Did you understand clearly what was being requested?

A number of people have asked me about tips relating to my Answer the Question post. Here's a list of things to think about to show that you really understand what is being asked:

1. The purchaser usually has a picture in their mind about the ideal tenderer. From reading the tender request carefully, build up your own picture – does this describe your company?
2. Look beyond the questions that you are asked to answer and put yourself in the purchaser’s shoes. By focusing on just the questions you will miss many cues in the document itself.
3. Do your answers to questions demonstrate your understanding or are they just a collection of individual comments?
4. Have you answered all required sections of the Tender Document? Are all components requiring a signature completed? Ie: Statutory Declaration. You don’t want to lose a Tender by failing to complete the required information.
5. Don’t “overanswer” questions – make sure anything you write, or any documents you append – are relevant and add necessary proof.
6. Pay particular attention to requests for Certificates and Insurances. Without evidence of the required information it is unlikely that a provider would be successful. Once Insurance or Certification has been obtained it must be maintained and/or increased as required.

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I know you can do it - BUT tell me HOW you'll do it.

One of the biggest gripes I hear from procurers is that people making submissions often fail to tell them exactly HOW they propose to tackle the job. Yes, you've rabbited on about your experience but that's not enough to inspire confidence.

Make sure you show that you know how to put a project plan together. What unique systems and/or processes do you bring to the table? What will you put in place to ensure you finish the job on time and on budget? Have you a Communication plan in place that shows me how easy it will be to deal with you?

When people see the word "methodology" in an RFT they start to panic - but really it's just a big word for TELL ME HOW!

How to win tenders

I recently chaired the How to Win Tenders Summit in Sydney (organised by Association and Communication Events). The range of speakers was excellent and while most provided welcome reinforcement of key concepts in tendering, there were a few gems that I resolved to pay more attention to in future:

• Toby Travanner (www.tobytravanner.com) reinforced the need to "get clients to sell themselves". If you use your submission to show how different (in ways that add value in the clients' mind) you are, the client will become more engaged and actively look for reasons to work with you rather than looking for reasons not to!
• Virginia Loyola (Business Events Sydney) reminded me of the importance of knowing who will make the decision and how they will do it. This is particularly important when there is a panel involved. Does your submission appeal to the technical expert as well as the financial expert?
• Judy Hurditch (Intermedium) spoke about the importance of "writing in the language of government" when responding to requests from public bodies. She also talked about the 3 Pillars of Procurement that government organisations look at in evaluation: whole of life cost; degree of risk; fit to requirements. Make sure in your next submission you make an honest self assessment of how you stack up against each of them!