RFPs – a shorthand for “Request for Proposal” is one of the ways that businesses use to evaluate different solutions available in the market and to assess the capabilities of the associated service provider. RFPs are a key sales and communication tool – they are a pitch deck, product/service brochure, case study portfolio, and leadership demonstration content, all rolled into one.
Creating a winning RFP is challenging, especially in a competitive marketplace. Many service providers focus on providing a large volume of information in a textual form, restricting the manner in which their messages are interpreted.
Most people are visual learners – which is why images appeal to us more than plain text does. To create an RFP that stands a chance of winning during proposal evaluation, it is imperative you use a combination of text and graphics to deliver the overall message right from the cover design to the end pages.
Let us discover how to use a perfect mix of proposal graphics and engaging text to craft a great RFP.
How Proposal Graphics Create an Impact
The first thing that needs to be noted is that the context of a proposal will get crushed under the weight of too much content. So it’s always best to simplify your messages as much as possible. That’s where proposal graphics come into play. Graphics are easier to understand and communicate more information, letting you get right to the point. But this only works when you use good graphics so that the impact of graphic design is great.
RFPs are generally content-heavy so having graphics lets you communicate large chunks of information in an easily digestible format. The right images will enhance the written content. This doesn’t mean that written content isn’t important. RFPs are successful because of their written content but without the context provided by graphics, readers will struggle to connect the dots.
Illustrations are a great way to communicate complex ideas. For instance, a five-page description of your implementation process can be reduced to a single infographic. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Concise content is exactly what creates a winning RFP.
How to Design Proposal Graphics for a Winning RFP
It’s not as simple as just throwing a bunch of graphics into the document, printing it, and calling it good. Creating a winning RFP requires a planned approach. You must decide what information can be communicated via graphics and what type of graphic would be the best to use? Different graphical formats will communicate content in different ways.
Here are some of the different graphic formats and their uses.
- Infographic: Used to communicate a large volume of information in a simple, single graphic. Generally, an infographic design will be a themed list. In most cases, this is the best type of graphic to use with an RFP.
- Photographs: Limit photos to products or facilities. Always remember that the purpose of graphics in an RFP is to communicate information. Only very specific photographs will do that.
- Illustrations: Illustrations can be an amazing way to present information. For instance, a drawing of a product in use can replace a written description.
- Tables: This is a great graphic for displaying prices or making comparisons.
- Graphs: This is another great way to present data, especially one involving numbers, in an easily digestible format.
The type of information being communicated will determine the graphic to be used. The key thing to remember is that an image should not need too much text to explain its purpose.
Create a Winning RFP Today!
Creating a winning RFP requires a careful mix of text and graphics. Proposal graphics are used in a way to support written content and sometimes even replace it. That fact is that a long passage of text is just boring so keep the reader’s attention by including powerful graphics. An RFP must also present your brand identity which is another reason graphics are highly useful.
Using a professional graphic designer to achieve this is always the best choice. Graphic designing companies like Artwork Abode are experts at creating infographics and corporate graphics that are optimized for use in RFPs. The fact is that professional images stand out from amateur ones. Plus you will be able to reuse those graphics in other marketing material so the investment is worth it.
Artwork Abode excels at creating professional graphic designs. To create a winning RFP contact us today for a free quote.
– Artwork Abode
