Writing an RFP? - What an RFP Writer Does

When you're buying a critical new technology or service, writing a clear, structured Request for Proposal (RFP) can be the difference between success and failure. A well-written RFP brings clarity, invites high-quality vendors, and makes your selection process faster and more credible. But writing a good RFP is not easy. In fact, for many organisations, it’s a completely unknown task.

That’s why many businesses look for outside help. If you’re searching for an RFP writer, it’s likely because you’re at that point – you know you need something more than just a blank template, and you want your RFP to actually work. At Viewpoint Analysis, we’re experts in running fast, focused technology selection processes. Sometimes we manage the whole thing – from requirements through to shortlist. But often, we’re just brought in to write the RFP itself. We step in, take your requirements, and shape them into a professional, structured document that vendors will want to respond to.

So what actually makes a good RFP? And what does an RFP writer really do?

Why RFPs Matter More Than You Think

Many people assume that RFPs are just paperwork. A necessary hurdle. But in reality, the way you structure and present your RFP has a big impact on who responds, how they respond, and how easy it is to evaluate the results.

Here’s what a good RFP needs to do:

• Clearly explain the opportunity (more on this later) – not just the requirement

• Provide enough information for vendors to respond credibly

• Encourage creativity and innovation in the response

• Help you, the buyer, compare vendors fairly

If your RFP is unclear, too long, or confusing, you’ll end up with poor responses. Or worse – no responses at all. That’s why the job of an RFP writer isn’t just to write a document – it’s to help shape the process in a way that gets results.

It’s Not Just About Issuing Requirements – It’s About Selling To Sales

One of the most common mistakes people make when writing RFPs is focusing entirely on what they want – and forgetting to sell the opportunity. Most vendors, especially good ones, are busy. They’re selective about what tenders they pursue. And the first few pages of your RFP will determine whether their sales team leans in… or quietly drops it into the “no bid” pile (and that can be quite a big pile for some vendors!).

A good RFP writer understands this dynamic. That’s why a well-crafted RFP opens by setting the scene:

• Why is this project important to your organisation?

• What are the problems you’re trying to solve?

• What could success look like for your team, your users, your customers?

• That you have the right buy-in from your executives

• That you have money to spend

• That you can spend the money quickly

• That you have a though-through process

• and more

  
  

When vendors can see a real, valuable opportunity – they’re more likely to invest time and effort in responding. That’s why every RFP we write includes a clear, concise business context section. We’re not just selling what you want – we’re selling why it matters to the business. We're also not just telling them what we want - we're telling them why they should care and invest their precious time and money (because an RFP does cost money).

It Will Be Read by Multiple People – So It Needs Balance

Another mistake is writing the RFP as though only one person will read it. This is never the case. The sales lead might be the first person to read it, but it gets forwarded on to cast of people - and it will need a number of them to approve the decision to respond. In reality, a vendor response team might include:

• Account managers and commercial leads

• Technical solution architects

• Pre-sales consultants

• Proposal writers

• Product specialists

  
  

That means your RFP has to strike a balance. Too light on detail, and technical teams won’t know how to respond. Too heavy and jargon-filled, and the sales lead may never pass it on internally. A good RFP writer knows how to walk that line. We write documents that are:

• Concise, but complete

• Structured, but not overly rigid

• Open enough to allow vendors to show their strengths

• Clear enough to guide good responses

This balance is essential – and it’s something most first-time RFP writers underestimate.

Creativity Comes from the Vendor – So Let Them Show It

If you prescribe exactly what the vendor should deliver – and exactly how – then don’t be surprised when all the proposals look identical. More than this, you will find the vendors cut their solution and don't give you the exciting bits that will really make the difference. The key thing here is that we (the buying team) know FAR LESS than the vendor team about their product - this might sound obvious, but it's often forgotten.

Whenever we write an RFP (either when we run the whole process ourselves like we do with the Rapid RFP and Rapid RFI) we encourage a problem statement approach. Rather than asking for Feature X and Report Y, we focus on:

• The problem you’re trying to solve

• The outcomes you need to deliver

• The constraints or considerations that matter

For example:

“We currently lack visibility into project costs across departments. We need a solution that provides real-time budget tracking, supports cross-departmental reporting, and is easy for non-finance users to access and understand.”

This invites creativity. It tells the vendor what you need without telling them how to do it. That’s when the best responses are submitted.

What Does an RFP Writer Actually Do?

There’s no single answer – because it depends entirely on the client’s need. But broadly, the job of an RFP writer includes the following aspects:

1. Understanding the Requirement

For many clients, the RFP writer starts by gathering information. That might mean interviewing key team members across IT, operations, procurement, finance, or service delivery.

We ask the right questions to uncover:

• What the pain points are

• What the desired future state looks like

• What success would mean to the business

• What constraints or risks we need to consider

This discovery work ensures the RFP is grounded in reality – not assumptions.

2. Translating Needs Into a Structured Document

Once we’ve understood the brief, the real writing begins. This involves:

• Designing the RFP structure

• Writing each section clearly and concisely

• Including relevant background and context

• Creating open-ended questions that drive useful responses

• Defining the evaluation process (if needed)

This stage is where the document comes to life – transforming raw need into something vendors can act on.

3. Supporting the Process (Optional)

In some cases, clients ask us to help design the overall vendor selection process too. This is usually the case when the team we are working with has no, or limited experience running an RFP but where they want to handle the process without Viewpoint Analysis.

In this case, we'll do all the elements in the two points above, but we'll also work through the process, timings, expectations, scoring, and sometimes the vendors to include.

Why Use a Professional RFP Writer?

Most people have never written an RFP - why would they? And if they have, almost all of those people have never responded to an RFP. This is what makes the Viewpoint Analysis team different - we've done both - lots. If you have never written an RFP or responded to one, it's difficult to know what to do.

An experienced RFP writer brings:

• Clarity – removing jargon and confusion

• Structure – so suppliers know how to respond

• Speed – because they’ve done it all before

• Credibility – ensuring your RFP is taken seriously by the market

  
  

At Viewpoint Analysis, we’ve written RFPs for finance systems, CRM systems, ERP packages, data platforms, IT services, and lots more. We know what vendors look for – and we know how to help you stand out as a buyer worth bidding for.

Please get in contact if you think this might be something we can help you and your team with.