According to Dave Seibert, Principal at The Seibert Group, a sales consulting and writing services agency specializing in sales proposals, these are the most common mistakes companies make when answering RFPs:

1. Excessive length: As 17th century philosopher and writer Voltaire once said, "The way to become boring is to say everything." Said Dave: "All too often, we feel that if we don't say everything, then the one thing we leave out may be the one thing that captures the prospect's interest. The good points that you should be focusing on get lost in a sea of nonrelevant text.

2. Seller-focused: "Most of the sales proposals that people write today are not sales proposals so much as detailed documentaries about the seller and the seller's products. They describe your products and product specifications, the awards you've won, the important people who work in your company and so on," Dave says. "Though this is all very informational, what purpose does it serve within the context of selling your products? They do want to know about you and your product - but only within the context of whether you can solve their problem."

3. No structured argument: "Most proposals are written like a river that overflows its banks - they flow every which way with no particular purpose and no clear direction," Dave says. "The customer is trying to find a solution to their problem," so make the gist of your solution clear.

4. No differentiation: "Rather than differentiating, most proposals do just the opposite; they firmly position your solution as just one of the pack," Dave says. A great editing test: Highlight or cross out everything you think a competing print provider could also claim. What's left is what matters.

The next time your company answers an RFP, follow the tips in "Dscoop's Guide to Better RFP Responses"