Writing bids is not like writing other documents. It combines meeting highly technical and commercial requirements with an important focus on successfully pitching the customer. Therefore bids differ from other written documents because they need to be both complex and persuasive.
More businesses are chasing private and government tenders because your business profits can increase exponentially when you win high-value tenders which guarantee your cash-flows for several years.
E-tendering has allowed everyone to access the tenders relevant to their business and to be able to submit bids. Although the digital portal has made it more straightforward to access and submit tenders you still need to be sophisticated in writing convincing and persuasive bids.
Here are a few necessary steps to write a winning bid for tenders:
1. Understand the requirements
Tender documents are complicated. You need to assess them thoroughly before thinking about your approach to writing the bid. If you do not thoroughly understand what the tender requires from your business you need to seek clarification or get help? Know what you need to do and how you will do it and then, accordingly, start writing your response.
2. Use the provided templates
A small error can be responsible for the bid getting rejected. It is important to be aware that different tenders use different templates, which require different approaches to submitting your information. It is advisable to use the templates provided to make sure that you do not miss information or provide information in the wrong format.
3. Do not be modest
Although good taste has taught us to be modest in our social lives, modesty has no place in bid writing. You need to showcase the benefits of your products & services, demonstrate your past achievements, and highlight your specialities and show how your bid makes you the best option for the client. You need to make sure that your proposal stands out from the crowd. Winning tenders is usually highly competitive in every industry which makes it vital for you to emphasise your superiority in handling the project.
4. Ask for clarification
When you have assessed all the documents thoroughly, you may have a few queries regarding the documents. It is advisable never to overlook gaps that you do not understand (and therefore try to gloss over them in your response) because your approach may be flawed, which may result in your bid being rejected in the first round. Do not hesitate to ask for clarifications that have a significant affect on your price or delivery.
5. Write, edit, proofread, & proofread again
Once you have followed all the steps above, the only thing left is to edit the bid. You must know how to present all the information in a compelling manner to ensure success.
You must also proofread the documents after writing them to create an error-free bid. After you have finished writing the response, proofread it again to correct any errors that may have been overlooked the first time. Proofreading the documents a second time will help you to produce a professional document.
6. Adhere to the criteria and the deadline
The two absolutely fundamental requirements of bid writing are:
■ Make sure that your response meets the mandatory and non-mandatory requirements specified in the tender document
■ Submit your bid before the deadline; or else it will be rejected immediately
7. Some things to definitely avoid
All the tips and steps above tell you what you need to do to write a winning bid. This section tells you the things that you should completely avoid:
■ Do not exceed the word count specified in the tender documents
■ Do not try to submit the bid after the deadline has passed
■ Do not use inaccurate information in your response
■ Do not use jargon or slang words
■ Do not make assumptions about the intentions of the tender documents
■ Do not underestimate your competitors
■ Do not forget to proofread several times to submit a grammatically correct and professional response
In summary
Tender writing and bid management in highly competitive markets requires a sophisticated approach if you want your results to match your efforts.
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