Libsyn Directory

Building Empathy into the Bid Process—with Kevin Switaj - EP119

Release Date: 12/07/2022

This Week on The RFP Success® Show: Mastering the Response Maze! EP143

The RFP Success Show

What is the #1 question we’re getting about RFPs from clients and prospects lately? Is it a tactical question about time management, contradictory requirements, or formatting? Or a high-level question about managing stress and continuous improvement? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Lisa Rehurek tackles some of the most frequently asked questions about navigating RFPs. From mastering time management to handling contradictory requirements and managing stress, Lisa shares her expert advice to help you streamline your RFP response process. Key Takeaways Mastering Time Management ...

Power Up Your Proposals: Master AI Prompts on This Week's Podcast! EP142

The RFP Success Show

What’s the secret to getting the most out of AI when crafting RFP proposals? Is it about using AI to generate quick responses, or are there specific strategies to fine-tune the AI’s output for high-quality, customized proposals? In this episode of The RFP Success Show, Lisa Rehurik dives into how to create effective AI prompts that will elevate your RFP responses. Lisa explains why the key to strong AI-generated content is in how you prompt it and shares tips on getting the best results by being specific, providing context, and asking for iterations. She also breaks down the most common...

Dive Into AI Magic on This Week’s RFP Success® Show! EP141

The RFP Success Show

What’s the biggest challenge proposal professionals are facing with AI in RFPs? Is it about how to effectively integrate AI into their workflows, or concerns about losing the human touch in their responses? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Lisa Rehurik discusses the rapidly growing role of AI in proposal writing. She answers some of the most pressing questions about AI’s impact on content generation, data analysis, and personalization, along with addressing common concerns around the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated content. Lisa explains how AI can streamline your proposal...

Discover the Art of Winning RFPs: The RFP Success® Show Returns EP140

The RFP Success Show

Welcome back to The RFP Success Show! After a brief hiatus, host Lisa Rehurik, founder and CEO of the RFP Success Company, returns with key insights from her 30+ years in the RFP arena. In this episode, Lisa takes us behind the scenes to share the most impactful lessons learned from her journey—stories of pitfalls, setbacks, triumphs, and unexpected opportunities. From her first proposal heartbreak to the evolution of her RFP processes, Lisa dives deep into the challenges small businesses face when responding to RFPs. She emphasizes the importance of thorough research, the value of setbacks...

The FAQs We Get About RFPs, Part II - EP139

The RFP Success Show

What is the #1 question we’re getting about RFPs from clients and prospects lately? Is it a tactical question about insurance requirements, due dates or FOIA requests? Or a high-level question about standing out from your competitors? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I answer five more FAQs we get about RFPs, including our most frequently asked question around distinguishing yourself in the proposal process. I explain what to do if your small business can’t meet the insurance requirements and why you should submit FOIA requests for scoring sheets, proposals...

The FAQs We Get About RFPs, Part I - EP138

The RFP Success Show

If you had the opportunity to ask an expert questions about winning business with RFPs, what would you want to know? Do you have questions about pricing? Competing with big companies? Or recognizing when an RFP is wired? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I answer five of the most frequently asked questions we get about RFPs, discussing when it’s worth it to bid against the big guys and when it’s not. I explain what to do if your small business doesn’t meet all the requirements in an RFP and how to price your proposal so it’s a win-win for you and the client....

Distinction with Differentiators (The ‘M&M’ Episode) - EP137

The RFP Success Show

To win business with RFPs, you’ve got to distinguish yourself from the competition in your response. But what if you don’t know what your differentiators are? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I share my M&M analogy for discovering what makes your company different and better than the rest. I discuss why it’s challenging to identify the ‘candy coating’ in your own business and explain what question to ask clients and employees to uncover your differentiators. Listen in for insight on what to do if your business lacks a candy coating and learn how to take your business from...

The Power of Certifying Your Company—featuring Heather Cox - EP136

The RFP Success Show

Are you losing bids because you aren’t certified as a small or diverse business? Heather Cox is Cofounder and President of , a firm that connects corporations with diverse businesses to create economic value and opportunity. On this episode of The RFP Success Show, Heather walks us through the five primary demographics for certification, explaining how to know if your business qualifies as small or diverse. We discuss private sector national versus state government certifications, challenging you to be strategic in the certifications you pursue to grow your business. Listen in for...

Using AI in RFP Proposals—featuring Stephanie Nivinskus - EP135

The RFP Success Show

Can you leverage AI to write RFP proposals for your business? Since ChatGPT came on the scene last November, people have divided into two camps: Some folks are afraid of the technology, and others think it’s a magic bullet that will write all their copy with minimal effort on their part. But Stephanie Nivinskus contends that when it comes to AI, we should be careful but not scared. So, what’s the best way for small business owners use tools like ChatGPT to write better proposal responses? Are there other AI apps that we should know about? Stephanie is the CEO and Certified AI Marketing...

Elaborating on RFP Response Answers: The ‘Baked Potato’ Episode - EP134

The RFP Success Show

If an RFP isn’t asking a question that you think it needs to ask, is it okay to provide additional information? While it’s tempting to tell a client what you think they need in your proposal response, it’s not always well received. Just like ordering a baked potato with butter and getting a loaded one. So, what is the best approach to elaborating on RFP response answers? So you stand out in a good way? On this episode of The RFP Success Show, I’m sharing my ‘baked potato’ analogy for elaborating on RFP response answers. I explain how it might confuse evaluators if you add or...

More Episodes

Most proposal professionals understand the importance of putting the client at the center of the bid process.

But what if a client centric proposal is not enough?

According to Kevin Switaj, a winning proposal takes things one step further, leveraging empathy and creativity to build an emotional connection with the evaluator.

Kevin is President and CEO of BZ Opportunity Management, a full life cycle proposal consulting firm out of northern Virginia.

With more than 15 years in proposal development, Kevin is a recognized thought leader and regular contributor to industry publications.

On this episode of the RFP Success Show, Kevin joins me to discuss his new book, Keys to the Castle: Building Empathy and Creativity into Bid Processes.

Kevin discusses how an empathetic proposal builds emotional connection with prospective clients and describes how we might apply Pixar storytelling techniques in an RFP response.

Listen in for Kevin’s insight on helping subject matter experts write with empathy and learn how to develop content that speaks to the client’s perspective and opens a conversation with evaluators.