RFP's 

Lets face it,  filling out RFP's is a nuisance. It involves no relationship building, no discovery, no feedback nor intrinsic rewards. Nothing to help you exceed expectations. The most you can hope for is 'being adequate'. The implicit message of an RFP is: "We are not interested in your ability to contribute, we want you simply to comply." Not a very promising start of a relationship, is it?

Ugly Duckling says:

Limiting your proposal to the solution space defined in an RFP is wasting your time and a perfect opportunity!

Now consider this: An RFP is a clear signal of the recognized discrepancy between a present and a desired situation. We can safely assume that solving the discrepancy is of value to the prospect. An RFP also expresses a need for control. Control over the specifications of the final solution. The justification for this control rests on their assumption that they have 'considered all things' and there is nothing they missed that is also vital to the outcome they are looking for. And that is where they are wrong.

There is always something they miss. For one, they have not considered a dialogue with you. By skipping that they miss out on the contribution of someone helping them to at least explore the solution space from the angle of an expert supplier.

Why would they care? They should care. And that is where you come in. You need to address issues that might be important, yet aren't covered sufficiently by the RFP. Move with care! RFP's are often a strategy to keep annoying sellers at bay. Ignore that message and you will find yourself on the outside once more.