I was recently looking for some professional services and just like everyone else, I sent out RFPs to some providers and also arranged for the relevant introductory meetings.
Two particular providers stood out in my eyes during this process:
The first one didn’t make a particularly good impression during the opening meeting. He seemed uncertain as to what he was supposed to do, didn’t really ask any questions, didn’t push back against anything I said and looked generally a bit bland;
The second one made a very good impression during the opening meeting: She seemed very engaged during our conversation and provided comments and alternative views to my remarks. She seemed to be a true expert.
Based on the above, the selection sounds easy, right? Well, not really.
Because when I received their proposals, the tables completely turned: The first provider sent through an incredible document. Truly impeccable. With stunning graphics and showing that he completely understood my needs.
The second provider’s proposal wasn’t nearly as impressive, but that was hardly an issue. The worst part was that she had forgotten to address part of the scope.
Seeing that neither was perfect and never having encountered such an issue before, I was extremely puzzled. In the end, I decided to go with the second provider. The way I saw it, if I were to choose either of the two, I’d have to babysit them. So my thought was, that if I had to babysit someone, I’d rather do this with someone who speaks the same language as I do. Someone who has an expert-level understanding of the service to be provided.
Impressive graphics after are all, are a dime a dozen, but true expertise is the real bottleneck in our days.