Tips to improve the effectiveness of your bid strategy, to win more work at higher prices.
Successful companies know how long it takes to prepare, write and review a typical tender section or answer. This allows them to estimate the inputs required when a new opportunity arrives and to resource the tasks appropriately. It enables informed decisions to be taken about the availability of staff and to avoid last-minute panics.
If you lose a bid the feedback you get may be very limited, particularly when dealing with the private sector. You will probably be told you lost “on price” as this is the easiest way for the client to avoid any further discussion. When you follow-up you should ask about specific sections so you are … Read more..
Where a question asks you to describe a process, it is not enough just to give a generic list of steps. As with all responses, you should make the description specific to the client or contract so they can easily see how it will work for them. One way to do this is to write … Read more..
Providing a generic response to a tender question is quick and easy to produce however it will not score highly. Customers want assurances that what you ‘normally’ provide will be appropriate for them. Even though you may be using library material, it must be tailored to show you have considered the client and the project.
When you are bidding against a company which currently holds a contract, it is easy to get disheartened as you think they have an advantage. Remember that the incumbent’s weaknesses and pricing strategy are known by the client whereas yours are not. Use this information to your advantage by showcasing areas which will be attractive … Read more..
Some tender documents appear to ask the same thing repeatedly, meaning you may think you need to write the same thing in multiple places. While this is occasionally true, it is more likely that you have misinterpreted the buyer’s requirements. Check the context within which the question is being asked and ensure you think laterally … Read more..
When deciding how to structure a proposal, try to make it as easy as possible for the evaluators to find the things they need. You should resist the temptation to put the sections you find most interesting ahead of the less exciting ones. If you stick to the order in which they ask for items and … Read more..
When writing any business document, it is important to keep the objective in mind. The objective is determined by considering who the readers will be, what level of knowledge they are likely to have and what impression you want to create. With bids and proposals, your objective is to ensure all evaluators understand and believe … Read more..
An effective way to summarise a process or show an organisational structure in a tender is to use a graphical image. Many people assume expensive software is needed, however you can easily produce high-impact graphics within your normal MS Office package. Design your organisational chart or process flow diagram in Powerpoint and then use “paste … Read more..
Time spent developing and maintaining your bid library will be repaid many times over. If you have good file-copies of responses to typical questions, they will make it considerably quicker to produce a final answer. Remember that you must still tailor the text to the individual contract and ensure that it answers all parts of … Read more..
