Overcoming Pandemic Challenges by Streamlining the RFP Process

As the pandemic marches steadily on, it is vitally important that companies streamline efforts that help combat the fractured processes of remote work. Understanding the benefits of implementing effective measures to boost sales activity can help to ensure that companies stay afloat during these challenging times.

Businesses across the country are taking pivotal actions to prioritize their digital selling efforts, especially now that trade shows and conventions are off the table for the foreseeable future. It is crucial to recognize the importance of utilizing the dynamic tools and platforms available to improve an organization’s sales capabilities while working with a remote team.

One of the biggest problems that companies see when it comes to managing teams today is finding ways to accommodate effective collaborative efforts when members cannot meet up in person. Using available collaboration tools can help improve communication and simplify the sharing of information between workers.

Streamlining processes can help in several ways, including:

1. Effectively setting priorities: Learning how those responsible for working on a big project allocate their time can help to better prioritize tasks each team member should complete. This can reduce the time team members spend on repetitive tasks and can improve collaborative efforts.

2. Automating non-customer-facing responsibilities: Under normal circumstances, sales team members spend substantial time in front of prospects. While working remotely, the sales team members need their duties automated when they are unable to secure that invaluable face time. Effective automation can ensure sales team members can do their best work while life is made easier for them.

3. Centralizing storage efforts: Having to chase down team members for feedback and information can have a major impact on a team’s ability to effectively manage its time. Instead, having all data, insights, and templates in a central location can help team members by increasing the time they spend working on strategy development and crafting compelling responses to requests for proposals.

The Consequences of Not Streamlining Digital Efforts

Teams that fail to streamline digital efforts can face an array of negative consequences. Quite often, brand issues become apparent across the board. Teams must be able to collaborate effectively so they can deliver a consistent message to clients. And to create successful RFP responses, teams must be able to present themselves in the best light. If the team has communication problems, what the company has to offer and what it stands for can be lost in translation. This can hurt the ability to seal the deal.

Not having the ability to effectively coordinate efforts can have a drastic impact on the efficiency and timeliness of responses. The team could end up spending valuable hours needlessly sifting through information and sending out repetitive content between team members and to clients. Not only does this make it extremely confusing to understand the information being presented, but it also impacts the overall quality of the work provided.

Slapping together mediocre RFPs won’t be beneficial for anyone. We already face endless constraints with not being able to meet in person. Failing to overcome the obstacles in front of us can damage our ability to secure necessary sales and make it through the pandemic.

The Benefits of Streamlining Digital Efforts

One of the most overwhelming challenges we face while working remotely is time management. It is critical that teams can respond quickly to RFPs, fulfill customer requests, and bring new products to market in a timely manner. For this reason, teams must be able to put together top-quality proposals that stand out to prospects and win business.

By streamlining digital efforts, teams are better positioned to tailor proposals that address specific objectives outlined by the RFP issuer. To do so effectively, teams must collaborate easily among business units to overcome ideological and geographical challenges.

Effectively managing the complicated ecosystem of technology requires business leaders to reimagine their sales and marketing technology portfolios. Teams will need to look across various options and take a broader view of how content, technology, and data can help improve the company’s collaborative efforts. The only way we can overcome the challenges of this tireless pandemic is by implementing tools that strengthen teams’ ability to collaborate remotely.

As CEO of Qorus, Ray Meiring leads an award-winning team of passionate problem solvers to create the absolute best customer experience possible. Qorus helps thousands of users reduce the time it takes to create accurate and secure proposals.

Author

  • Ray Meiring

    As CEO of Qorus, Ray Meiring leads an award-winning team of passionate problem solvers to create the absolute best customer experience possible. Qorus helps thousands of users reduce the time it takes to create accurate and secure proposals.

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