GreenSide

Sales manager

Mid-RFP whaling strategy

I'm going after a large multinational to sell our HR SaaS platform. Built some great headway over the last year with one division. They needed to go to RFP given the current scope ($250k). RFP goes through corporate, so we pitched a second option for a complete rollout to the entire org ($1.2m). Found out there is interest, so RFP is on hold while they debate internally whether to reissue the RFP org wide.

What strategies/plays/tactics, do you recommend for reaching out to other divisions/corporate while this is being debated to give us the best shot of winning? Happy to share what my manager has suggested, but don't want to influence any answers right off the bat.

👑 Sales Strategy

☁️ Software Tech

7 comments

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UrAssIsSaaS

Arsonist

SaaS Eater

@CoorsKing is your best bet here. I personally hate RFPs and avoid them like the plague because they turn into massive time sucks that dont close frequently enough.

Diablo

Politicker

Sr. AE

Agreed. Too much of energy goes into it hardly have things under control.

GreenSide

Politicker

Sales manager

Okay, forget the RFP piece of this then. Pretend I have a proposal out to the one division with an option for the larger org that they're currently debating.

What strategies/plays/tactics, do you recommend for reaching out to other divisions/corporate while this is being debated to give us the best shot of winning?

UrAssIsSaaS

Arsonist

SaaS Eater

I dont think I am your best resource here since anyone at your company will have more context and better advice than I, BUT I were to suggest anything I would say a couple things.

1) Understand the new buying process, its definitely changed as the deal has grown so know who the new players are, what their priorities are, pain points you can solve for them etc.

2) Dont burn your champion but leverage them to intro you to these new players. You need to speak with the new DMs or you will not win.

3) Fucking pray they arent evaluating competitors or pitting you against their current system (they probably are so use your champion to understand what you are going up against)

I have no clue what your next steps are but those are my general thoughts with very little idea of whats actually happening.

1nbatopshotfan

Politicker

Sales

Congrats on resetting the expectations and deal to increase the value.

I would recommend a softer touch on outreach to other divisions. “We are in this process want to pull you in as well.”

Corporate may tell you to stop, but if you aren’t touching these contacts, your competitors are.

GreenSide

Politicker

Sales manager

This is what we’re thinking as well. Reach out and ask for forgiveness when corporate slaps me on the wrist.

ChunkyButters

Tycoon

First Thing - Call your current champion and find out what other departments are going to be impacted AND which are actually part of the evaluation committee. These are not always the same.

Then ask if your champion can intro you to the key decision makers in the departments that are part of the committee.

You can have light discoveries with them to share current priorities and if the new department shares that, but I wouldn't get too deep until you know how the evaluation will be structured.

Then just send propaganda...I mean useful articles and material to those people. Something they would actually care about with a brief highlight from you about how its relevant to them. Just enough to stay top of mind, and prove you're kinda useful to keep around.

EDIT: Currently participating in two RFPs....fuck RFPs. Turned a third down because it was way too out of scope. These two are super aligned with out current solution and the only reason I'm committing so much time.

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GreenSide

Mid-RFP whaling strategy

7 comments

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