The 7 Biggest Mistakes in RFI/RFP for Marketing Software

RFI (Request for Information) and RFP (Request for Proposal) are the formal instruments of software selection. In theory they bring structure to a complex decision. In practice they are so frequently misused that they cause more harm than good. Here are the seven most common mistakes I see in projects.

Mistake 1: Confusing RFI and RFP

An RFI serves market exploration: which vendors exist? What can they do at a basic level? An RFP comes when requirements are clear and concrete proposals need to be compared. Sending an RFP without having done an RFI first often means comparing apples to oranges because you don't know the market structure.

Mistake 2: Deriving requirements from the demo

The most common mistake: demo first, then criteria. The vendor demo excites the team, then the criteria are formulated so that the demonstrated tool wins. The result is a mock selection, not a genuine comparison. Requirements belong before the first demo, not after.

Mistake 3: Checking compliance after purchase

GDPR compliance, data processing agreement, data storage location, sub-processor list. These points are shockingly often checked only after the purchase decision. That leads either to non-use of an already-paid tool or to a legal risk that remains undetected for a long time.

Mistake 4: Ignoring total cost of ownership

The license is the smallest part of total cost. What most RFP calculations are missing:

• Implementation and integration costs (often 2-4x the annual license cost)
• Migration costs from the old solution
• Training effort for the team
• Ongoing administration costs
• Exit costs if you want to switch in 3 years

Mistake 5: Wrong stakeholders involved

Marketing software is bought by marketing, operated by IT and used by sales. If any of these stakeholders is missing from the selection process, there will be resistance at implementation time at the latest. Most commonly: IT is only involved after the purchase decision has been made.

Mistake 6: Too many vendors in the process too long

An RFP with 12 vendors that takes three months is inefficient and frustrating for everyone. Best practice: RFI for market exploration (up to 30 vendors, surface level), then longlist (10-15), then shortlist (3-5) for the real RFP comparison. Each phase with clear knockout criteria.

Mistake 7: Misinterpreting vendor references

Vendors provide their best customers for reference calls. That is not a representative sample. More helpful: G2, OMR Reviews or Capterra for unfiltered feedback. And actively search for failed projects or migrations, because others' mistakes are the most valuable learning sources.

What works instead

A structured evaluation in three phases: (1) requirements workshop without vendor contact, (2) market research with weighted criteria catalog, (3) short demos with the shortlist only. With external support that takes 5 business days instead of 3 months and ends with an evidence-based decision instead of a gut feeling.

Further reading: Tool Scout (EUR 7,900, 5 business days) and GDPR checklist for marketing software.