How To Improve Your RFP Process

Everything we do matters. Every hour counts, whether its for our personal or professional tasks. It is important for us to get the most return on our investments, whether the investment is planning a meeting or simply going to visit our family. We want to get the most value out of what we do.

When it comes to the group travel industry, sometimes every minute counts. You may have a long list of things to do before your meetings or events are finalized. It can be daunting, knowing many of the items are time consuming.

The RFP Process

One of the tasks that can be extremely inefficient is the booking and RFP process. Significant time can be lost in preparing and sending the RFP. For instance, sometimes the document has to go through several managers for approval. Perhaps it is the wait time, where you need to hear from the hotel or client. Also, if RFPs are completed online, often times eRequest For Proposal (eRFP) solutions are not user-friendly, difficult to understand and are costly processes – all challenges facing the group travel industry.

However, there are several ways to improve your process and save time. Our goal is to make the group-booking process more efficient and effective, both for planners and suppliers. Simply put, our mission is to make group travel easier for you.

Before you compile your RFP, below are five helpful tips:

1. Get all the information you need before sending the request. Does the client need single rooms, double rooms or triple rooms? Will they accept less rooms? What are the dates? When do they need a response?

2. Discuss the budget. Make sure you have your client’s budget, so you can adequately negotiate with hotels.

3. Decide the location of the hotel. Determine if the hotel has to be at the city center or near the city center. An alternative location may be close to the desired location but slightly cheaper.

4. Determine what is mandatory and what is flexible. It is important to know what is fixed and what can be negotiated in your request. Are the dates flexible? Does breakfast need to be included, or can the client do without?

5. Communicate every detail. This reduces the chance the hotel will return with questions. If the hotel has additional questions, you will lose precious time and be caught in a web of follow-ups.

When the time comes to send out your RFP, our platform requires minimal effort. It allows you to initiate requests, acquire quotes, negotiate arrangements, complete requests, and more. It helps you to complete your task in a timely manner, freeing up your schedule. It also provides you a convenient overview of your leads.

However, we are continually evolving to make the platform better for you. We would love to hear what would help make your group travel booking processes easier!