Focused Bidding for the Win—with Melissa Emler - EP124
Release Date: 02/15/2023
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 ...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outlineWhen Melissa Emler started bidding on RFPs to grow her event management business, she looked through a variety of opportunities and thought, ‘We could definitely do that.’
But after a year of trying to figure it out on her own, Melissa wasn’t winning contracts. And the frustration of losing left her playing small.
Today, Melissa has changed her approach. She has identified the differentiators that set her organization apart and started seeking out best-fit opportunities for her business.
Melissa is Owner of Modern Learners, a company that’s designing the future of learning by building community, content and events.
Prior to Modern Learners, Melissa enjoyed a traditional career in education, serving as a special education teacher, principal and Statewide Systems Coach for Universal Design for Learning.
On this episode of the podcast, Melissa joins me to discuss how her proposal responses have changed since she started working with The RFP Success Company and why she only bids on RFPs in her team’s niche.
Melissa walks us through the process of ‘shredding the RFP,’ explaining how it helped her uncover Modern Learners’ unique value proposition—prioritizing community over course content.
Listen in for Melissa’s insight on using aggregators to identify opportunities and learn how investing in the right support helped Modern Learners leverage focused bidding for the win!
Key Takeaways
How Melissa transitioned from a traditional career in education to entrepreneurship
How prioritizing community over course differentiates Modern Learners from other organizations in the event management space
Melissa’s journey to finding opportunities for Modern Learners through RFPs
How Melissa’s RFP responses have changed since she started working with the RFP Success Company
What it means to ‘shred the RFP’ and how it helped Melissa identify her team’s differentiators
How Melissa is developing a strategy for networking before the RFP drops
Why it’s worth it to invest in support to help you respond to RFPs
Why Melissa only bids on RFPs in her team’s niche that they already have systems to execute
How Melissa’s mindfulness around the capacity of her team impacts which RFPs she bids on
Melissa’s experiences using aggregators to identify opportunities
How the event management space evolved before, during and after COVID (and how that changed Melissa’s approach to finding business)
Melissa’s commitment to the process of bidding on business with RFPs
Connect with Melissa
Email [email protected]
Connect with Lisa
The RFP Success Company on YouTube
The RFP Success Company on LinkedIn
Email [email protected]
Resources
Wisconsin Procurement Institute
Forecasting the Future of the SLED Market on The RFP Success Show EP111
Book a Call with the RFP Success Company