Question

• instruction: please include sources
  
  
  1Why building relationships with customers and partners is important in project management?
  
• 2. Describe what is meant by pre-RFP/ proposal marketing. Why should contractors do it?

Answer 1

1.Why building relationships with customers and partners is important in project management?

Project management is team work. Everyone’s contribution is important. Relationship building with all stakeholders is important for the successful completion of project

• This helps in better communication flow. Customers can communicate their requirements easily.
• This is essential for communicating (from the PM team side) the requirements of a successful project and obtain sufficient funding
• This also helps in future contracts and opportunities
• Trust is essential for relationships and vice versa- relationship building helps in building trust
• Relationship building is about being proactive and engaged with stakeholders. Having good relationships with suppliers is useful especially in times of emergencies; suppliers and partners come to the rescue

2. Describe what is meant by pre-RFP/ proposal marketing. Why should contractors do it?

   Contractors need not wait until formal RFP’s are announced by customers . Contractors should engage with customers frequently

Pre-RFP/proposal marketing is about engaging with customers even before customers ask for proposals. This helps us to build relationships with customers and identify areas where customers might benefit from us. The PM team can show how they can help to solve the customer’s needs, problems, or opportunities. This helps the customer to easily identify the contractor during future opportunities. As a result the contractor has a better chance of being selected

This also helps the contractor to get familiar with customer’s needs and requirements; now the contractor can submit more refined proposals catering to the customer needs.These pre-RFP also helps in marketing or business development. Sometimes if the customer knows ad believes that the contractor can handle a project, he may directly award a project a to the contractor without competitive proposals