Putting together a tender, bid or proposal is hard work. There is inevitably a lot of information to include and brain power to expend. After all that effort, many companies want to know how they are doing; in particular, how their win rate stacks up against their competitors. However, this is not a worthwhile metric … Read more
When you realise how much time and resources it’s going to take you to put together a tender response, it can be tempting to go at it like a bull at a gate just to get the whole thing done. But if you’re really serious about winning, that approach simply won’t do. It’s as much … Read more
There’s no denying that a set of freshly released tender documents can be a bit intimidating. No doubt, by the time you’ve read the entire Request for Tender (RFT) you’ll have plenty of questions. So, what’s the best way to go about finding some answers? It pays to remember that the prospective client really does … Read more
The secret to turning average tenders and proposals into winning ones is simple: write, and then edit, edit, edit! How to write The best way to write is simply to get started. Sometimes you can sharpen your writing by following this methodology: Write what you want to say in the sequence that you think of … Read more
Government tenders, whilst often demanding to put together, are excellent feathers for your business to sport in its cap. Tenders are issued regularly by the government for all sorts of services across a wide range of industries, so make sure you know where to look for what’s currently available. The first thing to do is … Read more
If your tender, bid or proposal submission process allows you to incorporate an executive summary, then this is a great way for you to highlight your value proposition. Sometimes, though, when and how you write it can also make a difference: Write it last Many writers find that they organise their thoughts and discover their … Read more
Unless the relationship has broken down, the incumbent will usually have the advantage when an organisation is tendering for work. Quite simply, they know what they’re getting, and can be reluctant to rock the boat with change. As a result, the onus is on you, the tenderer, to prove your credentials and show that you … Read more
There really is no one-size-fits-all approach for your response when it comes to tenders. Yet, it’s amazing just how many companies think it’s fine to treat an RFT as though there is. Truth is, if you don’t take the time to tailor your responses to the tenderer’s exact requirements, then you’ll soon find yourself with … Read more
On any given day in this wide, brown land of ours, thousands of contracts are being put out to tender. Big corporates, SMEs, smaller entities and one-man bands are all issuing RFTs and starting the often lengthy process of assessment. Different though the responses to these many RFTs may be, there’s one strategy that every … Read more
Putting together tenders, bids and proposals is often a huge commitment of time and energy. Unless you’ve got a dedicated bid team, they divert the attention of key personnel from the business. Therefore, tendering for new business can be a costly exercise, so it’s wise to carefully consider whether it makes strategic sense. Will a … Read more