The client wants a company to put in a bid, but they’ve been putting it off for weeks now. The clock is ticking, and the client’s deadline is looming. Daunted by their wish list, the bid writer is stuck before they even get writing. A classic case of writer’s block but far worse as they need to win this exciting piece of work.
We’ve had to submit our fair share of tenders over the years – both for our own company but also for our clients too. We thought it would be a smart idea to share some top tips that we’ve picked up over the years. And you never know, you may even want us to work on your bid too.
A tender is when you submit a proposal to win a piece of work from a potential client. Often, the client will state exactly what you need to say in your bid – the so-called ‘exam question’. They will also say how they want the tender to be written, sometimes even down to the number of pages you can write.
We’ve got eleven – yes, eleven – top tips for our friends who want to submit a tender to win work. The first tip is key. And it’s the tip you should follow first.
Do you want to bid? Sounds obvious, we know. It could be that you don’t have the capacity to submit a tender, or that winning it doesn’t fit into your strategy. But on the flip side, the tender could warm you up to submit a winning bid to other opportunities later. If you’re an athlete, think of it as a practice run – or if you’re into the theatre, it’s a dress rehearsal.
And to help you answer that conundrum, have a good ponder about how well-placed you are against the competition. Have they got far more experience than you? Writing tenders consumes resources, brain power and quite frankly, energy. If you reckon you can’t win because the competition is unbeatable then the next step is simple. Don’t bid.
Second, be clear about the tender’s timescales and specifications. When a client says they want the bid sent to them by an exact time, they mean it. Late bids are not successful ones. And specifications? Often, bid documents go into endless detail on font size, number of words, page count and format. Ignore these and you could lose the bid.
Third, plan, plan, plan and follow a process. Don’t be a bid hero. Tenders can be written to a plan: work out when your milestones are, think about what content you need by when and who will be writing it. And stick to the plan. There’s no need to burn the midnight oil and burn yourself out in the process. Save yourself some stress.
Answer the question and nothing but the question. Our fourth top tip is one that people often forget. The client wants to read about how you will help them with a specific problem; it doesn’t want to hear your views on the latest in your favourite soap opera. The exam question is either in procurement documents if they exist or in any conversations you’ve had with the client. Always challenge yourself: are you answering the exam question?
Score those bonus points. Winning bids go the extra mile. They answer that exam question but go above and beyond. Work out what the client would like as an extra to complement the core answer. That could mean your fair work practices or your environmental code. Those bonus marks could edge you ahead of the competition.
Sixth, write clearly. Avoid bid guff. Use straightforward words and sentences but above all, have a clear structure so that the client can glide through your tender and get excited. If you read your own work back and you’re struggling through it, your client will too. Avoid trying to write War and Peace.
Write for your audience. If you’re submitting a tender to the Scottish Government, it’s more than likely that you will need a serious, formal, business tone of voice. But for a start-up? More informal and engaging is the probable tone. Get that right and the client will be impressed.
Eight, provide evidence. Unsubstantiated claims can be obvious in black and white, and they wind up the reader. Always provide proof that you can do the job they want – a quote from a client or even a case study to back up your point. Every time you write, think about how you can support your argument and convince your client that this is a winning tender.
Ask questions. Many organisations give bidders the chance to submit queries before they send their bid in. But be careful. These can be double-edged. When you ask a question, think about how to phrase it. Careless wording could reveal your hand to the competition – your bid content, strengths, or weaknesses. Keep an eye on what other bidders are asking too just in case they let something slip.
The penultimate point – get someone else to check your work. You’re too close to it to spot the obvious mistakes and typos, but someone new to it will see them from outer space and save you from any embarrassment with the client.
And finally, don’t forget to be discreet, don’t talk about your bid widely, especially down the pub when a competitor could be earwigging.
So those are our top tips. Go out there, bid and win. Flourish has many years of submitting our own tenders and working on those for our clients too, across many sectors.
Get in touch with us to see how we can help you sprinkle some bid magic on your next tender.
