Tips to improve the effectiveness of your bid strategy, to win more work at higher prices.
When a tender asks for CVs, the evaluators are likely to want a reasonably detailed narrative about each key person. A CV should describe the person’s skills as well as their qualifications. It should show their client-related achievements as well as the roles they have undertaken. This information illustrates the person’s ability to perform well, … Read more..
Beware of providing too much detail in the commercial section of your proposal. If you give a breakdown of the price, the buyer may try to haggle over hourly rates or deselect key parts of your service. To avoid allowing them to negotiate on individual items, simply offer an overall price for the whole project.
The first sentence in each section of your bid should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read on. To do this, work out “what” it is they want and “why” they want it. This will show that you have been listening to their requirements and are not just trying to promote yourself … Read more..
It can be worthwhile monitoring public sector portals, even if you do not want to bid for the jobs. You will find out which companies have been awarded contracts, allowing approaches to be made for partnership working. It is also possible to gather market intelligence such as details about which technology areas are receiving funding.
There is no definitive answer to whether it is advisable to embed video clips in your tender or bid. You should seek guidance from the individual buyer because there are differing views, even within the same industry sector. If you do add clips ensure they are directly relevant to the response, as generic marketing material … Read more..
Most invitation to tender documents describe the work scope but few comprehensively capture the client’s objectives. It is very useful to find out why they are tendering the work and how the contract impacts on other parts of their business. Once you know this, you can offer a solution that provides added value and has a … Read more..
It is worthwhile remembering that Latin is not widely used in many workplaces. When writing tenders and bids, make the text easier to read and avoid potential misunderstanding by avoiding Latin words and abbreviations. There are English alternatives to all the commonly used ones such as “per diem”, “quid pro quo”, “i.e.” and “e.g.”
An executive summary is a key part of any bid, proposal or tender document. Try to write text which conveys your key messages with an upbeat tone rather than merely summarising the contract. Having read the executive summary, the evaluator should know why you are the best company for the job.
If you have well written quality and technical sections in your tender, you will hold a stronger position if the client wants to negotiate on price. The narrative sections of a bid describe the value of your offering. If the client wants you to reduce your price, you can respond by asking which added-value aspects … Read more..
A review often identifies sections which are unclear or have been missed so it is therefore a vitally important stage in the bid process. Despite this, many companies allow the review period to be compressed or even omitted due to pressure of time. Ensure reviews are correctly prioritised and adequate resources are allocated to them.
