The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible
By Frosanna Kelso, Tender Specialist & Disney aficionado, Sydney
The Walt Disney Company was founded on October 16 1923, marking 100 years in 2023. Since the first film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, each new Disney film takes you on a magical journey and at the same time teaches you important life lessons. As Walt Disney said, “I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.”
Looking closely at Disney films also provides lessons for the tender specialist. To celebrate 100 years of magic, here are 21 Disney quotes that will help you on your path to success.
1. “CONSISTENT IS THE LIFE I LEAD” - George Banks, Mary Poppins
Clear communication and consistency are key to winning a tender. The difference between success and failure is often as simple as just paying attention to detail. A style guide will help with this (It’s all a matter of style — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au)).
2. “HEED MY EVERY ORDER AND YOU MIGHT SURVIVE” - Li Shang, Mulan
If you hope to win the tender ‘battle’ you must follow all orders (instructions) from the client in the Request for Tender (RFT) documentation; a winning tender must be compliant.
3. “A LITTLE CONSIDERATION, A LITTLE THOUGHT FOR OTHERS, MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE” - Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh
Kindness goes a long way, especially when people are under pressure. Being kind helps to create a positive environment and a better tender response. When the deadline is looming and the pressure is on remember Eeyore’s wise words. (Kindness & empathy win every time — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au))
4. “SUPER FLOW PLAN, AM I RIGHT?” - Boun, Raya and the Last Dragon
To achieve a successful tender, you need to establish a ‘super flow plan’ from the beginning. Invest the time to develop a Tender Management Plan that breaks down all the schedules and deliverable requirements, outlines who is responsible for each section, and key dates for reviews.
5. “I HAVE A QUESTION. UM, WELL ACTUALLY, NOT JUST ONE, I HAVE ALL OF THEM. I HAVE ALL THE QUESTIONS.” - Trixie, Toy Story 4
If you have a question about the tender don’t make assumptions; seek clarification from the client when you are unsure.
6. “YOU AND I ARE A TEAM.” - Mike Wazowski, Monsters, Inc.
Remember successful tendering is a team effort, not a one-person job. As Rabbit says in The Tigger Movie “All we need is a little, uh…team effort.”
7. “THE PAST CAN HURT. BUT THE WAY I SEE IT, YOU CAN EITHER RUN FROM IT OR LEARN FROM IT.” - Rafiki, The Lion King
Just like a bump on the head an unsuccessful tender can hurt; you can either run from it which won’t ease the pain or learn from it. If your submission isn’t successful, treat it is as a learning opportunity and ask the client for feedback. This feedback can be used when writing your next tender. (Run from it or learn from it. — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au))
8. “BE PREPARED” - Scar, The Lion King
Be Prepared – get win-ready and increase your chances of success by planning and preparing before the RFT is released.
9. “JUST BECAUSE IT'S WHAT'S DONE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S WHAT SHOULD BE DONE” - Cinderella, Cinderella, 2015
It is easy to continue to approach tendering the same way you always have. Your current tactic may have won tenders in the past, but it does not mean it will win the next tender. It is important to apply a growth mindset and see the value in developing new compelling content. (When copy/paste won’t cut it: Applying a growth mindset to tendering — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au))
10. “EVEN MIRACLES TAKE A LITTLE TIME” - Fairy Godmother, Cinderella
Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother might know a few magical shortcuts but even miracles take a little time. Whereas there are no shortcuts, magical or non-magical when it comes to tendering. As Tiana in The Princess and the Frog says, “The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work.” You need to put in the hard work to win the tender.
11. “THE ONLY THING PREDICTABLE ABOUT LIFE IS ITS UNPREDICTABILITY” - Remy, Ratatouille
Life is unpredictable and so is the tendering process. The tender solution has many moving parts that continually evolve throughout the tendering process with new addendums and last-minute changes to graphics and content. You need to accept the unpredictability, be flexible and adjust accordingly.
12. “DON’T BE LATE“ - Jeffrey, Cruella
You cannot win a tender if it is submitted after the deadline. Make sure you submit the tender on time.
13. “YOUR WORD IS HARDLY PROOF” - Gaston, Beauty and the Beast, 2017
In Beauty and the Beast, Belle backs up her words by showing the town the Beast in the magic mirror. When writing your tender submission back up your words with evidence. Like a magic mirror, testimonials and case studies are a great way to provide evidence.
14. “WHY AM I SO DIFFERENT?” - Tarzan, Tarzan
What makes Tarzan different from the gorillas is also what makes him unique. When writing your tender submission focus on your unique value proposition and what makes you different from your competition.
15. “RAPUNZEL, PLEASE, STOP WITH THE MUMBLING. YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE MUMBLING. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. IT’S VERY ANNOYING.” - Mother Gothel, Tangled
By mumbling Rapunzel is not speaking clearly. When writing your tender make sure your response is clear, and easy to follow and understand. Avoid wordy sentences and technical jargon that may confuse the reader.
16. “HOW CAN YOU READ THIS? THERE'S NO PICTURES!“ - Gaston, Beauty and the Beast
The person reviewing your tender will not be like Gaston. They will be able to read your tender response without pictures, however visual communication will enhance your tender and help the reviewer retain key information.
17. “DON’T SPEND YOUR TIME LOOKING AROUND FOR SOMETHING YOU WANT THAT CAN’T BE FOUND” - Baloo, The Jungle Book
Don't spend all your time searching (wasting time, money and resources) for something you want (the winning tender) that can’t be found or won. Sometimes it is strategically better not to bid. (When No-Go is the Go — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au))
18. “ANSWER THE STRIPE QUESTION!” - Marlin, Finding Nemo
Make sure you answer the question asked. Take the time to carefully consider just what is being asked of you. Be selective and reflect on what's truly important and avoid flooding your response with unnecessary content. If it’s not what the client has asked for, then you will not be adding any value. (Please, answer the question posed. — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au))
19. “I CAN’T PUT IT ANY MORE CLEARLY, FOR IT ISN'T CLEAR TO ME” - Alice, Alice in Wonderland
When the Caterpillar asked Alice, “Who... are... you?”, she replied, “I- I hardly know, sir. I've changed so many times since this morning, you see.” He then asked “explain yourself” but she could not because it was not clear to her. Before you begin preparing your tender submission make sure you are clear in what you are offering because if it is not clear to you, it will not be clear to the reviewer.
20. “IF YOU WALK THE FOOTSTEPS OF A STRANGER, YOU'LL LEARN THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEVER KNEW.” - Pocahontas, Pocahontas
Before beginning your tender submission walk in the footsteps of your client to learn more about them and what they want/need. Remember tenders are about the client, not you. Don’t make the mistake of focusing too much on yourself and what you can do without demonstrating why those things matter to the client.
21. “ALL RIGHT. LET'S REVIEW THIS ONE MORE TIME” - Hamm, Toy Story 2
Always review your tender submission. A structured review process will ensure you produce the highest quality tender submission possible, one that is both compliant and compelling. (The ‘A’ that haunts me to this day — Tender Plus (tenderplusconsulting.com.au))
If preparing your tender submission feels impossible, remember what Alice says in Alice Through the Looking Glass, “the only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible.”