If you're familiar with my adages, "be proactive, rather than reactive" and "disguise your questions as statements"; then you'll appreciate the following. :)....

Recently I had an RFP in which we we're seeking a 1500 square foot general session. I received one inquiry from a hotel asking if 1500sf was "truly necessary"? Now, what are my choices as a 3rd Party at this stage? I could say I would consider less, but I likely would have described that in the RFP anyway. I could say that it absolutely needed to be 1500sf and the hotel may eliminate themselves because they only had a 1400sf function room, and then I'm doing my client a disservice. So in this case, I said I would be flexible to which the hotel ultimately responded that they didn't have the sleeping rooms anyway! WHAT???!!! Obviously, the sales manager already knew they didn't have a large enough function room and wanted to know my flexibility, and just asked that without checking sleeping room inventory first. A better way?.... "Great news! I have availability for sleeping rooms and can give you an excellent rate of $$$. However, my largest function room is only 1400sf, will you consider us, and if so I will prepare a full proposal?" This kind of inquiry will generate the response the hotel needs to take the next steps.

Along those same lines, I see this so many times...."Hi, I received your bid and will be contacting you by end of day with our availability." Now, I ask, what's the purpose of that e-mail? It's basically useless communication that is one more e-mail for the sales manager to write and one more for me to read. And what happens if you don't provide a bid by EOD? What am I thinking? A better way?..."Great news! I have availability that meets all your minimum requirements and will be providing that proposal before the bidding deadline." It's like a "teaser" and then I can't wait to see more details, and it tells me to anticipate an offer!

Bottom line? Save time for you and me. Then we're already off to a great start. :)