By Susan Rassette, CF APMP
In our industry, when the new year begins, so does the influx of RFPs, keeping our small team busy from January through May. Then comes the welcome lull, giving us the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning our content and processes.
Freshening Up the Content Library
Because we use the DevOps practice of Continuous Integration/Continuous (CI/CD), our product, and therefore our content, is always evolving. So, our biggest spring project is always to review and refresh our content library. Questions we ask ourselves:
- What updates have we not captured?
- Is there duplicate content that can be consolidated?
- Is the messaging aligned for any upcoming changes?
- Are we using the most up-to-date attachments?
These questions help us ensure that our responses are accurate, consistent, and current.
Onboarding and Empowering New Contributors
As our company grows, we bring on new RFP contributors. Spring cleaning season is the ideal time to onboard new hires onto our response software. We walk them through:
- How the content library is structured
- What content they’re responsible for
- How often their content should be reviewed
Having these conversations early helps set clear expectations and builds a strong foundation for collaboration.
Streamlining High-Volume Workflows
Sometimes we receive a high volume of RFPs from the same consultant. Spring cleaning gives us the opportunity to discuss how we are handling these RFPs and if there are efficiencies we can build into our process to make these similar RFPs easier to manage.
Tackling Efficiency Projects
Beyond content, spring cleaning is our time to tackle projects that boost our overall effectiveness. These include:
- Implementing new integrations
- Establishing AI best practices
- Updating process documentation and subject matter expert lists
These efforts aren’t glamorous, but they make us far more agile during busy periods.
Reconnecting as a Team
Spring also brings a unique opportunity: meeting face-to-face with our sales and marketing teams. As a fully remote team, we don’t get many in-person moments. When we do, it is energizing, and we use this time to celebrate our wins, share best practices, and align goals.
Ready for the Next Round
That spring “breather” is a welcome change of pace, and an opportunity to reset. By June, we’re recharged and ready for the next surge of RFPs, armed with an updated library and a renewed sense of purpose.
Susan Rassette, CF APMP
RFP & Sales Communication Specialist
Susan Rassette is an RFP and Sales Communication Specialist for Lumin Digital, a cloud-native fintech company specializing in digital banking solutions for financial institutions. Susan lives in northeast Indiana and is a member of the APMP GMC Chapter.
