Take the time to talk to your employees
Perhaps you already have an idea of what functionality your new MarTech solution should include. However, to make your RFP as powerful as possible, you should take the time to talk in detail with your team about how you want their ideal solution to work. Chances are you'll learn something you hadn't considered before. They're the ones who really know what can improve their work life - and their output - day in, day out.
It pays to do the work in advance and be ideally prepared with your RFP. If you approach vendors before you have complete clarity about your needs, later evolving needs can make the process more chaotic for everyone involved than necessary. Take the time to get clear about your requirements and user stories.
Don't assume you already know what you need
It happens over and over. Marketers see an ad or hear a pitch for a particular solution and think, "That's it!" This solution may only scratch the surface of your specific needs, while another option could fully address them.
If you create your RFP with a specific solution in mind, you're more likely to miss details that don't align with the capabilities of that solution. And we all know that the devil is in the details.
In fact, you might not need a separate solution. As you examine your specific needs, you may find that a solution you are already using has untapped functionality that aligns with your team's needs.
Analyze your existing MarTech stack
When content is king, data is the queen pulling the strings. But your data is only as meaningful as the ways your team can use it. Don't get stuck with a marketing technology that locks your data in its own silo.
Instead, make sure you think through the integration carefully and include all requirements in your RFP. A seamlessly integrated MarTech stack lets your data flow freely, helping you get the clearest possible picture of your customers and create the most impactful marketing for them.
Don't let the promise of turnkey solutions distract you
Like almost every technology, marketing technology likes to be adorned with flashy functions. And because MarTech is evolving so quickly, there's a whole lot of new stuff to get excited about.
It's all well and good to have a certain enthusiasm for tools and features that promise to make life easier for your team. But don't get distracted. Keep an eye on your RFP—and your specific needs. While seemingly innovative features may sound ideal, those features aren't nearly as important as finding a tool to help your team solve their current problems.
"Turnkey" is another hot word in the MarTech industry - but we recommend using it with caution. Even though a solution may be plug and play, this often means that adapting it to your specific use cases and requirements is more of a challenge. It pays to do extra implementation work to make a solution truly practical and easy to use for your team.
Future-proof your MarTech stack
Think long-term when creating your RFP and evaluating solutions. Your needs today may – or most likely – will not be the same as tomorrow's.
Think long-term to reduce the need to replace an existing solution in a few years. Take the time to anticipate needs as your team grows or you invest in new channels. You can't predict everything, but you probably have a pretty good idea of where you're headed.
By future-proofing your stack as much as possible and thinking about all the needs you can anticipate over time, you minimize the risk of being stuck with a solution that won't hold up over time.
