How to Respond to a Request for Proposal? – Succeed with These Guidelines

Getting a direct request for a proposal is a moment of celebration. It’s the same whether you’re in the translation and interpreting industry or any other field. Receiving a request for a proposal means that a potential future client has found a suitable service provider and wants to inquire further.

Becoming discoverable is extremely important because the flow of information is massive. Advertising floods from everywhere: TV, radio, newspapers, direct mail, online, and so on. Advertisers have all the tricks up their sleeves. How does your service stand out from this massive crowd?

 

The translation and interpreting industry in Finland is highly competitive. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of players.

On Google.fi, the word “translator” yields 3.7 million search results. For the word “interpreter,” there are over 0.5 million results. It’s clear that standing out from this massive crowd and receiving a request for language services warrants investing in making a winning proposal.

How to respond to a request for a proposal? So, what do you do when the request arrives? Below are three practical guidelines to ensure that responding to a request for a proposal goes smoothly. Ultimately, making a proposal is easy. Below are a few key templates and examples.

Responding to a Request for Proposal – Do You Need Help with the Language?
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Guideline 1: Read the Request for Proposal Carefully
Read the request for proposal carefully and respond to what is asked. An enthusiastic service provider immediately jumps into action and responds right away, but responding too quickly can lead to pitfalls. The request for proposal must be read carefully with all its details. Key points to note: what is the content of the request, where is the work to be performed, and when should the work be completed. When making an offer, the service provider must answer at least those questions that the requester has specifically raised. Making a proposal is something that should be taken seriously.

Guideline 2: Provide a Precise Cost Estimate
Customers always expect precise information about the cost of the work. If the information needed to make a precise proposal is available, it’s advisable to make a precise offer. However, this is not always possible. Example: When there is no information about the scope of work requested by the customer and all related matters (e.g., travel), making precise estimates is difficult. Is it a one-hour or five-hour job or perhaps a bigger project? If additional information cannot be obtained and, for example, the number of hours is not known, the provider can provide information in the offer about how much one hour of work costs. This gives an idea of how much the entire job would cost.

Guideline 3: Respond Quickly to the Request for Proposal
Things happen quickly with the internet and digitalization. People expect a response to their email almost immediately after sending the message. That’s why a request for proposal must be answered as soon as possible.

The faster you respond to a request for proposal, the better you are on the customer’s radar.

If you respond today, it’s a much better option than if you respond tomorrow or next week. After responding, you can still call the customer a day or two later and politely inquire whether your offer has been received and ask what the customer thinks of your offer. In this context, you can convince the customer that you/your company would be the best choice for this job. If necessary, you can also respond negatively to the request for proposal. Respond briefly and politely that the work is not suitable for you, for example, due to scheduling reasons.

A good response to a request for proposal consists of comprehensive content, precision, and quick response!

PS. At TranslatorMarket.com, we are constantly working hard to ensure that the interpreters and translators involved with TranslatorMarket are found on Google, among other places. Join our growing community. Get discovered and start receiving interesting requests for proposals. Read more

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If you need help with an English or any other language request for proposal or proposal, we are here to help you. Leave a request for translation service.