Writing the Perfect Agency Proposal Cover Letter
Last week, I was advising an agency on writing a strong response to a large RFP. We put into practice a lot of the ideas that I wrote about last month about how to treat an RFP response as a strategic selling tool (rather than a burdensome box to check) like–
Understanding that the underlying reason behind the client even issuing the RFP, whether sound or not, is to manage the inherent risk involved in hiring an agency.
Defining a strategic plan for your response before you even write a word.
Recognizing any tendencies for people-pleasing enthusiasm and redirecting towards diagnostic problem-solving.
When we got to the executive summary, I offered the CEO a template that I developed a few years ago because I was tired of seeing executive summaries that sounded like this:
“We’re thrilled to be considered for this project, and excited by the prospect of helping you reimagine your marketing strategy. We solve difficult challenges and we believe that this project is a perfect fit for our capabilities.”
I was frustrated by watching agencies throw away this opportunity for capturing the client’s attention and imagination in a new business pitch.
Why is an executive summary or cover letter so important?
It just may be the only section of your proposal or RFP response that your client actually reads.
Sure, that’s a cynical attitude, but it’s based on personal experience as well as the experience that’s been shared with me by other experts like agency search consultants.
An executive summary is your opportunity to present a persuasive argument for hiring your agency from the outset and to offer an enticement to read more. I have an outline to share with you below, but first, some Dos and Don’ts.
Don’t:
Tell them everything you want them to know about your agency. That’s your enthusiasm (perhaps with a dash of hubris) getting the better of you.
Offer information that’s not relevant to them. For example, if you’re pitching a digital assignment, resist the urge to tell the client all about your experience in traditional media. Your motive may be to paint the picture of a capable, multifaceted agency, but it confuses the reader instead and as a result undermines your pitch.
Tell more than show. Don’t talk about how passionate you are about their business category. That’s an abstract statement from which it’s impossible to extract meaning. Instead, tell them something concrete—a recent success or an example of how you go the extra mile. Let them conclude whether or not that showed passion.
Waste valuable real estate. See the “one page” rule below.
Do:
Demonstrate you understand and can fulfill the needs of those who are reviewing the response.
Remind them why they invited you to pitch this piece of business. Or, if necessary, reframe perceptions or redirect to stronger arguments.
Hook them with your problem-solving ability.
Let your personality and, yes, even enthusiasm shine. Just don’t give enthusiasm a greater role than it deserves and don’t substitute it for fact-based evidence of your qualifications.
Try to keep it to one page. This is an exercise in both restraint as well as ruthless editing. Of all the “Do” rules it’s the one you may decide to bend. I wouldn’t want you to leave something important out just to fulfill it. Just ask yourself if there’s a good reason to expand onto page 2.
Make it obvious to those reviewing this proposal that the cover letter must be read first. Depending on the format, the letter may be the first page within a document or a separate page. In some cases, you’ll want to duplicate the letter in the body of the email that you send with your submission. Don’t worry – it won’t appear repetitive. You’re simply increasing your chances that the client will read it.
Here’s an outline you might want to follow. Treat it as a basic guide. I get that you’re likely to be working within restraints or requirements dictated by the client so play with how to adjust this outline to work within those restraints.
Paragraph 1 – Open by thanking them! Don’t be obsequious. Keep it short and simple then move on to more important things.
Paragraph 2 – Offer an insightful observation on the client’s business or category. If this comes out of your recent work experience or research, tell them that. It immediately communicates you have something of value to offer them. They may be more likely to pay a premium for it or, at the very least, it may tip the balance in your favor against another bidder.
No proprietary research? That’s OK. Tap into your own consumer mindset. What are your attitudes toward the product, service, or category? This not only shows your ability to think strategically even without the benefit of prior experience, it demonstrates that you’ve cared enough to devote some time to think critically about their issues.
Paragraphs 3 and 4 – Tie your observations to what you see as the biggest marketing priority they need to tackle. Then, reassure them that you’ve solved these kinds of problems before by mentioning specific examples. This is why you’re a (perhaps the most?) qualified candidate for the assignment. Don’t go into deep detail—you’ll offer the full story later in your case studies.
Paragraph 5 – If the RFP requires a long or complicated response, you may want to offer some brief wayfinding advice, especially if you want the readers to home-in on certain sections over others.
Closing paragraph – Give them a small glimpse into the future success you imagine for them—category leadership, a reversal of declining revenue, a successful product launch, etc. It must be authentic and justifiable, not ingratiating. In other words, you must truly believe this is possible for them based on your experience.
Finally, always have a real person sign their name! Ideally, the CEO or partner(s).
Does this format look like one you’re already following? Great!
Is it working? Not as much as you’d like it to? It may simply need refinement rather than a wholesale redesign. Take a critical look at your recent cover letters and apply the “dos” and “don’ts” above. That may offer an immediate path toward improvement.
Want to see some examples of great cover letters? Send me an email or a message on LinkedIn and I’ll be happy to share.