Tenders, especially open tenders, present a coveted opportunity to win high-value contracts for your business. Are you failing to write winning tenders despite putting in the time and effort? It’s possible that your tendering process is flawed.
In this post, we’re sharing expert views on how to improve your tendering process.
1. Pick Relevant Tenders
Just because there are many tenders out there does not mean you have to compete for every single one. Spreading your resources thin to keep up with too many bids is not a good strategy. Instead, focus your time and resources on a few tenders that suit your capabilities. You can improve your chances of winning just by being more selective.
2. Don’t Skip Planning
Many suppliers make the mistake of jumping straight to tender writing. Without planning, you’ll risk misunderstanding the buyer’s requirements. Take your time to go through all the guidelines and policies. Draft an outline that will help you create a well-structured response. Planning is also necessary to ensure you complete the document before the deadline.
3. Find Quality Evidence Referees
You need quality referees to attest to your capabilities. If you have won any tender in the past, you should consider adding these referees to your submission.
Backing your claims with examples is also a great idea. This helps buyers understand that you are capable of delivering what you’re promising.
4. Pay Attention to Compliance
The requirements provided by the buyer are not just suggestions. From the specified format to the word limit, your tender response should be compliant in every way. Submitting a non-compliant tender response is a colossal waste of your company’s time and resources.
5. Carefully Proofread
Grammatical errors and spelling mistakes can spoil the chance of a well-planned tender response. Submitting a document full of errors makes your organisation look careless. It’s crucial to ensure you have enough time to proofread your response thoroughly before submission.
6. Request a Debriefing
How will you know what you’re doing wrong if you don’t ask? Whether your tender was successful or not, it’s a good idea to request a debriefing from the evaluators. This feedback will help you identify shortcomings of your tendering process and improve future submissions.
Winning tenders is tricky. But with proper planning and the right skills, you can improve your odds of writing successful tenders. If you’re not an experienced writer, it would be best to involve skilled technical writers.
