How to get your team on board with RFP management software


RFPs are highly complex projects. As a proposal manager, you work under a deadline to captain the whole ship. Responding to an RFP means you need all hands on deck. Your crew members (aka RFP contributors) all squeeze responses into their hectic schedules to help out.

Here are RFP response contributor insights you’ll find interesting:

  • 68% of salespeople struggle with managing their time to focus on sales-related activities.
  • 43% of marketers mentioned their top hurdle was wearing too many hats and not having time for extra projects, like RFPs.
  • 43% of subject matter experts revealed their top challenge was spending too much time on RFP responses.

You know collaboration is the key to getting the job done. But you also know what you’re up against with your team. RFP management software is the right solution for your organization. Now you just need to get everyone on board. Check out these strategies for getting team buy-in.

Involve key stakeholders to create early buy-in

Your product and IT teams dream of an efficient method for managing security questionnaires. Your legal team yearns for a well-maintained, readily accessible content library. Salespeople want to give proper attention to RFPs but don’t want to lose focus on making sales. Your go-to SMEs would love a way to collaborate more effectively and ditch the spreadsheets.

Your response management team might not yet realize what you already know—the solution is RFP management software.

When searching for the right RFP software, it’s best to know exactly what people need—so ask them. Create a cross-functional project team to identify salient challenges with your RFP response process. That way players join forces to define their requirements and goals.

Be sure to involve heavy-hitters like your security, finance, and legal teams. If you generate early buy-in from the people most closely entwined with leadership, you’ll catalyze whole enterprise buy-in.

When you link stakeholders in early, they are already sold on the solution before it ever rolls out. Everyone will be itching to use the great new software that transforms collaboration and makes RFP responses hyper-efficient.

Market RFP management software to your team

When you ask team members to use something new, they may be reluctant to take time out of their busy day to learn it. RFP management software exponentially improves operational efficiency.

Once you get your team to jump in and try it, they’ll discover a user-friendly experience and see immediate benefits. So what’s the secret to inspiring RFP contributors to take that leap of faith? Market the solution to your team with the following selling points…

1. Prove that RFP management software saves time

RFP management software like RFPIO has a timer function that tracks how long team members spend on specific tasks.

Let’s say you’re under a tight deadline and you need a few quick details for an RFP. You seek out one of your best (and therefore, in-demand) SMEs. They want to help you but think they can’t find the time. This is when you show them the time data. When they see that an RFP response only takes twenty minutes, they’ll likely pop into the project and get it done.

2. Show how easy it is to access and create content

You’ll facilitate better collaboration with RFP management software, thanks to the Content Library. In fact, 82% of proposal managers said RFPIO helps them manage response content all in one place.

A major component of smooth collaboration is the ability to source information independently when it’s needed. RFP response software has a robust, dynamic content library—meaning, no more information hunts or silos. Tell everyone about this exciting news. Let them know that when they get their next action item, they’ll have quick and easy access to quality content.

3. Train closely, inspire change, and demonstrate value

You’ve done the work upfront to get team buy-in…but we all know there’s always one in the bunch—the anti-change person. Work with this person. Do some personalized training and get them inside the tool, trying things out. Then, pinpoint exactly what they dislike and target a solution. Maybe they hate automated email reminders—so, show them how to change their settings.

Share success stories with your team and demonstrate the value of RFP response software to even the most reluctant users. Publish testimonials and statistics in a newsletter and quantify the results in concrete, relatable terms.

You are the captain of your RFP response process. Get everyone on board with RFP management software, and don’t let them jump ship. With these strategies and a little persistence, you’ll be well on your way to smooth sailing with your next RFP. Experience the collaborative power of RFPIO. Schedule a demo, then get your team on board.


Konnor Martin

As the Regional Vice President of Sales at Responsive, Konnor Martin helps organizations understand the value of RFP software, so they can improve and scale their response approach—and win more business. With more than eight years as an executive sales professional, Konnor is highly experienced in training and development, territory management, software sales leadership, international business, and developing industry best practices.

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