When clients raise the bar you must raise your game
- Published: 29 July 2008 13:17
- Last Updated: 29 July 2008 13:17
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail and nowhere is this more true than when putting together tenders. By David Harrison
Good companies of all sizes, but particularly the smaller ones, are losing their best clients by making some basic mistakes when tendering for projects and long-term framework agreements.
If you are one of those who thinks that a 10-year track record of working for a client guarantees a place on their select list, think again.
Such complacency has resulted in many companies being locked out of working for their most important customer as the client consolidates the number of contractors and consultants it works with.
Winning quality orders with quality clients is becoming more difficult as the hurdles you have to overcome get higher. Only a few companies have found the key to success and they are hoovering up all the best opportunities.
Not only does your price have to be competitive, but you also have to put in a quality submission, make an excellent presentation and then answer demanding questions about why you should be selected. It is in these questions that the best and the rest are found out.
In the hundreds of submissions I have seen, at both prequalification and tender stage, and the presentations that I have listened to at interview stage, I see the same mistakes made time and again.
The biggest mistake any company can make is not making it clear to the client how the skills, knowledge and experience of its people make its tender the best.
Clients want to know who they are going to be working with; yet you would be amazed at how difficult it is to establish the names and track record of the front-line team which would run the project or framework if successful.
When I see an organisation chart with only the directors on it then I have to wonder whether they have the right people in place lower down. Such companies pick up few marks for a section that should be lowhanging fruit for most.
The best companies stand out a mile and create a unique selling point out of the strengths of their teams.
They provide not just names, but pictures, testimonials from delighted clients and CVs tailored to highlight the relevance of their skills, knowledge and experience for the type of work required by the client.
Pyramid selling
Senior management is also included on the organisation charts but the 'pyramid' structure is inverted to demonstrate that they are there to support the front-line staff with resources, advice, information and decisions.
The second biggest mistake that bidders make is failing to ensure that they really understand the questions.
You cannot know everything, but I think that in most cases bidders know when they are struggling to grasp what the client is looking for. But rather than seek clarification, they plough on regardless.
The result can be answers which are too short and lack substance or are too long and full of waffle. Neither demonstrates understanding or instills faith.
In some extreme cases, bidders have simply provided no answer at all or have even cut and pasted an answer from another prequalification questionnaire or tender in the hope it might pick up some points.
The funniest answer I have seen was from an architect who didn't understand a question about equal opportunities and diversity and answered: "Well, you've got me there."
Needless to say he did not pick up any points for that particular question.
I have seen some fairly nebulous questions being asked by clients. In these situations it is important to contact the client to establish what they mean.
There are many reasons why companies produce substandard quality submissions, but time management and lack of experience seem to be at the root of most.
Taking time
Quality submissions can be time-consuming and complex, so leaving it to the last minute and trying to do it all yourself, even though you know that you need help, is not a good idea.
When you do that, the result is almost always unsatisfactory and, if it is your best client, then you really do not want to be taking a chance.
These days the ability to produce a quality submission that hits the right buttons is more important than ever and can give you a significant competitive advantage over your rivals.
David Harrison is a consultant and the author of the free report The 23 Biggest Mistakes Made By Bidders
How to improve tenders
If you want to improve your success rate then:
• Conduct a thorough review of your current approach to establish the areas where there is scope for improvement. Seek a second opinion or professional help.
• Find out what the most successful companies are doing and how they are doing it. Improve your understanding of good practice.
• Be creative. Think of ideas for how you can differentiate your submissions from the rest.
• Be prepared. Collate useful information about your company, your people and the projects completed to help you demonstrate the added value that you can bring to your clients.
• Plan your time carefully. When the next opportunity arises be sure to have your team lined up and ready to hit the ground running.
David Harrison is a consultant and the author of the free report The 23 Biggest Mistakes Made By Bidders. For a copy telephone 01789 400398
