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Lee Anne Morgan and Partners Alan Krinsky Associates
 
Lee Anne Morgan & Partners and Alan Krinsky Associates recently provided a paper regarding Agency Search Best Practices: 10 Musts.  Here, we elaborate on one of the ‘Musts’ which addresses common mistakes made during one aspect of the review process — Agency Search RFPs: 10 Mistakes.
 
 
Most agency search RFPs are burdened with information requests that are not related to the task at hand — screening, assessing, and selecting a new agency partner. 
 
Whether your agency search is managed by a consultant, or internally by your marketing/procurement team, these best practices for your RFP format and content should be employed:  Keep it simple. Make it clear. Stay Relevant.  
 

A G E N C Y  S E A R C H  R F P S:  10  M I S T A K E S

 
NOT PROVIDING:
  • a clear, precise Year 1 SOW  — agencies should know exactly what is expected of them
  • core agency selection criteria for the review process — agencies will do better if they know the priorities for selection
  • a detailed timeline and process for the agency review — this allows an agency to assess their feasibility to participate
  • clear, precise direction in information requests — make every word work hard and say what you mean
 

UNREASONABLE REQUESTS FOR:
  • financial information in the RFP stage of the process — salary requests, breakdown of overhead costs, severance packages
  • detailed operational and management processes — production and accounting protocols, personnel timesheet documentation
  • confidential and/or inappropriate information not relevant to the review — identify agency clients on incentive remuneration and management personnel on bonus
  • unrealistic due date of RFP — ignores that agencies have clients they currently serve and can influence the quality of the response
  • too many case studies and/or creative examples — be specific and stay focused on the real needs for meeting objectives

FINALLY  ...

  • identify and declare — client’s key decision makers, core client Team going forward with the agency, those who will participate in meetings and presentations during the agency review process.
We would be pleased to discuss these and any other issues you may have concerning agency search and/or the management of client-agency relations. You can reach Lee Anne at leeanne@leeannemorganpartners.com and Alan at alan@akrinsky.com.
54 Fyke Rd Catskill NY 12414 301 E 48th St -8f New York NY 10017