Responding to Follow-up Questions

Whew! After many stressful early mornings and late nights, that monster proposal is finally out the door. But you may not be able to relax just yet. After receiving the formal proposal, many prospects go back to the vendors to ask follow-up questions. A pricing best and final offer (BAFO) may be part of this request as well.

Follow-up questions are actually a great sign. They mean your company is in the running and the prospect is interested in hearing more about your solution. This may be your company’s last chance to drive your sales pitch before being chosen as a finalist, being chosen as the winner, or being eliminated.

Follow-up questions are actually a great sign. They mean your company is in the running and the prospect is interested in hearing more about your solution.

These follow-up questions typically come in two forms. They can be clarification questions, asking you to explain or expand upon a specific response or concept included in your proposal. Or they can be new questions that came to light after the evaluators have reviewed the proposals. Regardless, the questions are now on your plate. So, what’s the best way to handle them?

• View them as “mini RFPs.” Many of the same processes used to generate proposals can also be used to respond to follow-up questions, including pulling in the appropriate subject matter experts (SMEs), assigning deadlines, and leaving time for a final review. You may even need to get multiple SMEs involved to construct your response. They could include the same SMEs who worked on the original proposal or, depending upon the questions being asked, you may have to engage new SMEs. A kickoff call or meeting may be warranted to review the follow-up questions and strategize your solution.
• Refresh the team’s memory. Some follow-up questions arrive immediately following the proposal submission while others might show up weeks—or even months—later. The SMEs may have worked on multiple proposals in that time, so it’s a good idea to refresh their memories regarding the proposal in question. If new SMEs are being pulled in, you’ll have to bring them up to speed regarding the original RFP and proposal. This can be accomplished during the kickoff call/meeting or with an email detailing the salient points.
• Keep it consistent. It is essential that follow-up responses are consistent with your original proposal. You can certainly refine your proposal responses, but don’t contradict them without a proper explanation. This is especially important to keep in mind if new SMEs are added to the mix and aren’t familiar with the initial proposal. Any inconsistencies may literally cost your company the business. The rule of consistency applies to the physical format of the follow-up questions as well. Use the same document design that you used for the original proposal to keep your company’s branding consistent.
• Establish clear internal deadlines. Follow-up questions usually have short response times. Give the SMEs specific deadlines for completing their responses and check in with them regularly to ensure they are making the proper progress. Build in time for the review process as well as time to incorporate any changes that may arise from the review.
• Reiterate your company’s value proposition. This may be your final opportunity to communicate with the prospect before a decision is made. As you respond, weave in your company’s strengths and discriminators. Showcase your understanding of the prospect’s issues and emphasize your company’s unique ability to address them.

Follow-up questions are often accompanied by a heightened sense of urgency as the team works to ensure that your company makes it to the next phase of the business development process. Hopefully, the next communication you receive from the prospect will be notifying you of your selection as a finalist—or the winner!

Christine DeFinis, CP APMP, CAPM, is a proposal services director based in the New York City area at Premise Health, a direct health care access company. She can be reached at christine.definis@premisehealth.com.