maybe the trends I mentioned at the beginning of this post have you considering cutting your PR agency budget or canceling that RFP, but the pendulum will always swing back. It’s not an easy time to be an agency PR pro. Trust in the media is at its lowest point in decades. Publisher walls between paid and editorial are disappearing. Earned media budgets are being slashed. Brands are dropping agency clients as they bring more work in house. MORE
There is no reason for any brand to request that fifteen agencies take part in a RFP process. Almost all formal RFP processes have a Q&A session where agencies can submit questions and the brand responds. The RFP process is about finding the smartest partner. Sit down, meet the people and truly spend time talking about the business - outside of the RFP process. Pitching new business is never easy. MORE
My # contentmarketing RFP questionnaire can help you decide bit.ly/1SxTuOq{. On February 5, 2016 Meritus Media Inc launched the #DigitalPR Twitter chat. Our first guest was Rebecca Lieb, strategic advisor, research analyst, author and columnist. MORE
Before a prospective client sends an RFP, they want to know what your agency is capable of. Agencies of all types are brought on to handle a multitude of responsibilities for their clients. MORE
And, while that may have been true in the past, the argument could also be made that agencies simply want to know what the potential business reward will be against the amount of time, effort and cost it will take to complete the RFP or RFI in an effective manner. Let''s talk about money. The marketing agency business is a strange bird. Brands are strange birds too. It''s a complex web of relationships that is often confusing, evolving, thrilling, beautiful, painful and more. MORE
Updating your RFQ or RFP form. Why: An outdated RFQ/RFP can hurt your business and deter potential customers. It’s Monday once again, and you all know what that means, right? It’s time to give you your weekly roundup. Image: pdbreen via Flickr, CC 2.0. MORE
Issue a boilerplate Request for Proposal (RFP), then head out the door to enjoy the holiday season. Too often we see last minute RFP’s come in asking us to answer a list of 50 or more boilerplate questions about every single service that we offer… in full detail… with a case study. MORE
• Completing a request for proposal (RFP) or request for information (RFI) (checklist) • Forecasting inventory and sales requirements (printed spreadsheet). For example, two participants at the same consulting firm and the same group not only modified the RFP process to match their work styles, but also adapted it for certain clients. One participant had seven different versions of the same RFP process. Country/region [ change ] Terms of use. MORE
Consider this the reverse RFP for social media consultants and companies. For the last few weeks I’ve started to compile a social media abilities list. MORE
What Are RFP Responses and How Do They Work? Ganesh Shankar from RFPIO reports that only 5% of RFP responses are successful. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about RFP responses. What Is an RFP Response? An RFP is far from a sure thing. MORE
On mid-1990s projects, for example, typically organizations defined hundreds of requirements and went through protracted RFP processes in search of the best software and system integrator. MORE
Or, it’s because the agency had to tackle a big RFP, or client renewal project, an office space move, or some other circumstance that caused senior staff to knowingly and willingly take their eye off the content ball in favor of spending those hours in some other way – and that’s the kiss of death. Last week I wrote about the 4 (and only 4) possible rationales for agencies to get deep into content marketing. MORE
I have arrived at the place where I can say no to the freebies, but it’s the fake RFP’s that’s got my skin crawling. MORE
Where are these people who are creating these RFP’s getting that from? This is Episode 14 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media. This episode features Jason Falls , the founder and principal of Social Media Explorer. MORE
I needed to come up with a list of organizations we have worked with for a federal government RFP, and holy cow! We’ve worked with so many great associations, I can’t help but share the list with you. MORE
Yet another post about 2018 B2B marketing trends? Yes, but wait—this one is different. Promise. Most “top trends” posts either tell what the blogger thinks (good), or curate the opinions of multiple experts (better). MORE
Also, do note that you will usually be required to fill out a full RFP (Request for Proposal) from the ad agency. We kick off this week’s theme with Juanita Nessinger of Vertical Online Media – a total guru when it comes to all things advertising! MORE
Home About Me Speaking Legal-ese My Team Gov 2.0 Events Calendar Subscribe: Posts | Comments | Email Social Media Strategery Best Of Best Practices Enterprise 2.0 Government 2.0 Miscellaneous Personal Prof. MORE
Managing the RFP Process. ); ); ); ); ); } document.write( ); if (document.getElementById(dclk1231)) { document.getElementById(dclk1231).src src = [link]. }. White Papers |. Blogs |. Video |. Webcasts |. Podcasts |. Events |. Solution Centers |. Newsletters |. RSS Feeds. How-To. Advice & Opinion. Research & Analysis. Careers. Topics. Infrastructure Applications Development Architecture. Personal IT Organization Enterprise Partner/Vendor. TECHNOLOGY. Infrastructure. Network. MORE
Most contact centers go through a formal RFP/tender process for new investments, and because chatbots got lots of mainstream media attention in both 2016 and 2017, budgets have indeed formed in 2017. MORE
Editorial profiles include details on core capabilities and specializations, examples of outstanding work, insights on culture and people, client examples and RFP contact information. MORE
One of the most proven methods of sourcing external suppliers is through a Request For Proposal process or RFP. As stated in Wikipedia, an RFP is: “is an invitation for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service. MORE
Inevitably, when corporate America seeks a PR agency to support their communications effort, the Request for Proposals (RFP) asks for critical capabilities that can help a company sift through the myriad of options available and narrow them down to the few that make sense for their specific needs. Companies should go into the RFP process looking for a partner, not an order-taker. MORE
4) The Social Media Group this past week rolled out the “ Social Media RFP , which is essentially a working document on what companies of all sizes should be looking for when hiring a social media consultant or firm. Content. We’re either creating it or consuming it. MORE
They talk about white papers at the top of the funnel and then buying guides and RFP guides a little further down the funnel. This is Episode 8 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media. MORE
They talk about white papers at the top of the funnel and then buying guides and RFP guides a little further down the funnel. This is Episode 8 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media. MORE
agencypartner agencyreview agencysearchconsultant agencysearchreform amazon brand brandmanager brandmarketing chiefmarketingofficer cmo creativebrief creativity credentials culture google innovation lateralexperience marketingagency mediaattention onlinesearch procurement rfi rfp searchbox strategyThe process of hiring a Marketing agency feels old. and somewhat broken. MORE
Home About Services Social Media Speaking-Training LMA Contact Subscribe Myrland Marketing Minutes Strategic Social Media: Making Social Media Make Sense IT’S NO LONGER OUR DECISION by Nancy Myrland on June 29, 2010 The other day I read, and commented on, a post from Twitterville author Shel Israel , in which he was discussing his assertion that social media is now at the end of a period of great disruption, and is now entering a longer, quieter period of normalization. The thoughts I shared on his blog, along with a few new additions, are these: Business, as well as all kinds of institutions and organizations, make decisions for all kinds of reasons. Fear, uncertainty, arrogance, competition, desperation, passion, nurturing, empathy, sympathy, follow-the-leader, follow-the-loser and a host of other factors go in to good and bad decisions and developments. I think we are in the midst of several worlds co-existing in Social Media. One is the world of those who dove in head-first, embraced tools that are the most revolutionary communication and connection tools we have witnessed in many years, and are continuing to use them to their advantage. Another world is of those who are curious, are dabbling and are scurrying around experimenting. Another is the world of those who think Social is the devil, and, by golly, they don’t need it to survive and they’re going to prove that to everyone by holding out! Many worlds exist in between the three I mentioned. What is important for all to know is that it is no longer our decision, but our clients and potential client’s decision regarding how they expect to be communicated with, how they want their problems solved, the speed at which they expect an answer, and the way they are evolving with their comfort level and knowledge of tools available to them. As they evolve, so does our need to evolve and meet them where they live and do business on a daily basis. In fact, I’m a firm believer that we should get there first if at all possible so we are there, communicating and establishing relationships comfortably. Wouldn’t we all like to be welcomed by our service providers rather than welcoming them down the road? It’s time to jump in strategically, and to take advantage of the tools and the gifts we have been given that allow us to be closer to those whom we would like to care about our products and services. Many thanks to AmandaJoy2008 for the Flickr image used above. Share Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Share this on Facebook Share this on Linkedin Subscribe to the comments for this post? Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This! Share this on Reddit Tagged as: Law Firm , Lawyer , Legal Marketing Consulting , Shel Israel , Social Media Consulting , Twitterville { 1 trackback } Tweets that mention IT’S NO LONGER OUR DECISION -- Topsy.com June 29, 2010 at 11:33 am { 16 comments… read them below or add one } Deb Dobson June 29, 2010 at 3:31 pm Nancy, I couldn’t agree more with this post. I see it daily in discussions I have with those who have jumped in and headlong embraced it, those who are trying to catch up and those that simply think it is a waste of time, an obstacle to business. It truly is a revolution in the way we communicate and connect with our clients, our audience. A great post and so right on target!! Great job. Nancy Myrland June 29, 2010 at 3:45 pm Thanks for commenting Deb. It will be very interesting to see how this discussion changes in the months and years to come. We will read these posts in disbelief because of the drastic change in culture that is taking place around the world. Samantha Collier July 5, 2010 at 12:47 pm Another great post Nancy. I also agree social media is here to stay and will continue to grow in leaps and bounds. I see proof of this in my firm with the younger employees. They do everything via social media. I agree with Deb about how social media has revolutionized how we communicate and connect with our audience. Nancy Myrland July 5, 2010 at 1:14 pm Thanks Samantha. I think becoming familiar with these tools, realizing they aren’t that difficult to use, and that they truly can help nurture and grow relationships will make a big difference in the way we communicate with everyone in the future. Thanks for stopping by! David Polinchock July 5, 2010 at 8:14 pm I’ve actually challenged the revolutionary aspects of social media for some time. SM isn’t new, it’s how we’ve communicated with each other for centuries. On this holiday celebrating the birth of our nation, we have to remember that it was pamphleteers who helped drive us towards the fight for independence. What is revolutionary is the speed & breadth of our ability to communicate. We’re no longer required to stand on the street corner handing out our pamphlets to get our messages across. And the most important thing to remember about communicating to your audience is that you should communicate in the language that they speak. You’ll be just as hard pressed to reach my Mom on SM as you might be to reach a college student with an ad in a national magazine. And nothing against them, but there are just some brands that we don’t want to be social with? Would you follow a brand like Monistat? Would you friend them on FB? What would you think if they suddenly started following you or requested to be your FB friend? And despite the “relationship&# discussions around SM, I still think that most brands are using SM as a different way to broadcast. I can barely keep up with the 2200 or so people that I follow, how can a brand follow thousands? And I still question whether or not most brands really want to have a conversation with the consumers. I think that it’s really a lot of back & forth listening more then anything else. Without a doubt, as has happened in the past, there will be some people that don’t see the new tools and don’t know what to do with them. People were against the Gutenberg Press. But I’m also concerned with the broad generalizations that people put on SM. The truth be told, it’s like any other tactic that people can bring to the table. At the heart of it, brands need to create compelling, authentic and relevant brand experiences to engage their audience. Once they’ve done that, then it’s much easier to find the right way to engage their audience. David Rosen July 5, 2010 at 8:36 pm The power and reach of so-called social media is immense and undeniable. Those of us in communications and marketing need to take advantage of what it has to offer. That said, social media can be fickle and hard to control and is increasingly suspect when it comes to marketing. Where it will all lead, no one knows. The only thing I know for sure is that it will change dramatically in the years to come. In the meantime, all aboard! But don’t lose site of traditional media. Eria Odhuba July 6, 2010 at 7:46 am This is a brilliant post – great commentary on the need to understand how clients want to be communicated to. It highlights the problem many professional services firms face, which is the one-size-fits-all approach to dealing and communicating with customers across various niches. Social media provides an opportunity to engage brilliantly with those that prefer this channel to market, but one can not ignore other, though complementary methods, to deal with those that may be rather slow on the uptake. As you said – “Many worlds exist in between the three I mentioned&# Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 8:37 am Hi David…thanks for taking the time to stop by, and for commenting. Yes, you are right. We have been socially communicating for centuries. What has changed are the tools, and people and companies are struggling to learn and use them effectively. I wouldn’t follow Monistat, but I’m pretty sure their users might be interested in discussion groups, blog posts, etc. about their condition. These are all tools that can be considered Social Media as well. Yes, there will be some who don’t know what to do with these tools, much like there were probably some who stood on the street corner and let people walk by without sharing their pamphlets with them too. Discussions like these help all of us define best uses, which is wonderful. Thanks for stopping by! Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 8:40 am Hi David. Yes, I agree, these tools will definitely change. They will change at a more rapid pace than many other tools you and I have used over the years because the users are as much in charge, if not more, than the developers, which creates a very interesting phenomenon! Thanks for stopping by! Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 8:44 am Thanks for your comment Eria. Yes, we are living in a time when clients are very much in charge. This economy has left people with the urgency to make the best decisions with the hard-earned money they have. They are in a position to expect responsiveness and communication on their terms. One size definitely does not fit all. Thorne July 6, 2010 at 9:07 am I’ve seen a few revolutions in my time. When I started my career, nobody — and I mean NOBODY — had a microcomputer on his desk. At the publisher I was working for, I was first: an Apple II+ (If you like, you can read more about what I did here: [link] When I saw possibilities, others saw nothing. Nothing, that is, until the IBM PC came along running VisiCalc. That was a real game changer. Once PCs starting getting popular, it was no longer only hobbyists, enthusiast, devotees and such with an interest in the gizmos. The suits showed up. Then, 15 years later, the Mac and the LaserWriter hit the scene, and I jumped into the desktop publishing revolution. (You can read what I did here if you like: [link] Suits didn’t take so long to show up. Heck, they were in on it. Now everyone (OK, some) are crazed with excitement over Twitter, and what strikes me about it as so different from those earlier revolutions is this: the money men are in the lead. By far, most of what I find on Twitter is some sort of an ad: read what I wrote; buy what I sell, etc. And that makes Twitter much less of a social media tool, than a new form of billboard. Hang on, Nancy. Just about everyone but the Ted Kaczynskis out there will get on board when it’s time. There’s really no rush. Phones still work; so does e-mail. For most of us, Twitter can wait. Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 11:13 pm Hi Thorne…thanks for your comment. I don’t believe I was advocating Twitter, or any one tool. What I was advocating was after strategic planning for one’s business, and discovering where your clients are spending their time, how they like to communicate, and what their expectations are, it then becomes important to meet them where they are. This isn’t jumping on any particular bandwagon, but realizing we need to be responsive to their needs in order to provide the best client service we know how to provide. Thanks for stopping by! David Polinchock July 7, 2010 at 7:57 am Nancy: Thanks for the reply and you make a really excellent point. In fact, it’s a point that to few SM experts make today. Not enough people are advocating the strategic uses of the right tool, all too often it’s just “here’s what’s new & cool and you should use it.&# To many of these consultants, they would be talking to Monistat about how to use Twitter or FB or foursquare because to them, discussion groups or blog posts are old school. The big message I try to drive is that we need to stop the “new vs old&# battle and focus on what you said — “This isn’t jumping on any particular bandwagon, but realizing we need to be responsive to their needs in order to provide the best client service we know how to provide.&# Steve Bell July 7, 2010 at 8:01 am To paraphrase what Legal OnRamp CEO Paul Lippe often voices: “Clients Drive Change.&# It’s been a little more than a year now since inside-counsel innovator, Jeff Carr, at FMC Technologies conducted the first known Web 2.0 “non-RFP’ process, which included — as one component — Tweets from the law firms competing to be part of FMCTI’s litigation network. While other companies have not yet taken it that far, those of us in law firms who sell legal services to companies are well aware of their vigorous adoption of digital collaboration tools — both internally and externally. Prominent voices in the world of lawyering — notably many of the lawyers who run the Association of Corporaet Counsel — are in the mainstream of social media these days. Outside lawyers are risk-averse and just plain busy. But they are coming along, some faster than others. To paraphrase Susan Hackett, the General Counsel of the ACC, there’s a lot of evolution in the social media (r)evolution. Nancy Myrland July 7, 2010 at 11:10 am David P: You, too, make excellent points. It’s so important for companies and firms, and their marketing and business development leadership, to stay on top of every aspect of marketing, or at least ask for help in order to take all tools in to consideration. To me, there is no such thing as new or old. Some tools are called in to play for different reasons. It takes depth of knowledge and use to understand which tools should be called in to play for specific clients, as well as the willingness to reach out to these clients to try to understand what they need. Thanks for the discussion. Nancy Myrland July 7, 2010 at 11:21 am Steve, thank you for contributing your perspective, as well as those of others who have spoken on this topic, or who are taking part in the discussion. Susan Hackett is exactly right. I often tell people that as much as I can study and immerse myself in Social Media, and to learn how these tools fit in to the marketing and business development plans of a firm, and I do spend a great deal of time on this, the one thing I know is that it changes on a daily basis. Not only are the tools changing, but their use is changing also. In the grand scheme of marketing and communication, these digital tools are still new, so staying on top of them is very important. Paul Lippe is right, and we need to remember this: Clients DO Drive Change! It is also the case that sometimes we help them adapt to changes that are taking place in the marketplace because they, too, are very busy. They don’t always have the time to learn the most current communication tools that are out there. I have suggested that firms take the lead and provide Social Media training to their clients, and not because this is training I’d like to conduct, but because clients look to their firms as business advisors as well. This is one way firms can position themselves by adding value to the business relationship they have with their clients. Again, Steve, thank you very much for commenting. I appreciate it! Leave a Comment Previous post: DON’T BE A HIT AND RUN! Next post: THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A REASON Connect with Nancy RSS via eMail Google Friend Connect Categories About Nancy and Myrland Marketing (1) Business Development/Sales (13) Career Development & Education (4) Client Interviews (1) Client Satisfaction Interviews (4) Client Service and Retention (15) For Our Friends (1) LMA Conference Tweet Summary (4) Marketing Strategy (23) Myrland Marketing Moments (8) Networking (3) Referral Recognition (3) Social Media (25) Staffing and Recruiting (3) Training in Client Service and Business Development/Sal (12) Uncategorized (58) Archives October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 January 2010 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 Get smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIYthemes. WordPress Admin MORE
RFP Related Topics 
Ignite Social Media
OCTOBER 28, 2016
Issue a boilerplate Request for Proposal (RFP), then head out the door to enjoy the holiday season. Too often we see last minute RFP’s come in asking us to answer a list of 50 or more boilerplate questions about every single service that we offer… in full detail… with a case study.
The Realtime Report
DECEMBER 31, 2019
What Are RFP Responses and How Do They Work? Ganesh Shankar from RFPIO reports that only 5% of RFP responses are successful. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about RFP responses. What Is an RFP Response? An RFP is far from a sure thing.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Direct Marketing Observations
JANUARY 19, 2010
One of the most proven methods of sourcing external suppliers is through a Request For Proposal process or RFP. As stated in Wikipedia, an RFP is: “is an invitation for suppliers, often through a bidding process, to submit a proposal on a specific commodity or service.
Direct Marketing Observations
JANUARY 14, 2010
4) The Social Media Group this past week rolled out the “ Social Media RFP , which is essentially a working document on what companies of all sizes should be looking for when hiring a social media consultant or firm. Content. We’re either creating it or consuming it.
Twist Image
APRIL 18, 2012
There is no reason for any brand to request that fifteen agencies take part in a RFP process. Almost all formal RFP processes have a Q&A session where agencies can submit questions and the brand responds. The RFP process is about finding the smartest partner. Sit down, meet the people and truly spend time talking about the business - outside of the RFP process. Pitching new business is never easy.
Twist Image
NOVEMBER 22, 2013
And, while that may have been true in the past, the argument could also be made that agencies simply want to know what the potential business reward will be against the amount of time, effort and cost it will take to complete the RFP or RFI in an effective manner. Let''s talk about money. The marketing agency business is a strange bird. Brands are strange birds too. It''s a complex web of relationships that is often confusing, evolving, thrilling, beautiful, painful and more.
Waxing UnLyrical
AUGUST 12, 2013
Updating your RFQ or RFP form. Why: An outdated RFQ/RFP can hurt your business and deter potential customers. It’s Monday once again, and you all know what that means, right? It’s time to give you your weekly roundup. Image: pdbreen via Flickr, CC 2.0.
Ignite Social Media
DECEMBER 9, 2019
Editorial profiles include details on core capabilities and specializations, examples of outstanding work, insights on culture and people, client examples and RFP contact information.
Social Media Strategery
MARCH 8, 2020
Maybe the trends I mentioned at the beginning of this post have you considering cutting your PR agency budget or canceling that RFP, but the pendulum will always swing back. It’s not an easy time to be an agency PR pro. Trust in the media is at its lowest point in decades. Publisher walls between paid and editorial are disappearing. Earned media budgets are being slashed. Brands are dropping agency clients as they bring more work in house.
SocialFish
AUGUST 9, 2012
I needed to come up with a list of organizations we have worked with for a federal government RFP, and holy cow! We’ve worked with so many great associations, I can’t help but share the list with you.
Waxing UnLyrical
JANUARY 24, 2014
“I’m not going to bid on that RFP because I don’t have a perfect team in place.” “I don’t look perfect in this outfit so I’m going to duck out of the job interview.”
Sprout Social
MARCH 19, 2020
Before a prospective client sends an RFP, they want to know what your agency is capable of. Agencies of all types are brought on to handle a multitude of responsibilities for their clients.
Direct Marketing Observations
MARCH 29, 2010
Consider this the reverse RFP for social media consultants and companies. For the last few weeks I’ve started to compile a social media abilities list.
Webbiquity SMM
DECEMBER 19, 2017
Yet another post about 2018 B2B marketing trends? Yes, but wait—this one is different. Promise. Most “top trends” posts either tell what the blogger thinks (good), or curate the opinions of multiple experts (better).
Twist Image
DECEMBER 27, 2017
Most contact centers go through a formal RFP/tender process for new investments, and because chatbots got lots of mainstream media attention in both 2016 and 2017, budgets have indeed formed in 2017.
Bill Hartzer
AUGUST 7, 2009
Better yet, try putting an SEO RFP together, there is a SEO Request for Proposal template right here. No wonder the SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) industry has such as bad reputation. I am amazed that there are still so many SEO snake oil salesman out there spamming small businesses.
Proactive Report
FEBRUARY 7, 2016
My # contentmarketing RFP questionnaire can help you decide bit.ly/1SxTuOq{. On February 5, 2016 Meritus Media Inc launched the #DigitalPR Twitter chat. Our first guest was Rebecca Lieb, strategic advisor, research analyst, author and columnist.
ProBlogger
JUNE 30, 2014
Also, do note that you will usually be required to fill out a full RFP (Request for Proposal) from the ad agency. We kick off this week’s theme with Juanita Nessinger of Vertical Online Media – a total guru when it comes to all things advertising!
Convince & Convert
SEPTEMBER 20, 2010
Inevitably, when corporate America seeks a PR agency to support their communications effort, the Request for Proposals (RFP) asks for critical capabilities that can help a company sift through the myriad of options available and narrow them down to the few that make sense for their specific needs. Companies should go into the RFP process looking for a partner, not an order-taker.
Convince & Convert
FEBRUARY 12, 2012
Or, it’s because the agency had to tackle a big RFP, or client renewal project, an office space move, or some other circumstance that caused senior staff to knowingly and willingly take their eye off the content ball in favor of spending those hours in some other way – and that’s the kiss of death. Last week I wrote about the 4 (and only 4) possible rationales for agencies to get deep into content marketing.
Social Media Strategery
JULY 21, 2009
Home About Me Speaking Legal-ese My Team Gov 2.0 Events Calendar Subscribe: Posts | Comments | Email Social Media Strategery Best Of Best Practices Enterprise 2.0 Government 2.0 Miscellaneous Personal Prof.
Buzz Marketing for Technology
JUNE 27, 2008
Managing the RFP Process. ); ); ); ); ); } document.write( ); if (document.getElementById(dclk1231)) { document.getElementById(dclk1231).src src = [link]. }. White Papers |. Blogs |. Video |. Webcasts |. Podcasts |. Events |. Solution Centers |. Newsletters |. RSS Feeds. How-To. Advice & Opinion. Research & Analysis. Careers. Topics. Infrastructure Applications Development Architecture. Personal IT Organization Enterprise Partner/Vendor. TECHNOLOGY. Infrastructure. Network.
Buzz Marketing for Technology
JUNE 27, 2008
• Completing a request for proposal (RFP) or request for information (RFI) (checklist) • Forecasting inventory and sales requirements (printed spreadsheet). For example, two participants at the same consulting firm and the same group not only modified the RFP process to match their work styles, but also adapted it for certain clients. One participant had seven different versions of the same RFP process. Country/region [ change ] Terms of use.
Techipedia: Tamar Weinberg
JULY 29, 2010
I have arrived at the place where I can say no to the freebies, but it’s the fake RFP’s that’s got my skin crawling.
Myrland Marketing
JUNE 29, 2010
Home About Services Social Media Speaking-Training LMA Contact Subscribe Myrland Marketing Minutes Strategic Social Media: Making Social Media Make Sense IT’S NO LONGER OUR DECISION by Nancy Myrland on June 29, 2010 The other day I read, and commented on, a post from Twitterville author Shel Israel , in which he was discussing his assertion that social media is now at the end of a period of great disruption, and is now entering a longer, quieter period of normalization. The thoughts I shared on his blog, along with a few new additions, are these: Business, as well as all kinds of institutions and organizations, make decisions for all kinds of reasons. Fear, uncertainty, arrogance, competition, desperation, passion, nurturing, empathy, sympathy, follow-the-leader, follow-the-loser and a host of other factors go in to good and bad decisions and developments. I think we are in the midst of several worlds co-existing in Social Media. One is the world of those who dove in head-first, embraced tools that are the most revolutionary communication and connection tools we have witnessed in many years, and are continuing to use them to their advantage. Another world is of those who are curious, are dabbling and are scurrying around experimenting. Another is the world of those who think Social is the devil, and, by golly, they don’t need it to survive and they’re going to prove that to everyone by holding out! Many worlds exist in between the three I mentioned. What is important for all to know is that it is no longer our decision, but our clients and potential client’s decision regarding how they expect to be communicated with, how they want their problems solved, the speed at which they expect an answer, and the way they are evolving with their comfort level and knowledge of tools available to them. As they evolve, so does our need to evolve and meet them where they live and do business on a daily basis. In fact, I’m a firm believer that we should get there first if at all possible so we are there, communicating and establishing relationships comfortably. Wouldn’t we all like to be welcomed by our service providers rather than welcoming them down the road? It’s time to jump in strategically, and to take advantage of the tools and the gifts we have been given that allow us to be closer to those whom we would like to care about our products and services. Many thanks to AmandaJoy2008 for the Flickr image used above. Share Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Share this on Facebook Share this on Linkedin Subscribe to the comments for this post? Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Tweet This! Share this on Reddit Tagged as: Law Firm , Lawyer , Legal Marketing Consulting , Shel Israel , Social Media Consulting , Twitterville { 1 trackback } Tweets that mention IT’S NO LONGER OUR DECISION -- Topsy.com June 29, 2010 at 11:33 am { 16 comments… read them below or add one } Deb Dobson June 29, 2010 at 3:31 pm Nancy, I couldn’t agree more with this post. I see it daily in discussions I have with those who have jumped in and headlong embraced it, those who are trying to catch up and those that simply think it is a waste of time, an obstacle to business. It truly is a revolution in the way we communicate and connect with our clients, our audience. A great post and so right on target!! Great job. Nancy Myrland June 29, 2010 at 3:45 pm Thanks for commenting Deb. It will be very interesting to see how this discussion changes in the months and years to come. We will read these posts in disbelief because of the drastic change in culture that is taking place around the world. Samantha Collier July 5, 2010 at 12:47 pm Another great post Nancy. I also agree social media is here to stay and will continue to grow in leaps and bounds. I see proof of this in my firm with the younger employees. They do everything via social media. I agree with Deb about how social media has revolutionized how we communicate and connect with our audience. Nancy Myrland July 5, 2010 at 1:14 pm Thanks Samantha. I think becoming familiar with these tools, realizing they aren’t that difficult to use, and that they truly can help nurture and grow relationships will make a big difference in the way we communicate with everyone in the future. Thanks for stopping by! David Polinchock July 5, 2010 at 8:14 pm I’ve actually challenged the revolutionary aspects of social media for some time. SM isn’t new, it’s how we’ve communicated with each other for centuries. On this holiday celebrating the birth of our nation, we have to remember that it was pamphleteers who helped drive us towards the fight for independence. What is revolutionary is the speed & breadth of our ability to communicate. We’re no longer required to stand on the street corner handing out our pamphlets to get our messages across. And the most important thing to remember about communicating to your audience is that you should communicate in the language that they speak. You’ll be just as hard pressed to reach my Mom on SM as you might be to reach a college student with an ad in a national magazine. And nothing against them, but there are just some brands that we don’t want to be social with? Would you follow a brand like Monistat? Would you friend them on FB? What would you think if they suddenly started following you or requested to be your FB friend? And despite the “relationship&# discussions around SM, I still think that most brands are using SM as a different way to broadcast. I can barely keep up with the 2200 or so people that I follow, how can a brand follow thousands? And I still question whether or not most brands really want to have a conversation with the consumers. I think that it’s really a lot of back & forth listening more then anything else. Without a doubt, as has happened in the past, there will be some people that don’t see the new tools and don’t know what to do with them. People were against the Gutenberg Press. But I’m also concerned with the broad generalizations that people put on SM. The truth be told, it’s like any other tactic that people can bring to the table. At the heart of it, brands need to create compelling, authentic and relevant brand experiences to engage their audience. Once they’ve done that, then it’s much easier to find the right way to engage their audience. David Rosen July 5, 2010 at 8:36 pm The power and reach of so-called social media is immense and undeniable. Those of us in communications and marketing need to take advantage of what it has to offer. That said, social media can be fickle and hard to control and is increasingly suspect when it comes to marketing. Where it will all lead, no one knows. The only thing I know for sure is that it will change dramatically in the years to come. In the meantime, all aboard! But don’t lose site of traditional media. Eria Odhuba July 6, 2010 at 7:46 am This is a brilliant post – great commentary on the need to understand how clients want to be communicated to. It highlights the problem many professional services firms face, which is the one-size-fits-all approach to dealing and communicating with customers across various niches. Social media provides an opportunity to engage brilliantly with those that prefer this channel to market, but one can not ignore other, though complementary methods, to deal with those that may be rather slow on the uptake. As you said – “Many worlds exist in between the three I mentioned&# Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 8:37 am Hi David…thanks for taking the time to stop by, and for commenting. Yes, you are right. We have been socially communicating for centuries. What has changed are the tools, and people and companies are struggling to learn and use them effectively. I wouldn’t follow Monistat, but I’m pretty sure their users might be interested in discussion groups, blog posts, etc. about their condition. These are all tools that can be considered Social Media as well. Yes, there will be some who don’t know what to do with these tools, much like there were probably some who stood on the street corner and let people walk by without sharing their pamphlets with them too. Discussions like these help all of us define best uses, which is wonderful. Thanks for stopping by! Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 8:40 am Hi David. Yes, I agree, these tools will definitely change. They will change at a more rapid pace than many other tools you and I have used over the years because the users are as much in charge, if not more, than the developers, which creates a very interesting phenomenon! Thanks for stopping by! Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 8:44 am Thanks for your comment Eria. Yes, we are living in a time when clients are very much in charge. This economy has left people with the urgency to make the best decisions with the hard-earned money they have. They are in a position to expect responsiveness and communication on their terms. One size definitely does not fit all. Thorne July 6, 2010 at 9:07 am I’ve seen a few revolutions in my time. When I started my career, nobody — and I mean NOBODY — had a microcomputer on his desk. At the publisher I was working for, I was first: an Apple II+ (If you like, you can read more about what I did here: [link] When I saw possibilities, others saw nothing. Nothing, that is, until the IBM PC came along running VisiCalc. That was a real game changer. Once PCs starting getting popular, it was no longer only hobbyists, enthusiast, devotees and such with an interest in the gizmos. The suits showed up. Then, 15 years later, the Mac and the LaserWriter hit the scene, and I jumped into the desktop publishing revolution. (You can read what I did here if you like: [link] Suits didn’t take so long to show up. Heck, they were in on it. Now everyone (OK, some) are crazed with excitement over Twitter, and what strikes me about it as so different from those earlier revolutions is this: the money men are in the lead. By far, most of what I find on Twitter is some sort of an ad: read what I wrote; buy what I sell, etc. And that makes Twitter much less of a social media tool, than a new form of billboard. Hang on, Nancy. Just about everyone but the Ted Kaczynskis out there will get on board when it’s time. There’s really no rush. Phones still work; so does e-mail. For most of us, Twitter can wait. Nancy Myrland July 6, 2010 at 11:13 pm Hi Thorne…thanks for your comment. I don’t believe I was advocating Twitter, or any one tool. What I was advocating was after strategic planning for one’s business, and discovering where your clients are spending their time, how they like to communicate, and what their expectations are, it then becomes important to meet them where they are. This isn’t jumping on any particular bandwagon, but realizing we need to be responsive to their needs in order to provide the best client service we know how to provide. Thanks for stopping by! David Polinchock July 7, 2010 at 7:57 am Nancy: Thanks for the reply and you make a really excellent point. In fact, it’s a point that to few SM experts make today. Not enough people are advocating the strategic uses of the right tool, all too often it’s just “here’s what’s new & cool and you should use it.&# To many of these consultants, they would be talking to Monistat about how to use Twitter or FB or foursquare because to them, discussion groups or blog posts are old school. The big message I try to drive is that we need to stop the “new vs old&# battle and focus on what you said — “This isn’t jumping on any particular bandwagon, but realizing we need to be responsive to their needs in order to provide the best client service we know how to provide.&# Steve Bell July 7, 2010 at 8:01 am To paraphrase what Legal OnRamp CEO Paul Lippe often voices: “Clients Drive Change.&# It’s been a little more than a year now since inside-counsel innovator, Jeff Carr, at FMC Technologies conducted the first known Web 2.0 “non-RFP’ process, which included — as one component — Tweets from the law firms competing to be part of FMCTI’s litigation network. While other companies have not yet taken it that far, those of us in law firms who sell legal services to companies are well aware of their vigorous adoption of digital collaboration tools — both internally and externally. Prominent voices in the world of lawyering — notably many of the lawyers who run the Association of Corporaet Counsel — are in the mainstream of social media these days. Outside lawyers are risk-averse and just plain busy. But they are coming along, some faster than others. To paraphrase Susan Hackett, the General Counsel of the ACC, there’s a lot of evolution in the social media (r)evolution. Nancy Myrland July 7, 2010 at 11:10 am David P: You, too, make excellent points. It’s so important for companies and firms, and their marketing and business development leadership, to stay on top of every aspect of marketing, or at least ask for help in order to take all tools in to consideration. To me, there is no such thing as new or old. Some tools are called in to play for different reasons. It takes depth of knowledge and use to understand which tools should be called in to play for specific clients, as well as the willingness to reach out to these clients to try to understand what they need. Thanks for the discussion. Nancy Myrland July 7, 2010 at 11:21 am Steve, thank you for contributing your perspective, as well as those of others who have spoken on this topic, or who are taking part in the discussion. Susan Hackett is exactly right. I often tell people that as much as I can study and immerse myself in Social Media, and to learn how these tools fit in to the marketing and business development plans of a firm, and I do spend a great deal of time on this, the one thing I know is that it changes on a daily basis. Not only are the tools changing, but their use is changing also. In the grand scheme of marketing and communication, these digital tools are still new, so staying on top of them is very important. Paul Lippe is right, and we need to remember this: Clients DO Drive Change! It is also the case that sometimes we help them adapt to changes that are taking place in the marketplace because they, too, are very busy. They don’t always have the time to learn the most current communication tools that are out there. I have suggested that firms take the lead and provide Social Media training to their clients, and not because this is training I’d like to conduct, but because clients look to their firms as business advisors as well. This is one way firms can position themselves by adding value to the business relationship they have with their clients. Again, Steve, thank you very much for commenting. I appreciate it! Leave a Comment Previous post: DON’T BE A HIT AND RUN! 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Convince & Convert
MAY 3, 2012
Where are these people who are creating these RFP’s getting that from? This is Episode 14 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media. This episode features Jason Falls , the founder and principal of Social Media Explorer.
Convince & Convert
MARCH 22, 2012
They talk about white papers at the top of the funnel and then buying guides and RFP guides a little further down the funnel. This is Episode 8 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media.
Convince & Convert
MARCH 22, 2012
They talk about white papers at the top of the funnel and then buying guides and RFP guides a little further down the funnel. This is Episode 8 of the Social Pros Podcast : Real People Doing Real Work in Social Media.
Convince & Convert
MAY 4, 2010
On mid-1990s projects, for example, typically organizations defined hundreds of requirements and went through protracted RFP processes in search of the best software and system integrator.
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