Most of your know that I hate RFPs, request for proposals. I consider them the same as feeding (or teasing) hungry dogs with samples of food. I rarely respond to an RFP.
What do I hate more than RFPs? RFPs mailed to me via the post office, on physical paper.
Last week, I received an RFP via the mail. It was one of those special deliveries, via FedEx or something. I opened it up to find a "Request for Proposal" in fancy type set. I laughed and it is still sitting on my desk as a reminder to blog about it. Thing is, it was buried under other papers, until I dug it out and was reminded to blog about it.
Yesterday, I received a letter from a client. The letter was very legal-like. It had a request for a change to their web site. Move this here, that here, etc. It was typed up on fancy stationary, signed and mailed. I received it, opened the letter, read it - and dare I say it, threw it away.
Seriously! You have email, you have a web site - just email me with the changes you want or even call. To write up a formal letter? Seriously?
Back to the RFP. Do any of you get paper-based RFPs anymore? I get a few from government offices, but this may be my first or second from a non-government office. Seems wasteful.


Comments
I haven't seen a paper RFP in probably 10 years.. And even then those only came from lawyers and legal types..
Posted by: Steve G | August 10, 2010 10:01 AM
We dont get any RFPs anymore via Canada Post - but when you try to bid on a municipal tender for IT services, I do know that after you pay the fees FOR the full RFP, you then get same via Canada Post. And only on that paperwork once mailed and rec'd by you, is the full URL for the download of the RFP....
...sigh....
Jim
Posted by: Jim Rudnick | August 10, 2010 10:36 AM