How to Run an RFP for a Distributed Marketing Solution

Selecting a Through Channel Marketing Automation platform (also called a Distributed Marketing solution) involves many stakeholders within your company, including: Marketing, Sales, Channel, IT, Data Security, and Procurement.

Making the correct decision is crucial. It can have a significant impact on the strategic goals that are driving your company’s investment in Through Channel Marketing Automation (TCMA). Not only do you need to assess prospective Distributed Marketing software providers’ current capabilities, you also need to evaluate their ability to continue to innovate and grow with your business. Making the wrong choice on a TCMA platform can be a costly mistake, so it’s important to get the decision right the first time.

This ebook, by SproutLoud CEO Jared Shusterman, and the accompanying SproutLoud RFP Template are designed to be used together, to provide expert information about how to run an RFP for a Distributed Marketing solution. The process is broken down into eight stages:

• Pre-Request for Information Demo: A non-guided demo on a broad range of candidates
• Needs Assessment and Budget
• Request for Information:  A limited time investment in evaluating a narrowed range of candidates
• RFI Demo: A further narrowed candidate pool
• Request for Proposal: Building your business case and navigating the process to formalize a budget before running an RFP
• RFP Demo: A detailed set of use-cases and business requirements specific to the business for deep evaluation
• Pricing: Finalizing pricing and provider trade-offs
• Contracting, Discovery and Proof of Concept: A process to finalize commitment to an RFP finalist and proof of capabilities