Are you a novice tender writer? If you are new to tender writing, it can be a intimidating task to create a successful and competitive submission. However, with the right knowledge and guidance, tender writing can become an easier and more rewarding undertaking.
In this article, we’re getting back to basics by providing seven great tips for novice tender writers to give them the confidence and skills needed to write a successful tender.
Follow The Instructions
Keep It Simple, Specific and Concise
Be Honest & Realistic
Have A Contingency Plan
Be Responsive
Understand The Client's Needs
Before you start tender writing, make sure you understand the client's needs and requirements. This will help you to tailor your proposal to their specific needs and increase your chances of winning the bid.
The first step for any tender writer should be to understand the particulars of their client's company, industry sector and business processes. This may involve research or requesting relevant information from the client. Tender writers should ask questions about the customer’s goals, objectives and requirements, as this can often reveal crucial details about what they need from a winning bid.
It is also important to gain insight into how the client’s current operations are managed, what systems they use and what challenges they have faced in the past. Additionally, tender writers should ask clients specific questions regarding what they expect from the end result, such as budget parameters or timeline expectations.
Keep It Simple, Specific and Concise
Keep your tender writing proposal clear and easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or technical language that may be difficult for the client to understand. Tender writers should aim to mirror the language style and terminology in the client’s tender documentation.
Use specific examples and evidence to support your claims, especially from any past projects of a similar nature that your organisation has successfully completed. This will help the client to understand how your solution will meet their needs. Avoid unnecessary details, keep your proposal concise and to the point. Tender writers can fall into the trap of repeating the same points too often. While there is a certain amount of merit in restating some critical points, especially those which differentiate you from your competition, care should be taken to balance this throughout the proposal.
Use Graphics and Design
Experienced tender writers make use of graphics and design to make proposals visually appealing and easy to read. Infographics are a great way to present complex information in an easy-to-understand format. They can be used to show timelines, processes, and statistics. Use images to break up text and make the proposal more visually interesting. Make sure the images are relevant to the proposal and of high quality.
Tender writers use colour to highlight important information and make the proposal more attractive. Tender writers should take care though to use a colour scheme that is consistent throughout the proposal and easy on the eyes.
Most importantly, tender writers should use a consistent design throughout the proposal. This will make the proposal look professional and well-organised.
Follow The Instructions
Make sure you follow the instructions in the tender document when tender writing and be sure to submit your proposal in the format required. This includes any specific format or file types and sizes stipulated for attachments. Make sure you address all the requirements adequately and answer all the questions in the document. Utilise word counts effectively, but remember to stay within any limits stipulated.
Be Honest & Realistic
When tender writing, you really need to go all out and sell yourself. You need to spell out what makes you and your service the best choice. You know why you are the perfect choice so convince them.
What makes you different from everyone else who is being considered?
Use your tender writing opportunity to spell out what you excel at and how you will make the buyer’s job much easier. That’s what they really want.
• Promising to complete a project in an unrealistic timeframe can create unrealistic expectations and lead to delays or project failure.
• Offering prices that are significantly lower than the market rate may indicate that the writer has not fully understood the scope of the project or has underestimated the costs involved.
• Making promises about capabilities that the writer's company does not possess, such as certain certifications or advanced technologies.
• Making guarantees of success can create unrealistic expectations and lead to disappointment if the project does not meet those expectations.
• Not providing a transparent cost breakdown can lead to mistrust and disappointment if the project costs exceed the budget.
Remember the mantra “It is better to under promise and over deliver rather than the other way around”.
Have A Contingency Plan
Having a well-written contingency plan in place can help tender writers to minimise the impact of unexpected events on a project and increase the chances of success. More importantly, it demonstrates to the client that you have thought through the project and actually have a plan in place.
Your contingency plan should cover the following:
• Risk assessment: Identify potential risks that may impact the project, such as delays, cost overruns, or changes in scope.
• Mitigation strategies: Identify strategies to mitigate the risks identified in the risk assessment. This could include adding extra resources, adjusting timelines, or implementing cost-saving measures.
• Escalation procedures: Identify procedures for escalating issues to management if the mitigation strategies do not work.
• Backup plans: Identify backup plans for key project activities, such as an alternate supplier or a different delivery schedule.
• Budget: Identify contingencies for unexpected costs, especially price movements that may occur between the time of submission and project start.
Be Responsive
It is important for tender writers to be responsive to any requests for additional information or clarification. If the requested information is not readily available, the tender writer should contact the client to let them know and request the needed time (within reasonable limits) to provide the requested information. Tender writers should also whitelist the key email address(es) for the tender so that emails do not end up in spam folders and get missed.
Following the above tips, novice tender writers can increase their chances of winning a bid and creating a professional, compliant, and compelling proposal.
