5 insights from a tender consultant
Demie Tan, Tender Specialist (Perth)
The Tender Plus team recently came together for a thoughtful discussion, reflecting upon the lessons learned from both our current and past bids. As I listened to the thoughts of my colleagues, it dawned on me that we have so much knowledge to impart when it comes to tendering. We’ve seen firsthand how the right approach can transform a stressful tender process into a seamless and manageable experience. We’ve witnessed how the right tender strategy can elevate a bid from mediocre to standout. And I thought to myself, why not share it with you?
Here are some insights from our team that could transform the way you approach your tenders.
Winning is more than just writing to the tender requirements
While that element is undeniably important, it’s also about communicating a persuasive response strategy. When it comes to tender writing, explain your value proposition and how that proposition benefits the client’s needs, as well as your capability to deliver it. A standout response communicates how your capabilities and experience align with the client’s objectives. Always back your statements with evidence.
Don’t let chaos kill your bid
A bid team without proper guidance and structure is one at risk of failure. Clear communication of roles ensures accountability across your schedules. Utilise shared folders like SharePoint to ensure everyone is working off the same version, avoiding confusion, which delays progress. It’s also important to ensure these folders are easy to navigate and accessible for everyone. Last but not least, agree on preferred communication channels from the outset; never leave this to chance.
Substance over style
Tender writing is less about the ‘fluff’ or fancy language, and more about making every word count. Yes, what I deem to be ‘fluff’ might be different to what you think ‘fluff’ is, but at the end of the day, we can all agree that when it comes to tendering, the evaluators are looking for relevance over creativity.
Know when to say no
We see this way too often. Organisations falling into the trap of a ‘let’s bid for it and hope for the best’ situation. We all know how challenging tendering is, so why not validate the opportunity first, prior to focusing all resources and time on it? A ‘Bid / No Bid’ process is a crucial step in tendering. Use it to verify if you are in a position to win before committing to the full process.
Don’t skip the debrief
Adopting a lessons learned approach is crucial for growth. A tender debrief provides valuable feedback to the team, identifying areas of improvement for future bids. When it comes to the debrief process, it’s important to show up with a willingness to contribute to the discussions taking place. Come with an open mind, don’t take things too personally and be willing to implement change if required.
These are just some of the lessons that we as a team have picked up along the way. The learning never really stops, and I hope to share more insights with you in the future.
Do your shoulders tense at the sight of a tender brief? Tender Plus is here to help! We provide tender consulting services which includes tender support, tender coordination and tender strategy. We live and breathe tenders. In fact, we thrive on it. Get in touch with us today.