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It’s no secret: responding to requests for proposals (RFPs) is much easier when your team is using an intelligent, automated platform. It’s more efficient, saves more time, and makes the entire proposal teams’ jobs easier. What’s not to like?
However, while many high-performing sales organizations have embraced the benefits of RFP automation, there are still some skeptics out there. Research shows that about 30% of organizations still aren’t using any kind of RFP response automation when putting together proposals.
Why? It may be that they’ve bought into some of the myths and misconceptions about automated sales enablement. RFP response automation is still new, and some teams may not fully understand it. To address their concerns, we’re going to bust some of the most common myths around automation and RFP responses.
RFP automation myths
- “I’m going to be automated out of a job.”
This is the most common complaint about automation and it’s an understandable concern. No one likes to think of a robot doing their job. Fortunately, that’s not what RFP response automation does. Instead, it’s a tool that makes your job easier. Take the example of Ombud. Our solution simply pulls content into one central library that your writers can use to create a proposal. And while yes, Ombud can take the first pass at putting together a draft, it’s just a draft. You will always need the creativity of writers, the critical eye of editors, and the artistic flair of graphic designers to create a proposal that will generate revenue.
- “Learning this new platform will take too long.”
Whenever a new tool is introduced into an organization, there can be some pushback from team members. No one really wants to learn to do things differently; it’s difficult whenever you have to learn a new tool. We get it. Despite this, learning how to use RFP response automation will make your job easier in the long run by saving you time and handling the tedious parts of bid creation.
- “We’ve already got a system for that: email/spreadsheets/a document.”
Research indicates that the platform most often used by companies without RFP response automation is email. If you’ve ever searched through your inbox for a specific message, you know how long that can sometimes take. Your writers are likely wasting their time searching for old responses and information. A content library not only keeps all the correct responses in a searchable database, it also allows team members to vote on the content they find most useful.
- “RFP automation can only be used for RFP responses”
Not so. Automated solutions can be used for many types of sales documents. For example, Ombud’s platform can be used for bids, proactive proposals, cybersecurity questionnaires, Statements of Work (SOW) and Proofs of Concept (POC.)
- “Our bids are too complex for automation to handle.”
Complex bids are nothing automation cannot handle. If your bids are increasing in complexity, you’re actually a perfect candidate for automation. A content library ensures that all the information you need to write your proposal is organized, so that you can write your proposal easily. It also allows you to collaborate with stakeholders throughout your organization, and keeps the versions organized, so you know who added what content and when.
- RFP automation costs too much
Most RFP automation solutions operate as Software as a Subscription (SaaS), so they’re easy to use and deployment is quick and easy. However, there’s another, much more compelling, argument for investing in RPP automation: if you don’t use automated tools, you may actually be losing money. Automation allows your team to respond more quickly to RFPs, which means your organization will be able to respond to more RFPs in a year, potentially generating much more revenue. If you keep doing things the old way, you won’t have those opportunities.
Automation lets you work smarter, not harder
It’s normal to be nervous about new technology, but automation is nothing to be afraid of. It can save you time, make your team’s work days easier, and generate opportunities for more revenue. Interested in learning more about how automation can make the proposal process easier? Request a demo of Ombud’s RFP software here.
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