If you’ve ever run a big RFP process at an enterprise company, you know it’s chaos waiting to happen. There are too many cooks, deadlines slip, and someone always forgets to loop in legal until the last minute. If you use Recapped to manage your RFPs, you can cut out a lot of the mess—but only if you use it right.
This guide is for sales, ops, and project folks who want to get a handle on large RFPs without losing their weekends (or their minds). Let’s get into what works, what doesn’t, and how to keep things moving.
1. Get Your House in Order Before You Touch Recapped
Don’t jump into Recapped and start creating checklists before you’ve got your basics sorted. Here’s what you need first:
- Define your RFP process—honestly. Map out the steps your company actually takes, not what’s on the PowerPoint from 2018.
- Know your core team. Who’s really responsible for each part? If everyone owns it, no one owns it.
- Collect your boilerplate content. Good RFP answers, company docs, standard pricing sheets. If you don’t have a shared folder, make one now.
Pro Tip: If your process changes every time, pick the last one that mostly worked and use that as your starting point. You can tweak later.
2. Set Up Recapped for the Real World
Recapped is flexible, but you’ll get lost if you don’t set it up with your process in mind. Here’s how to avoid rookie mistakes:
a. Build a Reusable RFP Template
- Don’t overcomplicate it. You want a clear, step-by-step checklist that matches your real workflow.
- Group tasks by phase: Kickoff, Requirements Gathering, Stakeholder Reviews, Submission, Follow-up.
- Add detailed descriptions. Don’t assume everyone knows what “Finalize proposal” means.
b. Use Recapped’s Collaboration Features—Sparingly
- Assign tasks to specific people, not teams. “Legal” won’t respond, but “Jenna in Legal” will.
- Turn on notifications only for critical steps. Too many pings and people tune out.
- Don’t try to manage every email or Slack in Recapped. Use it for milestones, not for every single thread.
c. Keep Your Client in the Loop (But Don’t Overwhelm Them)
- Invite client contacts to Recapped only if they’re hands-on. Some just want PDF updates—respect that.
- Use Recapped’s client-facing view to highlight what you need from them: missing info, key dates, etc.
- Skip the marketing fluff. Clients care about deadlines and deliverables, not your “brand journey.”
3. Run the RFP Like a Project, Not a Fire Drill
You’re not just filling out forms—you’re managing a mini project. Here’s how to keep it on track:
a. Do a Kickoff, Even if It’s Just 15 Minutes
- Clarify who’s doing what. List out owners in Recapped so there’s no confusion later.
- Agree on your “definition of done.” Is “submitted” when you hit send, or when you get confirmation?
b. Use Deadlines, But Don’t Worship the Calendar
- Set realistic due dates in Recapped for each task. Padding by a day or two is smart.
- Update deadlines if you slip. Don’t let Recapped become a graveyard of missed tasks.
c. Track Progress Out in the Open
- Use Recapped dashboards to show status. No more “where are we at?” emails.
- Have a quick standup every few days if it’s a big RFP. Five minutes can prevent a week of confusion.
What Doesn’t Work: Trying to use Recapped as a document repository. It’s decent for links and attachments, but don’t expect it to replace your company’s shared drive or document management tool. Store the heavy stuff elsewhere, and just link to it.
4. Handle Stakeholder Chaos Before It Starts
Enterprise RFPs attract opinions like a picnic attracts ants. Here’s how to use Recapped to keep things sane:
- Tag reviewers only when their input is needed. Don’t CC the whole org “just in case.”
- Use comment threads for real questions, not status updates. If it’s just “done,” mark the task complete.
- Lock down sensitive info. Recapped lets you control who sees what—use it. Not everyone needs access to pricing or legal terms.
Skip: Long email chains about “next steps.” Put them in Recapped as tasks and move on.
5. Keep Clients Engaged (Without Micromanaging Them)
You want your client to feel informed, not overwhelmed or left in the dark.
- Use Recapped’s shared timeline to show next steps. Clients hate surprises.
- Highlight what you need from them—make it obvious. Use bold text or color coding if you have to.
- Respect their time. If they’re slow to respond, a quick nudge in Recapped is fine. Don’t chase them across five platforms.
What to Ignore: Fancy dashboards or client “engagement scores” in Recapped. They look nice for your boss, but clients care about clear communication, not charts.
6. Wrap Up and Actually Learn From Each RFP
Too many teams rush to the next deal and never fix what broke this time.
- Do a short debrief in Recapped. List what worked and what was a mess.
- Update your RFP template with lessons learned. Don’t let the next team repeat your mistakes.
- Archive the project, but keep key links handy. You’ll need them for the next RFP, trust me.
A Few Final Tips (From People Who’ve Been There)
- Don’t try to automate everything. Focus on clear steps and ownership, not fancy integrations.
- Recapped is a tool, not a miracle. If your process is broken, no software will save you.
- Start simple, iterate as you go. The best RFP processes are the ones people actually use.
Enterprise RFPs are messy, but they don’t have to be miserable. Use Recapped to make the basics easier, skip the bells and whistles, and keep your process as simple as possible. Fix what doesn’t work, and don’t be afraid to throw out steps that just slow you down. Simple wins, every time.