In fact, my job title at Kinesis is Execution Team Leader. I bring the “get ‘er done” mentality to our team, our clients, our projects, and our professional development.  A recent article over at Results.com inspired me to share a few tips on how to make the big projects more manageable, how to find the right resources, and how to work around the roadblocks.

We’re big fans of the Results.com approach. Here’s some of their advice on getting things done:

• Define what “done” looks like: It’s time to get specific, people! Clearly state what the completed project looks like, and assign a due date (and stick to it!).
• Scope out each project: Think through the key components of each project before you begin. Then scope out the key steps – what needs to be accomplished with due dates assigned (and again, stick to it!).
• Single point accountability: Assign a lead to each project – many people can be involved, but only one person should be held accountable. The leader makes sure everything gets done, and doesn’t mean they have to do it all themselves.
• Separate projects from tasks: Projects are the long-term, while tasks are the short-term items to move each project forward. Identifying the specific tasks will make the project much more manageable.
• The 1 thing: Asking yourself what the #1 thing is to accomplish each week to move a project forward makes the project itself much less daunting. Thinking through all of the tasks can be overwhelming, so break it down.
•  “Stuff” happens: Set realistic outcomes and deadlines that take into account the distracters. Things come up – but make your deadline a promise and achieve your milestones.

90% of strategies fail

One additional tip that I would add is the importance of involvement from all levels. From the top down, there should be ownership and commitment to both planning and execution. From an article on the Financial Times Press, “The greater the interaction between ‘doers’ and ‘planners’ or the greater the overlap of the two processes or tasks, the higher the probability of execution success.” For more on the importance of leaders supporting the process, see our previous post on achieving your goals.

Need proof? Here are a few statistics to back up the importance of execution:

• According to Harvard Business School professor Robert Kaplan, 90% of strategies fail due to poor execution.
• Based on a Harvard Business Review database, employees at three out of every five companies rated their organization weak at execution – that is, when asked if they agreed with the statement “Important strategic and operational decisions are quickly translated into action,” the majority answered no.
• A Bain Consulting study notes that seven out of eight companies in a global sample of 1,854 large corporations failed to achieve profitable growth, though more than 90% had detailed strategic plans with much higher targets.

Quoting Chip and Dan Heath from their book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, “Ambiguity is the enemy. Any successful change requires a translation of ambiguous goals into concrete behaviors. In short, to make a switch, you need to script the critical moves.”

You want something done? Let’s make it happen. It’s all about the execution.

Visit Results.com to check out the full article: http://us.results.com/announcements/business-execution-tips-for-getting-things-done

If you’re a successful business owner with revenues over $1 million, congratulations! You’ve probably solved a number of core business challenges: operations, finance, IT, customer service, sales, and even (if you’re lucky) HR.

But, regardless of how well-oiled the machine, your business probably suffers from anemic marketing. While most of us can sell, manage, and serve our customers, most business owners express frustration with their marketing efforts. Here are just a few comments I’ve heard over the last year:

“Marketing? Yeah, I’ve tried at least three marketing consultants and not one of them has brought an actual dollar’s worth of revenue into my business.”

“We had a marketing person on staff; I realized that when she took a week off, I didn’t miss her.”

“Sales are great. Marketing is terrible; we can’t get it dialed in.”

Of course I’m talking about a very specific group of business leaders: owners who’ve crossed the $1 million revenue threshold, but haven’t reached the 8-figure mark. These owners run businesses big enough to really need marketing in order to grow, but aren’t quite big enough to merit a full team in-house.

The truth is, until you reach that 8-figure mark, marketing done wrong will continue to hurt.

For the small business owner, failed marketing is either one or a combination of three issues: Strategy, Execution, and Accountability. Few businesses get all three right, and most are lucky to hit on just one.

Strategy

Choices. We love ‘em, until we have too many. And when it comes to setting a marketing strategy, the options are simply overwhelming. Social media? Search engine marketing? Direct marketing? Trade Shows? Email? Networking?

Where is that marketing plan?!?! (Didn’t we pay a consultant to write one three years ago? It’s here…somewhere…)

Within the last five years, the marketing landscape has experienced a seismic shift. The old models of schmoozing on the golf course, placing ads in newspapers, and waiting for the phone to ring are increasingly irrelevant (hello, Yellow Pages?). Your customers congregate in entirely new ways, and their influence is more powerful than ever. Yet few of you have succeeded at adapting to the changing marketplace; many throw your hands up in frustration. And your dusty marketing plan doesn’t work because it’s a static document that doesn’t adjust to the fast-moving pace of today’s technology

Execution

Assuming you’ve got a decent strategy (or even a simple marketing framework), you’re faced with the challenge of how to get things done. Most owners are simply too busy running their business that there’s no time left to market what they do. While you may be great at sales, your business’ marketing engine is idling: that website that was supposed to take six months isn’t done a year later; the new product logo still hasn’t made if from an idea in your head to pencil and paper; the sales team still doesn’t have the tools they need to outshine your competition.

Execution and consistency: many businesses want their marketing to look cohesive; getting it done is the hard part.

Most businesses circumvent the execution challenge with strong sales and personal networks. Unfortunately, this painful, “one new customer at a time” approach is usually only good enough to maintain current business levels. Accelerated growth means heavy marketing execution.

Accountability

A few months ago a friend of mine pulled me aside and told me about a conversation she had with her CEO. When the discussion shifted to marketing, the CEO admitted that he wasn’t sure what the marketing department was doing. He thought they were, “doing good things,” but couldn’t quantify their contribution to the bottom line.

Unfortunately, this story is all too common: owners become disconnected from their internal marketing team (if they even have one) and there’s little transparency to marketing efforts. Owners are frustrated because they’re spending money on marketing, but can rarely point to the “wins” brought by the department.

Fixing the marketing mess

Tuning up (or even turning on) your marketing engine won’t happen overnight. However, with a little perseverance, you’ll start to see results. Here are my top 3 recommendations for beating the 3 marketing perils:

1. Make your marketing strategy visual: Rather than writing a marketing plan (marketing plans seldom work), create an oversized poster that outlines your marketing opportunities; hang it in your “war room” and talk about your marketing on a regular basis – monthly or weekly. At Kinesis, we build a “Marketing Blueprint” for our clients – it’s a tool that maps Centers of Influence, Referrers, and Lead Sources. Segmenting your marketing efforts by these three areas is a great way to get your team thinking strategically about their marketing efforts.
2. Build an execution rhythm: Set aside one day a week to address your marketing issues. Make it short and to the point, but take notes and assign action items. We recommend 30-60 minutes. Keep the meetings tactical (focused on getting things done) and save the big strategic meetings for your monthly sessions (2 hours). Once a year, set aside at least half a day to outline the goals for the year.
3. Create a measurement tool: Owners typically measure their finances, evaluate their employees, and review sales numbers. But rarely do they spend the time to truly measure the impact of marketing. Fixing the problem starts with defining what metrics matter to your business. Then, religiously track your numbers. We’ve developed the Kinesis Metrics Dashboard for this purpose, but most businesses can make big strides with Excel and a few simple metrics.

The Kinesis Metrics Dashboard Helps Clients Measure Marketing

Many of us start the year with a strategic planning session. If you haven’t had yours yet, consider setting aside time to discuss how 2012 could be different. If you make marketing strategy, execution, and accountability central to your business, you’ll go a long ways towards switching marketing from a source of pain to a source of revenue.

Measure progress and celebrate achievement.

It’s important for leaders to continue to support goals. Create a set of metrics that employees can look at each week to see whether they are on track. Post or upload these in a place where everyone can see the progress. Track how far you’ve come since the beginning of the year and show how far you have left to go. Are you on schedule, behind, or ahead? Be honest about your progress and have regular check-in meetings. Don’t wait until near the due date to signal that you are running behind.

Reward and encourage people when they are doing a great job and making progress. A reward doesn’t have to be financial – it can be a public acknowledgement on a Kudos Board or an in-person thank-you. A little appreciation goes a long way. It’s amazing how creating a culture of “thank-yous” can radically change your company progress.

Check in and adjust halfway down the road.

Kinesis always schedules a semi-annual strategic planning session with our clients. During this meeting, we look at the year-long SMART goals and assess progress to date. Typically, the goals are on track and may need minor revisions. Together, we look at metrics and team communication to see what’s working (WINS) and what’s not (STUCKS).

Sometimes, goals are achieved in the first two quarters. In that case, we acknowledge the success and then set new ones; we always maintain 5 high-level goals to keep the company accelerating quickly. In other situations, almost no progress has been made on certain goals. In this case, we examine and troubleshoot the initiative to determine the problem. We then brainstorm solutions and make revisions to the goal.

Avoid the Bright Shiny Objects.

Let’s face it: it can be exciting to follow the latest “bright shiny object” coming along and get off track. It’s fun to develop grand ideas and brainstorm new goals each month, letting those older goals languish. Don’t give in to the temptation!

The greatest reason that so many companies do not achieve their goals is because they lose sight of them. They get a bored with chip, chip, chipping away at their initiative. But, be assured that great success lies in sticking to the daily, boring inch-by-inch progress. It’s about measuring and adjusting our course in small increments.

Achieving your goals doesn’t require brilliance or talent. It does, however, require determination and tenacity. Success means careful attention to the small details and nurturing the progress of your team. You can do it!

Click here to go to part 2: Achieving Your Goals

Are small businesses properly nurturing their company goals and objectives?

“More than 80% of small business owners admit they don’t give enough attention to achieving goals; 77% of these owners have yet to achieve their dreams for their company.” (Staples Small Business Survey, 2010).

Think there’s a correlation between the two? We do.

These statistics are an excellent demonstration of the importance of setting, implementing, and tracking annual business goals (and what can happen when you don’t). It’s why Kinesis works with our clients to set SMART goals (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) during our annual strategic planning meetings, and then break these down into bite-size, quarterly objectives that get implemented. We hold our clients accountable through weekly meetings with a key point person in the company.

Be specific and reasonable when setting goals.

Annual goals are a road map for your business. Without them, the future of your company is left to chance.

When you set your goals, make them SMART and be clear as to what you want to achieve and by when. For example, a SMART goal might be to “Increase overall top-line revenue by 12% by12/31/2012.”

We recommend setting no more than 5 overarching SMART goals for your company in a 12-month period. These goals should be in alignment with your mission and core values.

They should be attainable not only from leadership’s perspective, but also for those who will be responsible for attaining them. Instead of creating a top-down initiative, try enlisting your team to contribute. Listen and incorporate their feedback. Enthusiastic buy-in and participation from your employees will take your company further, faster.

Eat your whale one bite at a time.

The best way to set your company up for success is to break each goal into discrete quarterly and monthly objectives with specific deadlines for each. Assign one person to own each goal – at the end of the day, they hold the ultimate accountability for moving it forward, and can motivate the team. Identify and allocate the resources, time, and funds you’ll need to invest to attain your initiatives.

In Part 2, we will delve into measuring your goals and meeting your milestones. Creating your goals is one thing; actually achieving them is a whole different ballgame.

To make it stick, we are making our resolution public so that you can hold us accountable. That’s part of it, right? We are excited to keep up the momentum throughout the year and provide you with the information you are looking for. Tell us what you’d like to see – we are all ears when it comes to your questions, concerns, and ideas, so keep on sharing.

Our 2012 Resolutions

What are your resolutions this year? Here are our staff resolutions for your enjoyment and our accountability:

• Michelle: “Work on my own professional development. Explore the world’s creativity and get inspired. Learn new tricks!”
• Wendy: “Run 2 miles at least 3 times per week.”
• Jade: “Learn something interesting, useful, and extremely nerdy.”
• Shawn: “Grow! And, as part of that – find a new, inspiring, and creative space that our business can call ‘home’ for the next 3 years.”
• Alison: “To get to know YOU: the friends, fans, readers, and clients of Kinesis.”

Who is Alison Stiven?

But wait. Who is Alison? She is the most recent addition to Kinesis as Execution Team Leader, or as she likes to call it, the ‘Making it Happen Master’. At Kinesis, she hopes to bridge the gap between the Creative and Strategic teams to move projects forward and efficiently meet client needs and goals.

For the past 5+ years, Alison has been leading the marketing efforts at Kittelson & Associates, Inc., a transportation engineering firm, playing an integral part in the marketing, branding and outreach of the firm and its staff; leading internal events, improving and implementing proposal processes and initiating marketing best practices. Alison is also the current President-Elect for the American Marketing Association, and enjoys spreading the AMA love throughout the Portland marketing community.

In her free time, Alison is an avid runner, reader, piano-player, networker, Portland restaurant explorer, and traveler.

Let’s Stay Connected!

Continue to watch for our weekly blog postings, updates on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as our upcoming newsletter and new website launch! A lot to be excited about in 2012!

Kinesis will be closed the week of Monday, December 26^th in observance of the holidays and to get a bit of rest and relaxation.

We’ll be back bright-eyed and busy-tailed on Monday, January 2^nd - we look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Warmest wishes, Kinesis

When you send out a press release or are contacted by a reporter, it’s essential that you are prepared and that you know what will help you succeed. You want to make sure you are communicating a consistent message that is in alignment with your brand.

I’ve put together the following tips to help you get great coverage for your company in the media.

Preparing for the Interview

• Prepare a single, key message with two or three secondary points you want to make.
• Gather facts, figures, and anecdotes to support your points.
• Anticipate questions the reporter might ask and have responses ready. Here are some ideas to get you started for what the reporter might ask:
  • Briefly,what do you do
  • What is interesting about it?
  • Is it something new or unique?
  • Why is it important?
  • Who or what benefits?
  • Does it answer a need or address an issue in the community?
  • Answer the traditional news questions: who, what, when, where, why and how.
• Be prepared to comment on general industry trends.
• Analogies are strong, colorful and powerful. “It’s like a Ferris wheel for a factory production line…”
• Precise statistics bring your information to life. “We’re creating 2,300 new jobs this year…” “Osteoarthritis is the #1 disability in the United States.”
• Personal experiences are credible and important. “When I joined this company, we only had…”
• Quotes from experts add credence to your comments. “Ben Bernanke also says…”
• Prepare a written summary of your key message, main points, and statistics to leave behind. Help give the reporters perspective and context (i.e., How many people are affected? When did the issue arise? Is this part of a national trend?).

During the Interview

• Stick to your key message and 2-3 points. State the most important information first, then provide the background. Don’t be afraid to say your key message repeatedly, just vary the manner in which you say it.
• Don’t push to get your company included in the story. Reporters hate being told how they should write.
• There is no such thing as “off the record.” Don’t say anything you don’t want to see in print. Assume everything you say, even in a social situation, may appear in print or on the air (even after you think the interview is over, you can still be quoted).
• Be as helpful as possible. Your goal is to build long-term relationships with news organizations so they get in touch with you again.
• Don’t let the reporter get you off track. Many people make the mistake of talking too much or going off on tangents. Repeat your points if necessary to get back on track.
• Tell the reporter that you are making important points. For example:

“There are three things every person planning a pregnancy should remember: 1) take folic acid prior to trying to conceive, 2) abstain from drugs and alcohol, and 3) set up an appointment to speak with your doctor.”

• Anticipate the reporter’s questions, especially the hard ones. Answer difficult questions as briefly as possible, then bridge to your key message.
• Bridging can turn the question to your points. Listen for the larger issue behind the question and find the connection to your issue. Here are some examples:

“…yes, but that speaks to a bigger point….” “… I think what you are really asking is…” “The most important issue/fact is….” “What we really want to make clear is that ….”

• Use single, clear sentences to make your point. Don’t continue talking after you make your point. Reporters often leave a space of silence to draw unintended remarks out of interviewees trying to “fill the space.” Don’t get sucked in to the silence. Just smile.
• Talk in lay terms, using as little professional or technical jargon as possible. Tell stories and anecdotes that illustrate your point and give examples.
• Provide the reporter with a written summary of information, main points and statistics. Put in context of international/national trends. (i.e., How many people are affected? When did the issue arise? Is this part of a national trend?).
• Don’t hesitate to put the issue into perspective, even if the reporter doesn’t ask.
• Don’t overestimate a reporter’s knowledge of your subject. If a reporter bases questions on information you believe is incorrect, do not hesitate to set the record straight. Offer background information where necessary.
• Listen to each question carefully before responding. Ask for it to be repeated if you don’t understand it. Ask the reporter if you should clarify anything. If you do not have the answer, say so. Tell the reporter where to find the information, if possible.
• Don’t joke. Be friendly, but not complacent.
• The media is not your advertising firm. Their priority is to inform the public, not to be your spokesperson. A good reporter will write a fair, balanced story. Don’t be afraid of that, even if they are going to be talking to your competitors.

I hope these tips help your company improve your media interview skills. Once you’ve begun implementing these ideas, check back in and let us know how it’s going.

1. Don’t respond to red flags. If you must respond to RFPs, or are making an effort to phase them out, begin your process by eliminating all RFPs that do a poor job of defining the client’s problem. Vague goals like, “build a website that establishes Acme co. as a leading brand” are unachievable goals doomed to fail.
2. Identify the source of the RFP. Find out early who wrote the RFP. Talk to them. Determine how many firms have received the RFP. Ask them why they picked your firm – what made you stand out?  If you discover shotgun approach to selection, pass on the RFP.
3. Craft a “no RFP letter.” Politely inform prospects why you are no longer responding to RFPs. Frame the communication in terms of how thoughtful RFP responses take considerable time, and that the demand for your business’ services has resulted in prioritizing client-related work. It’s also advisable to (politely) allude to the fact that RFPs don’t foster a deep understanding of the client’s needs and that your clients value long-term partnerships. Here’s a sample letter you can modify for your business. (Big thanks to Eric Karjaluoto for his excellent wordsmithery).

If you’re committed to abandoning RFPs entirely (congratulations!) it’s time to make some substantial changes to your business. I suggest following the advice of John Warrilow whose book, Built to Sell, outlines a fantastic framework for escaping the RFP trap. I’ve abbreviated Warrilow’s advice, and added my own thoughts:

1. Differentiate like your life depends on it. If your business’ services are a mirror of the competition, it’s time to reinvent what you do. Spend significant time understanding how you can offer clients a profound answer to their biggest needs.
2. Define your process. Successful businesses have processes, but winning businesses leverage their processes day in and day out. Make sure your processes add tremendous value to your clients, employees, and community.
3. Name your process. If you’re a professional service provider, begin to think about what your business provides as a series of “products” that you and only you can provide. Kinesis, for example, is in a crowded field – marketing. But, by using a proven process and tool set – the Kinesis Marketing Blueprint and Strategic Focus Plan – we ensure that our clients achieve their goals.

I’ll end this series with with a few words of wisdom from the owners of the Seattle-based architecture firm, Build (here’s a photo of some of their amazing work)

The northwest has an oversupply of architectural firms, but owners Kevin Eckert and Andrew van Leeuwen have managed to survive (and thrive) in a difficult economic climate. Last week I asked Andrew his perspective on RFPs. Surprisingly, Build doesn’t respond to RFPs – their success is built on a smart business model that emphasizes transparency and client collaboration. When asked about the industry as a whole (architecture tends to be a field rife with RFPs) here’s what Andrew said:

From what I hear out there (we’ve got several friends who do larger public/institutional work) if a firm has to actually submit an RFP in this financial climate –they’re already out of the running. The projects are won through personal relationships with people/companies and the RFP process is just a post-decision formality. Which makes sense, as most projects are being groomed by hungry architects long before they go public.

Moral of the story? R.I.P. the RFP. 

If your business is faced with a complex problem – growing market share, for example – it’s likely you’ll need some real expertise to help overcome your challenge. Since an RFP has so many shortcomings, here are 6 guidelines I employ when looking for top-tier partners:

1. Due Diligence. The best solutions have one thing in common: they begin with research. Ask your peers and business mentors for names of business partners who’ve helped them realize real success. Review businesses in online communities like LinkedIn or Twitter. Read blogs. Leverage networks with other business owners like the Entrepreneurs Organization. Dig deep and look for “A” players who have helped top performing businesses.
2. Delegate correctly. If you’re the leader of a successful business, you know that a key to growth is delegation. That said, for business-critical decisions, it’s important to delegate properly. Will the right partner grow your firm, increase revenue, and take you to the next level? If so, the last thing you want to do is assign research to the summer intern. They simply don’t know the right questions or possess deep, valuable business networks. You want proven partners – not a random list compiled from a Google search.
3. Success breeds success. One of my favorite strategies for selecting a partner is to look for signs of visible success. Recently, for example, my team was tasked with finding a partner to help with rendering Clarum Home’s upcoming Passive Project in Palo Alto. Remembering a recent visit to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) website, we tracked down the author of one of their recent projects. His work was compelling, the price was competitive, and his values aligned perfectly with Kinesis. Because we saw evidence of repeated success with ASLA, there was a reasonably good chance that this partner would hold up to further scrutiny.
4. One size fits…none. Many industries are built upon “best practices” concept. Accountants, for example, follow the same set of procedures and rules outlined by the profession and the IRS. This can be a good thing when it comes to filing taxes, but a very bad thing when it comes to marketing. Sadly, accountants are some of the worst marketers out there, relying on the same solution that their competitors use. If the solution sounds like an “out of the box” offering, run away, read Seth Godin’s Purple Cow, and look for a partner who can help you stand out in your field.
5. Align on what matters (hint: it’s not money). Years ago, a prospect invited me to lunch. Referred from a client, he didn’t once ask for a proposal or how much we charged. Though we barely talked about the project, the prospect was engaging in a critical buying process: he used the lunch as a “neutral venue” see if we aligned on things that mattered (values, philosophy, and character). He paid the tab and picked the high-end venue to demonstrate his commitment to a win-win process. My client wanted (and got) a partner who would care about his problems as much or more than he did.
6. Be Choosy. We all know the axiom “less is more.” When you get to the point of asking for a proposal or how the engagement might be structured, your list should be short: 1 or 2 at most. By the time you are talking about budgets and working together, your rigorous screening process should have whittled the field down to the best of the best.

The premise of the RFP

In theory, an RFP sounds great. It purports to provide the buyer with a tool to level the playing field, and the rationale goes something like this: By comparing apples-to-apples, the buyer can wrangle the best price while maintaining quality and transparency. Even better, all the work is foisted on the RFP respondents, so the buyer is able to make a minimal time/money commitment to the process. For the issuer of an RFP, the process seems like a dream comes true…

An RFP is perfect…for digging ditches.

RFPs are fantastic for picking a vendor to solve a simple problem with a simple solution. Designed to commoditize the service being provided, RFPs are an ideal tool for buying well-defined services and products. So, when you have a simple problem like, “dig a ditch, 30 yards long and 3 feet deep,” the RFP helps to pick your perfect ditch digger. You can craft the RFP with all sorts of caveats and specifics like, “the ditch must be finished within 1 week,” or “the ditch digger must account for any unforeseen problems, like rocks and underground utilities.” With a relatively simple objective, the buyer can control the definition of the problem and solution, and get the lowest possible price.

But what happens when a problem ISN’T simple?

And here’s the rub with RFPs: While they might be a useful tool for commodity-based services or simple solutions for simple problems, they’re blunt instruments for selecting a partner to help with your complex business problem. If you’re considering issuing an RFP, stop now and read my top 5 reasons why this is a bad idea:

1. Most RFPs produce a lose-lose outcome. From the start, the RFP sets up an adversarial relationship: the buyer tries to use the RFP to maintain costs while the seller uses the RFP to limit options. Cynical sellers win the work then recapture margin through change orders; cynical buyers use the signed RFP like a club, asking for more work at a fixed price. In the end, no one wins – a thin-margin seller produces sub-par work and a buyer forced into signing “change orders” goes over budget.
2. You don’t know what you don’t know. As a buyer, you’ve developed an RFP in an attempt to solve a problem. The RFP outlines the scope of the problem (maybe), and the respondent is tasked with guessing how they’ll meet your challenge. Do you really want to trust your business to a guess? If a problem is so complex that you can’t fix it, and you need to hire an outside expert, it’s probably complex enough to necessitate some real analysis and hard questions. Even more importantly, your view of the challenge may only be a part of a larger issue. RFPs encourage tunnel vision, while business challenges require a wide-angle lens.
3. RFPs eliminate the best candidates: I know of many well-run businesses that simply have a “no RFP” policy. Why? Expense! Responding intelligently to an RFP is a lengthy endeavor; the odds are long and your business ties up resources it could otherwise use to generate profits. I’d rather use effective marketing tools elsewhere, save a ton of money, and charge my clients less. That’s a win-win.
4. RFPs tell the buyer exactly what they want to hear (not what they need to hear): We all know the truth hurts. Unfortunately, it’s usually the truth that moves our business forward. RFPs by nature are designed to give us only the truth we WANT to hear (“yes, I can solve your problem!”) not the truth we NEED to hear (“Your problem is actually more complex, expensive, and time consuming than you think.”) Smart business owners realize the value in tough questions and hard answers (unsophisticated buyers flip to the last page of the RFP and read the price).
5. RFPs miss the oranges: If you’re looking for a unique business – one that approaches problems and solutions unlike any other in the marketplace – then an RFP is probably a poor way to find your dream partner. Your well-intentioned request for proposal creates an “apples to apples” comparison, but what happens when your business doesn’t need an apple? What if an “orange” is just the right way to leap ahead of the competition? What if there’s only ONE company that produces oranges, and your RFP effectively says, “tell me how you’re like an orange?” Remember – if an RFP is the right tool for a commodity, the inverse is true as well.

Some lines of work are indeed a great fit for RFPs. If I were in the business of buying raw materials for my manufacturing plant, for instance, an RFP is a solid option for picking a supplier. There is very little that differentiates one commodity supplier from another, so the driving force (price) fits in line perfectly with a bid-type structure.

When it comes to Kinesis its a wholly different situation. When we hire professional service providers and outside experts (something we do frequently and successfully) we steer clear of RFPs. Instead, due diligence, reference checks, and values alignment form the foundation of partner selection. In part two of the series, I’ll outline this process, and show how you can get great partners each and every time.