RFPs Decoded: SP Home Run Inc. Breaks Down the Complexity of RFPs for Small Business Computer Consultants

Online, May 17, 2012 (Newswire.com) - For small business computer consultants, VARs, and MSPs with specialized vertical niches, Requests for Proposals (RFPs) can be a crucial component of the sales cycle. Business owners and their IT sales staff must know how to write proposals that stand out in order to be successful at securing IT support agreements.

SP Home Run Inc. suggests six questions that IT business owners should ask when they encounter an RFP:

1. Does everything about the potential client seem super secret? If the reader of the RFP doesn't come away with at least a bit of knowledge about the client and what it does, then don't expect that to change once this prospect becomes a paying client. It's hard for a small business computer consultant, computer repair business, VAR, or MSP to meet a client's needs if the technology provider doesn't know anything about the client.

2. Who is in charge here? A bidder needs to know who the main point of contact is and who the decision maker is. Ambiguous authority wastes time.

3. How much information is a prospective client looking for? Keep in mind that if a potential client is asking for large amounts of information on things that seem out of the realm of being "normal," the technology provider may need to devote lots of unforeseen handholding time to this client relationship, which could cost a lot of additional money and resources in the long run.

4. Does the potential client seem to be asking the right questions? The prospective client does not necessarily have to understand every nuance about a computer repair contract. However, if the prospect is asking the right questions, it may indicate that it will be easy to work with this potential client.

5. Does the IT service contract RFP contain a compliance matrix? Is there a table or graphic that contains a list of all of the requirements of the IT service contract, and then a column where the bidding company indicates where it complies? If the RFP does not contain a compliance matrix, then it would be great to include one. This extra above-and-beyond step goes a long way toward making a small business computer consultant, VAR, or MSP stand out from the crowd.

6. How do the potential client's values compare with those of the technology provider? In order to build and maintain a productive relationship, both client and technology provider need to be on the same page from the beginning.

"Winning an important contract can sometimes come down to decoding the RFP," said Joshua Feinberg, Business Development Director of SP Home Run Inc. "Asking the right questions before putting together a proposal can help computer consultant business owners and their sales staff create proposals that will knock the socks off of prospective clients and leave the competition in the dust."

Small business computer consultants, VARs, and MSPs can learn more about RFPs, recurring revenue, and IT service contracts by downloading a free special report on "IT Service Contract Secrets for Getting More Repeat Clients and Recurring Service Revenue."