A request for proposal (RFP) is a formal request for an agency or company to submit a proposal to obtain a contract or job. An RFP is an important component for many enterprises; a lot of the time, it can be the first impression your company makes with various service providers, especially since most people submitting an RFP are not experts in that given service or software.

Because of this, it can be difficult to draft a great RFP. Here are a few tips on how to write an RFP for organization membership management software. 

The Importance of a Good RFP

The RFP you send represents your company and it also kicks off the working relationship with the organization membership management software you may eventually select. Additionally, the better your RFP, the better the proposal; leading to far better selections and results. You don’t need to become an expert in membership management software, but starting with the needs your organization has is a great point of departure.

Make a List

What does your organization lack—in terms of functionality—with your membership management software? If you don’t currently use one, where do you see the biggest inefficiencies or opportunities? Are there any tasks that are incredibly frustrating for your staff to complete? Are there tasks that are prone to errors? 

These are some of the questions you can ask yourself, in order to see what kind of needs your organization has. Once you have the needs, then determine what the optimal solutions are for each need. What questions should you be asking to really know whether their solutions will work for your organization? This will give you a big picture of what you are looking for from different membership management software companies. Check out Xplor Recreation! Our organization membership management software’s  features will give you a better idea of what kind of needs and wants you have. Looking for a parks and recreation management software? Try our checklist, to get you started.

Be Concise

Most organizations are busy, busy, busy. Keep this in mind when drafting your RFP. These proposals are fairly long to begin with. Get rid of unnecessary words and sentences and really get to the point with everything you say. Keep in mind the purpose of the RFP: as a potential client, you determine the rough needs and wants you have—along with your budget—then reach out to potential organization membership management software providers, to show you what they can do.

Be Reasonable

Do some research to see which solutions are out there and at what budget you’ll need to commit to cover your needs. If you have a large organization with many needs and a tiny budget, you might have a bit more difficulty finding what you’re looking for. Keep in mind an RFP can be the beginning of a long working relationship and you don’t want to start that off with a lot of unreasonable expectations. At the same time, you know your needs better than anyone and should be firm about the must-haves, when creating your membership management RFP.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced when drafting an RFP? Let us know on Facebook, and we will try to help you out to make it easier next time! Follow us on Twitter and Google+, to stay up to date with all of your Xplor Recreation news. Feel free to get in touch with us to learn more about organization membership management software!