Tips and advice on importance of tailoring your bids, tenders and proposals to suit the needs of your customers.
Virtual presentations are more tricky than in-person ones and will likely require more preparation time. Think carefully about the handovers between speakers because normal visual cues and body language will not be possible. Also consider how you will deal with general discussion to avoid appearing to interrupt each other.
It is not always possible to meet all the requirements set by a client when presenting case study examples. The client may request project examples which are similar in size, scope, duration, location or delivered by the same project team. You need to make a considered judgement about the likely impact of the non-compliance to … Read more..
Part of your bid process should include tracking the bids you won, the ones you lost and the ones which ‘went away’. Over a period of time, you will be able to identify the types of clients or projects you win most often and which might therefore withstand price increases. You will also see areas … Read more..
In a proposal or tender, the client wants to know the role your staff will take on their project. If it appears that they are extremely busy with other projects, the client may be concerned about their availability or commitment. Use headings such as “roles and responsibilities on your project” to emphasise the relevant points.
When reviewing a document, many senior people suggest changes that suit their own level of knowledge and style of writing. Unfortunately this is not always helpful since they are not the intended recipient of the proposal. Ensure your reviewers are briefed about the target audience and then make their suggestions accordingly.
It is normal to be invited to make a presentation (or pitch) during the final stages of tender selection. During your preparation, you need to consider the dynamics within the team as well as the content of the presentation. Assuming you want the client to view your team as a cohesive unit, they must practice … Read more..
If you cannot understand a client’s brief, it is extremely unlikely you will be able to sell them a perfect solution. Most clients are happy to answer specific questions to help clarify their requirements. Ensure your questions to them are clear and have not already been addressed in supporting documentation.
I am often asked what the ‘most important’ thing is people need to know when writing a proposal. There are a great many key areas but these 5 cover the main ones:
Your approach to negotiating commercial terms should match your approach to delivering the work.
I was asked by a potential client if I could help him. He said he never won any business through tendering and did not know why. The last tender particularly vexed him because of the amount of effort he had put into the submission.
