7 Tools for RFP Teams

Responding to a request for proposal, better known as an RFP, is no easy task. It can take hours to fill out the proposals and ensure you create a winning document — not to mention having to get input and approval from potentially dozens of people in your organization.

Luckily, we live in the digital age and while RFPs do require some legwork and fine attention to detail, there are a handful of tools that can simplify the process. From sites dedicated to speeding up RFP creation to internal resource consolidation, plus printing services for RFP teams, there is help out there if you know where to look. 

Here are 7 impressive tools for proposal teams to keep an eye on.

1. PandaDoc: Software that offers all-in-one solutions are not only time-savers, but money-savers. PandaDoc is one of those products that allows your team to manage the entire RFP process from document creation to client signatures in a single location. It also integrates with your favorite sales tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and ZoHo to streamline the entire sales process. PandaDoc was rated #1 in several categories by G2, but if you need to test it for yourself, you can try out their 14 day free trial.  

2. RFPIO: RFPIO is the first artificial-intelligence enabled RFP software. It automates responses to not just RFPs, but RFIs, security questionnaires, and more — which allows your clients and prospects to receive the information they request in real-time. Machine learning helps RFPIO create what they called an Answer Library, which makes sellers jobs easier and allows them to focus on the client relationships.Having data at the forefront of your sales strategy can help you win more projects, so this AI software could be key to your success.

3. Loopio: Loopio features three main advantages: accessibility, accuracy and acceleration. This site can help team members centralize their data to optimize accessibility, as well as connect sales reps with subject matter experts regarding proposal topics. Loopio also aids companies in keeping their messages accurate and consistent across content platforms. Finally, Loopio’s acceleration covers the speed of RFP creation. The time saved can increase the volume of RFPs a team can produce.

4. RFP360: RFP360 sports an online library of pre-approved templates. This can help expedite the RFP creation process. The company website notes that these templates can help avoid conflicting versions. Perhaps the biggest advantage of this site is the ability to reuse past proposals. RFP360 allows your team to search through past documents and reuse them at your own discretion. RFP360 also provides users with 24/7 access to their content from anywhere in the world, at any time. This can allow for last-minute changes and larger group collaborations.

5. QorusDocs:  QorusDocs boasts an intuitive auto-answer technology that sorts through RFP questionnaires quickly and helps sales teams find the correct answers quickly. For teams that are fielding several RFPs at once, this software cuts out the repetitive nature of typing the same answer for each prospect over and over again. A global consulting firm claimed an RFI took them 20 minutes using Qorus, versus six hours without — the time savings alone could be enough for your team to try out this software!

6. Qvidian: Qvidian can help RFP response teams personalize proposals and align internal resources to help increase profits and cut costs. These two capabilities are very helpful tools for any team. Personalized content can give your proposals a special touch – potentially increasing your chances of closing the sale. Additionally, Qvidian can aid in the organization of resources to help your team efficiently communicate the full value of your product or services.

7. Mimeo: It’s 9 pm and you’ve only just finished your RFP response. You still need to find a proposal printing service and submit a hard copy RFP before calling it a day. Mimeo allows you to upload your content as late as 10 pm EST for delivery to any destination as early as 8:30 the next morning. In ten minutes you can upload, build and proof your proposals. Mimeo partners with proposal teams as the final leg for logistics around printing and distributing critical proposal and RFP documents in hard copy. Teams can utilize Mimeo as their RFP response printing service to buy more time, hit deadlines, and increase win rates. What more could you ask for?