Ignore the RFP
Introduction
Talk a lot about your agency history
Assume you know more than the client
Forget the client's budget constraints
Be oblivious to the client's other agencies
Ignore the RFP
Staff the pitch with who is available
Conclusion
The pitch document is usually the most important document you will receive when you are looking to win new business. Read it. And after you start working, read it again. Force everyone in the pitch to stop and review whether the path you are going down will be what the client needs, not what you think they need. Those who created the document know a heck of a lot more about their brand, their brand challenges and segmentation research than you can ever hope to learn in the short time you have to conduct the pitch. In that document are the nuggets of platinum to construct your pitch.
First, find out who at the client's business wrote the RFP and whether that person is the final decision maker? You're bound to have questions for this person. But, do not compose a huge list and then fire it off at once. Your exhaustive interest is great, but all it will do is exhaust your client, and you'll never get your responses in time. Fire small quick questions, such as, "Is this the right direction or have you gone down that path without success? Or can you just quickly clarify these five insights that will drive our work? Is this on the right track?"
Be cognizant that they are not there to solve your problems. You are supposed to be there to solve theirs. Be prudent. Make sure your questions will provide real, meaningful direction for your work. Engage your own team in their creation, have one person act as a point person, and then fire away.
Bottom line: Ignore the pitch document direction at your own peril.
Next: Staff the pitch with who is available