Saving trees is not enough

I was reminded of how important it is to be specific about the value you are offering a prospective purchaser in a bid or tender submission when I checked into a hotel recently.
Usually hotels have a standard sign in the bathroom asking people to hang-up towels they will use again to help save the planet. I've often been a bit cynical about such messages because I suspect their concern is more about saving money; however in this case the sign boldly stated that "5 towels = 1 tree". It expressed the benefit in measurable terms which is something many claims made in submissions fail to do. So next time you are writing make sure you have plenty of "5 towels = 1 tree" statements to give evaluators evidence that can be measured.

Headline news

Approach each question in an RFT by writing a headline that encapsulates the key benefit you are presenting in your answer. This will help you to focus your argument.
For example, in a question about customer service many people start by talking in generalisations about how seriously they treat it, their Customer Service Policy, or how they focus on TQM. The problem with this approach is that the benefits for the purchaser are not immediately obvious and busy evaluators will not bother searching for them.
Instead, think about Customer Service in your organisation - what do you do differently and it what ways do you add-value for your clients? This will give you your "headline" and the evaluators something they can score.

The 4R’s of sustainable procurement

Show how your product/service can Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Rethink to help you score maximum points for Sustainability questions in tenders.

Sure, knowing your Carbon Footprint from your shoe size is important (maybe even mandatory in some cases) but a well crafted “story” about how your product/service helps reduce (waste, emissions, effort…); or allows for reuse (either physically in consumables or reuse of existing knowledge); or recycling or even rethinking existing systems and processes to make them more sustainable.

Don’t forget also that sustainability is about more than just the environment. Make sure you show that your organization is financially, socially and environmentally sound.

Don't let design get in the way of a good story

While good presentation is important in creating the right impression, don't let it overpower your story.
When I worked as a Creative Director in an advertising agency I always used design as a tool for presenting the story or message in the best possible light - you have only a few seconds of someone's eye on the page to make a strong enough impression for them to read on.

Here's 10 tips to consider:

1. Black text on a white background is by far the easiest to read (and also comes out clearly when your proposal is photocopied).
2. A serif typeface (like Times) is easier to read the a sans-serif face (like Arial) - particularly when there is lots of type on the page.
3. Avoid using CAPITALS IN HEADLINES OR WHOLE SENTENCES - they tend to make the text look like a "block" and interrupt flow. I tend to use underlines and indenting to emphasize.
4. Don't right-justify your paragraphs - this also has a "block" effect that makes it easier for the eye to skip over.
5. Use bullet points to reinforce key messages rather than dense paragraphs.
6. Remember that your audience (the Evaluation Panel) are not all experts in your field so minimise the amount of technical jargon (in non-technical sections) you use.
7. Graphic elements (such as photos and graphs) are useful in getting your message across so make sure that they are relevant to what you are saying and also use captions to recap your message rather than just as a simple description of the image. This is important as the eye usually goes first to major graphic elements on the page and a caption that conveys a specific benefit will help generate interest.
8. Break-out comments and quotations (if used sparingly) help add interest and also give a feeling of endorsement if they are attributed to respected individuals.
9. Use sub-heads to help the reader navigate your story and where possible write them as a benefit statement.
10. And lastly, my favourite, don't put full stops at the end of headlines or sub-heads - they just stop people in their tracks!

If you have  design tips you would like to share I would welcome your comments.

It's not all about me

I'm often asked to review people's Executive Summaries. To me these are very important in "selling the sizzle" to your potential client, yet often they read like the are "all about me"!

"We are a large company..." "We offer a quality service..." "We have a good reputation..."

All this says to the reader is that you are more concerned about yourself than them. Try to rephrase those statements so they don't start with "we" and then also add a benefit to each so the client gets a good idea of what it means to THEM.

For example: "With a staff of 25 qualified technicians, we guarantee to be onsite within 60 minutes, which means you will be operational again quickly with minimal downtime."

Take a look at your last Executive Summary and have a go at changing all your "we" statements into strong selling points.

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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Answer the question!

Next time you are watching a politician in a television interview, listen carefully to what questions are being asked and then evaluate whether they answered the question or not.
In many cases you'll find that they completely avoid the question and give an answer that reflects their party's policy.
 I've seen the same thing happen in tender submissions. People are so keen to get "their" message across they don't pay enough attention to what is being asked. Rule number 1 is "always answer the question".
The challenge is to answer it in such a way that the purchaser gets what they want; but that you do it so that it positions your organisation as the one that can meet all the requirements better than anyone else.