Finding Projects Before They Become RFPs
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Why Waiting for the RFP is Too Late
Clients begin shaping their projects long before the RFP is posted—sometimes months or even years in advance. By the time the proposal is invited, they've lived through the planning, scoping, and decision-making that will influence the award. Firms that wait to appear until the RFP drops are introducing themselves at the moment when it's hardest to make an impact. This topic reframes business development around the client's timeline, showing why visibility, trust, and informal conversations in the pre-RFP phase often shape the outcome, even in “officially fair” competitions.
Building a Lead-Generating Engine
If you want predictable sales results, you need more than ambition—you need a functioning lead-generating engine. This topic introduces the core elements of an engine that finds opportunities before they hit the market. It breaks the process down into three steps: awareness, task identification, and assignment. With practice, this system helps you measure your business development “gas mileage”—how many leads it takes to meet your revenue target—and gives you the tools to improve that ratio over time.
Exposing the Cultural Barriers to Early BD
Many teams don’t generate leads early because of cultural norms, internal resistance, or mistaken beliefs. This topic helps you uncover what's really blocking your team. Using the Pre-RFP Business Development Culture prompt set and companion analysis template, you'll identify common objections, misplaced fears, and quiet habits that undermine lead generation. Instead of relying on gut feel or scattered effort, you’ll have a clear view of your team's mindset—allowing you to coach, support, and evolve it into a proactive, client-aligned culture.
