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OPINION
Client extension – friend or foe?
A client extension should be utilized to review, refine, and enhance the existing proposal, rather than expanding or revamping it.
W e’ve all been there. Hustling to get a proposal submission-ready (because after all, a proposal is never really done, just due) and wishing we had just a few more days. And then, like a gift from the skies, an email arrives announcing an extension.
Who wouldn’t be excited, relieved, even grateful? Me. Over the years, I have seen numerous RFP extensions, but I can count on one hand the times when the extra time was actually used effectively and resulted in a better deliverable. Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, shame on you,” but hear me out. When I began my career nearly 13 years ago, the average turnaround time for proposals was four to six weeks. Most clients still required physical copies to be mailed to their office, and it was rare for me to have more than three or four collaborators helping me develop the document. Now, that seems like a lifetime ago. Instead, I’m accustomed to the two-week turnaround
in a wholly digital world, where I’m coordinating among 15 or more SMEs, project managers, relationship partners, business development managers, principals, you name it. While building consensus on our winning strategy, articulating our unique value proposition, and translating our technical solution onto paper (or screen) have always presented challenges, these obstacles are amplified when you have less time and more cooks in the kitchen. And so, one might assume I’d welcome a few extra days, or even a week. Here’s why I dread extensions in four common mistakes: ■ The team relaxes. Thinking they have all the time they need, their efficiency decreases. It’s
Mercedez Thompson
See MERCEDEZ THOMPSON , page 8
THE ZWEIG LETTER JUNE 3, 2024, ISSUE 1540
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