Many companies treat a request for proposal (RFP) as if it's a necessary and tedious evil—something you whip together or repurpose from an existing document with cut-and-paste indifference. But Gwyneth Dwyer believes to do so is a mistake. "An RFP is a key step in engaging an outside marketing partner," she explains in an article at MarketingProfs. "Don't underestimate its importance."

With that in mind, here's some of her advice for getting the most out of an RFP:

Create a document that's worthy of your brand. "Is it well structured and clearly written?" Dwyer asks. "Can recipients scan it and understand what you're looking for?" Then she poses a few more questions:

• "Is it free of jargon?"
• "Does it include a checklist of response requirements?"
  

Simply put, high-quality RFPs generate high-quality responses.

Prequalify recipients. Research potential partners by visiting websites, speaking with principals and viewing portfolios. "Send your RFP only to those organizations that have a reasonable chance of doing business with you," advises Dwyer. "Doing so is not merely courteous and professional, it's also efficient."

Selective distribution also increases the chances that a recipient will participate in the process: If you've sent your RFP to dozens of companies, many might consider it to be a waste of their time.

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