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 for innovation, and how to leverage relationships and networking for RFP success. Whether you're a seasoned proposal professional or a small business owner navigating RFPs for the first time, Lisa’s experiences offer practical guidance to help you win more contracts and level up your RFP game.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of thorough research: Go beyond the RFP document to understand your client's needs, mission, and goals to craft a compelling proposal.
• Learning from setbacks: Use challenges—tight deadlines, missing team members, or changes in the RFP—to innovate and streamline processes for future success.
• Leveraging networking and partnerships: Unexpected opportunities can come from unlikely places. Stay open to collaborations that could help you win RFPs.
• Celebrating triumphs and small wins: Even losses can teach valuable lessons. Celebrate successes and the lessons learned from failures to keep your team motivated.

Memorable Moments:

• Lisa recounts her first RFP loss and the lessons it taught her about going beyond "meets expectations" and understanding the client’s needs.
• Overcoming setbacks like tight deadlines and team challenges led to process improvements and greater collaboration within her team.
• Lisa shares how a networking event led to an unexpected partnership that changed the course of a proposal.