Taz Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 I am not sure where to post this question, however, I was asked to write a statement in an RFP response to the government where the answer to the question is simply "no". Can someone provide me with an eloquent response to answering an RFP question without just saying "not applicable/no?" I appreciate any help you can provide. Taz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ji20874 Posted April 13, 2016 Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Sometimes, a simple "no" is the most eloquent way to answer the question. The perfumery of additional words is often unnecessary. If you have to say something more, how about a simple explanation of the reason for the "no"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted April 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2016 Agreed. I came up with a great response to no, in just three sentences. Less is more, certainly. Thank you for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vern Edwards Posted April 16, 2016 Report Share Posted April 16, 2016 Wow. Reading the preceding three posts, one would never know that competition in contracting is a game in which every question and every answer is a move. A simple answer might be fine, but it might be a missed opportunity, and it might lead to catastrophe. Much depends on the question itself, the asker, the asker's presuppositions and expectations, and the context. I hope Taz's simple response is "great," but who knows, given the limited information we've been provided? Sometimes perfumery is just what the asker wants, or thinks they want, or didn't know they wanted but are happy to receive. Questioning and answering are arts that every contracting practitioner should strive to master. In a competitive context, some questions from the buyer are opportunies for D.O.A.G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted April 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 Vern, totally agree. The question was "Is your company being sold, or do you plan to merge with another entity in the near future". We are very limited in page count, and this question could not be included in the pricing volume. 3 sentences in this case was enough to get our point across, and in such a way that didn't shy away from being creative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vern Edwards Posted April 18, 2016 Report Share Posted April 18, 2016 Now that we know the specific questions, I agree that simple answers were appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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