As the title of this blog indicates today’s blog is about copying and pasting content from an older proposal to a new one. More to the point, what to do and what to watch out for when you do copy and paste.
We all copy and paste in order to complete a RFP response at some point. It is impractical to rewrite repetitive content, and as long as you know what is in the content you are copying from and that the content answers the question, then it is a great time saving exercise.
Where copy and paste become problematic is when the information you think is in the content actually is not, or if you inadvertently transfer old information about another proposal into the new one….or worse, leave in the name of the old proposal by mistake!
When copying and pasting, here’s some key things to be aware of:
Is the information relevant and supplying the correct information? For example, if the RFP asks you to describe your experience and list your clients, make sure that the list copied over contains clients that are relevant to the new RFP. Avoid the mistake of just putting everything in from previous responses…that information may not be relevant.
Is the information recent? For example, make sure the references are up to date and the information is correct…particularly the contact info, dates worked, and description of work. Many RFPs will have date limits, but if they don’t use the most current references you have.
Make sure that the pasted content is cleared of previous clients’ references. You should not have company X mentioned if the response is for company Y. This is a common and easy mistake to make. Do a search on “company x” just to make extra sure.
If your statistics have changed (e.g. project numbers, company size, etc.) make sure you update them consistently. I have seen clients copying over statistics from 5 years previously when their new stats put them into a far better position. And of course different numbers for the same statistics.
Check that the header/footer has the correct RFP identifiers – RFP name and number and client name. Another common mistake.
Some of the standard practices I follow to avoid copy and paste heartache are:
I do a global search for key clients that I know my clients have submitted to before. I see if these clients’ names pop up in the document in inappropriate locations.
I review the references to see if these contain the correct information. I check with my client to confirm the information is up to date.
I check the template page by page for anomalies, sometimes in reused responses that have been repurposed section breaks can cause the older file information to be retained.
Copy and paste is a useful tool, especially when in a hurry to complete a RFP response, however, spend time to check what you pasted into your response. You will save yourself a lot of grief.
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