Author: Pamela Isom Ceo

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I Said NO to a Request for Proposal

When we think about the Power of No, it elicits so many emotions.  Failure, shortcoming or absence of approval.  This is the range of emotions I went through  as I declined to bid on project I had been wanting for over a year.

Over the past year, I was working diligently to develop a trusted relationship with a global corporation. The relationship involved meetings, flying across the country, emails and holiday calls to touch base. Finally, the RFP was in my Inbox!

We utilized our Bid No Bid Decision Flow Chart to help us determine if the bid opportunity was the right one for us (see chart below).

  1. Fits our strategic direction-Yes
  2. Strong client relationship-Yes
  3. Competitive Advantage-No
    Does Client favor a competitor-Yes
    Will a Partner improve our odds-Yes, but not in time!
  4. Do we know the client issues-Yes
  5. Do we have the resources and skills available-Some, but not all
    Can we get what we need in time-No, not by the RFP submission date
  6. Will this impact other business if we do not bid-No
  7. Does the bid have acceptable risk-Yes, risky if we win & need to deliver quickly

In reviewing the scope of work against our Bid/No Bid matrix we decided it would be a NO bid. 

  • We have NO competitive advantage (being a MBE/WBE is NOT an advantage)
  • The incumbent is good at what they do & have the resources we do not have

There is too much risk to our reputation, brand and to the Supplier Diversity manger who advocated for us, if we fail.

With all of the above taken into account,  I drafted  a  memo  advising we would not be submitting a bid proposal.  I closed the letter with the following:

At ICE Safety Solutions (Getice.com), we provide onsite safety training (CPR First Aid, Evacuation training), equipment (AEDs & First Aid) and Emergency Action Plans while also providing standby crews, paramedics, first responders, athletic trainers and nurses for events & high-risk projects. Though today is a no, I will commit to turning this bid opportunity into a New Opportunity to develop my company to be sure next year we will be able to exceed your expectations, In Case of Emergency.

Initially the NO decision to not bid caused me to feel like a failure, I now see the New Opportunity to identify the areas which will enable me to bid next year!

Want to know the response from Global Procurement? 
Pamela,
Thank you for detailed memo outlining your firm will not be bidding on RFP: xxxx.  Following review of your capabilities, we have another RFP for your firm to consider, which may  align with your current capabilities.

Please advise if you would be interested in participating.

I did not say Yes, I said New Opportunity!

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Turned a NO into a New Opportunity by working as a Tier 2

I can remember my first NO from a corporation. “NO, you are not big enough to scale with our national locations:. Gosh, the words were painful.  To be honest, it was true. I did not have experience, I did not have a national footprint, I did not even have the staff to work nationally.  I turned the NO into a New Opportunity by seeking a subcontract position with a competitor. The competitor did have a large footprint providing CPR training across the US.  By contracting, I was able to learn what they were doing well and areas they could improve. I worked with other subcontractors and we became friends. I leveraged this experience when the project was open for bid. I bid on the Request for Proposal and WON! I was able to show an innovative solution, effective pricing and customization the competitor was not able to present! I even now had subcontractors who came to work for me because I supported them while I was subcontracting!
Pamela Isom, ICE Safety Solutions