If you’ve ever tried to wrangle a team through a big RFP response, you know it’s a bit like herding cats—only the cats are busy, distracted, and have opinions about Oxford commas. If your company uses Responsive (the RFP management platform, not a buzzword), you’re already a step ahead. But a tool’s only as good as the way you use it. Here’s a straightforward guide to actually making teamwork work—what to do, what to skip, and how to keep things moving when the deadline’s breathing down your neck.
1. Get the Basics Right: Set Up Your Project for Teamwork
Before you start inviting half the company into your RFP, take a minute to set things up the right way.
- Clean up the project: Only add the sections you need. Delete anything irrelevant. Less clutter means less confusion.
- Define roles up front: Responsive lets you assign roles like project owner, contributor, reviewer, etc. Don’t just dump everyone in as an editor. Give people just enough access to do their part, nothing more.
- Set deadlines for each section: Not just the big “RFP due” date. Break it down: who owns which section, and when do you need their input? Be specific.
- Use templates (if you have them): If your team’s answered similar questions before, reuse that work. Responsive’s content library can save hours, but only if it’s actually up to date.
Pro tip: Don’t let the platform become a dumping ground. Archive or delete old projects and answers that nobody should see again.
2. Assign Work Clearly—Don’t Assume People Will Figure It Out
The #1 reason RFPs bog down? People waiting for someone else to go first. Avoid the guessing game:
- Use assignments, not emails: Assign questions or sections to specific people in Responsive. Don’t just ping them in Slack and hope they remember.
- Add context: When you assign something, add a quick note: “Hey, Sarah—can you tackle the technical requirements in Section 4? Need your answer by Tuesday.”
- Don’t overload one person: Spread the work. If you’re the project owner and you’re answering 80% yourself, something’s off.
What to skip: Don’t assign everything to “the team” or “all contributors.” No one takes ownership and things slip.
3. Communicate Where the Work Happens
It’s tempting to have side conversations in email or chat, but Responsive is built so you don’t have to chase info all over.
- Use in-app comments: Responsive lets you @mention teammates right on a question or section. That way, everyone sees the context and the history.
- Avoid “FYI” noise: Don’t tag people unless you actually need their input. Too much noise and folks start ignoring notifications.
- Resolve threads when done: Mark conversations as resolved when an answer’s finalized. Keeps things tidy.
Honest take: You’ll still need the occasional phone call or Zoom, especially for gnarly questions. That’s fine. Just summarize any major decisions back in Responsive.
4. Make Reviews Actually Useful
Review cycles are where good RFPs go to die—usually in a sea of conflicting comments and last-minute rewrites.
- Set a real review deadline: “Sometime this week” isn’t a deadline. Make it clear: “Review by EOD Thursday or your input’s skipped.”
- Decide who needs to review what: Not everyone needs eyes on everything. Let legal review legal stuff, and sales review sales stuff.
- Use tracked changes or comments: Responsive tracks revisions and lets reviewers make suggestions. Don’t overwrite someone’s work without a heads-up.
- One reviewer, one decision: If you need sign-off, make sure it’s clear who gives the final OK. Too many cooks = chaos.
Pro tip: If you’re always getting last-minute surprises, try a quick “pre-review” check-in after first drafts are in. Catch issues early.
5. Use the Content Library, But Don’t Trust It Blindly
Responsive’s content library is a lifesaver—if it’s stocked with good, current answers.
- Search the library first: Before writing from scratch, see if there’s a reusable answer. Save time, but don’t just copy-paste.
- Check for context: Old answers might reference outdated products, customers, or details. Edit as needed.
- Flag stale content: If you spot a bad or outdated answer, flag it for update. Don’t let junk pile up.
- Update as you go: When you write a new, better answer, save it to the library right away. Don’t wait for “someday.”
What to ignore: Don’t trust imported or “auto-generated” answers unless you’ve checked them yourself. There’s no magic content fairy.
6. Keep Everyone in the Loop—But Don’t Over-Notify
No one wants a flood of “reminder” emails, but silence isn’t golden either.
- Set up notifications for key milestones: Responsive can notify assignees when a task is due or overdue—but you don’t need daily pings.
- Use dashboards to track progress: Check the project dashboard for bottlenecks. Nudge folks who are stuck, but don’t micro-manage.
- Share status updates: Brief, regular updates (“80% done, waiting on legal review”) keep everyone aligned without endless meetings.
Honest take: If you’re sending more than one “just checking in” email a week, something’s broken in your process.
7. Lock Down the Final Submission—No Last-Minute Surprises
When the RFP’s nearly done, chaos tends to spike. Here’s how to keep the finish line clean:
- Freeze sections after review: Responsive lets you lock sections so nobody can edit after review. Use this. It prevents “helpful” last-minute changes.
- Final pass for consistency: One person (not a committee) should do a last check for tone, typos, and formatting.
- Export and check formatting early: Don’t wait until the last hour to see if the export matches the RFP’s submission requirements. Responsive is good, but every RFP’s a little different.
What to skip: Don’t try to perfect every answer at the last minute. Good enough is usually good enough.
8. After the Dust Settles: Learn and Improve
Most teams forget this part, but it’s where you get better for next time.
- Quick debrief: What worked? What was painful? Jot down a few notes while it’s fresh.
- Update the content library: Save any new Q&As that might get reused. Archive anything that led to confusion or mistakes.
- Tweak your process: If people ignored in-app comments, maybe they need a quick walkthrough. If hand-offs were slow, get more specific with assignments next time.
Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate your process with fancy workflows or automation unless you’re confident everyone will use them.
Collaboration on RFPs is never going to be glamorous, but it doesn’t have to be a slog. Use Responsive for what it’s good at—centralizing answers, tracking progress, and keeping everyone (somewhat) sane. Keep your process simple, stay clear on who does what, and don’t be afraid to tweak things each time. The best teams aren’t perfect—they just get a little better with every RFP.