stuff to read, apparently/april 2010

rfp? no thanks

let’s not waste each other’s time with RFPs

Every now and again I receive a flurry of RFPs (Request For Proposal).

Increasingly popular (but not round these parts) in the public sector and with some prospective clients, as far as I’m concerned there’s one fundamental problem with them — I simply don’t believe RFPs work as a means of sourcing creative services. Fine if you're purchasing a commodity product, but not for something with so many intangibles as when dealing with a sensitive artistic flower such as myself.

How long is your piece of string? Exactly?

Any meaningful response to an RFP (other than a stock ‘copy & paste’ reply) is inevitably very time consuming. Even so, RFP’s don't allow me to gain any real understanding of a potential client. I know roughly what you’ve asked for, but don't know if it’s what you need or how to make the most cost-effective use of your budget. So there’s no point in a request for detailed costs — detailed costs for what?

Bottom line: committing the time and effort to respond realistically to all the criteria in a typical RFP is simply not a good use of my resources. I’ve never built a good long-term relationship on a project based on a RFP, even where I’ve been the successful candidate. So I just don’t do them any more.

Anyway, what makes you think I want you as a client?

Design’s about communication. In my opinion, best way to instigate that process is to find a designer whose work you like and open a dialogue if you think they might be a good fit.

But that works both ways. You’re looking for the right designer, but guess what? I’m looking for the right client, so at the same time as you’re ‘auditioning’ me, I’m doing exactly the same with you.

RFPs aren’t dialogues, they're a short series of monologues. And like most monologues, if they’ve not been scripted by Alan Bennett they quickly become pretty tedious.

So a potential client effectively stating ‘this is what we might want, how much?’ from behind the ‘barricade’ of a RFP doesn’t really get me particularly fired up about about the prospects for working together and producing something really good.

Life’s too short to be ‘ordinary.’

I tend to think those most likely to respond to RFPs are designers who are supplying their services as a ‘commodity,’ those who’ll peddle a ‘template’ solution or those who really need the work… in which case I suggest you try somebody else.

Perhaps I’m naive, I know many companies do get a lot of their work responding to tenders, and make far more money than I ever will. Only problem is, and I appreciate this is only from my somewhat limited perspective (not my bank manager’s) the work they produce is invariably pretty average.

If, on the other hand, you’d like something rather better, get in touch, I’d be delighted to chat.

I was just typing thinking…

corporate + brand identity | graphic design | website design | dog walking

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