Goal: Write meeting searches that surface buying signals before an RFP.
How to draft effective meeting phrases:
- Pick a category or topic (Accessibility, Training Services, AI Learning Tools, LMS Replacement, etc).
- Write the phrase in natural language, like someone would say in a meeting.
- Consider the Subject + Problem/Challenge + Context/Consequence
Why this works:
People rarely mention vendor names or product categories in meetings until procurement is already underway. Most buying journeys start earlier, when stakeholders describe:- what’s not working
- what’s getting worse
- what they can’t keep up with
- what deadlines, mandates, or risks are forcing action So your searches should mirror problem language, not solution language.
Examples
- Training content → “employees need specialized training”
- Accessibility → “accessibility compliance issues with documentation”
- LMS → “current LMS is too expensive to maintain”
- Scheduling → “managing training schedules in spreadsheets and it’s becoming unmanageable”
Best practices and patterns
1) Use complete problem statements
Avoid: “math outcomes” Use:- “failing to meet math outcomes”
- “students are struggling with math performance”
- “our math scores are declining” Why it works: It captures urgency and context the way people naturally speak.
2) Add organizational pain points (scale + urgency)
Avoid: “document accessibility” Use:- “we have thousands of documents that need accessibility review”
- “we’re facing ADA accessibility requirements”
3) Search for resource and capacity gaps
Avoid: “instructional design” Use:- “required to provide training but lack internal design capacity”
- “training content isn’t engaging enough”
4) Use process failure language
Avoid: “training management” Use:- “training coordination is too manual and error-prone”
- “training program has grown beyond what Excel can handle”
5) Include compliance and mandate language
Avoid: “Section 508” Use:- “new Section 508 compliance mandates”
- “need to meet federal accessibility standards”
6) Look for evaluation and comparison signals
Avoid: “LMS vendors” Use:- “evaluating LMS vendors”
- “looking for LMS alternatives to current system”
Common Issues
- Too many irrelevant results → Add consequence language (“deadline”, “audit”, “lawsuit”, “mandate”, “non-compliance”).
- Too few results → Simplify wording, then add OR variants (avoid niche jargon).
- Results feel “too late” (only RFP stage) → Remove vendor/product terms and focus on pain and capacity gaps.
- Queries feel generic → Add scope (“thousands”, “statewide”, “next quarter”, “growing faster than we can handle”).
Testing and refining
- Start broad, then narrow based on what you see.
- When you find a great match, copy the exact phrasing and build variants.
- Refresh your query library quarterly as language shifts.
- Expect different phrasing across segments (higher ed vs corporate vs government).
Rule of thumb: You’re searching for the moment stakeholders realize they have a problem that needs outside help. Capture that moment, not the eventual solution.