eTips 2001
Tenders without tears |
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Generally, eTips on the subject of tenders and proposals focus on the strategic issues. This eTip is directed to tactical consideration involved in getting a successful bid out the door, with a minimum of stress, tension, drama, and tears. |
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To bid or not to bid ? |
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Legal and other professional practices frequently use competitive tenders and proposals to obtain work from new clients or continue relationships with established clients. This is an expensive and time consuming process. |
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Business development through networking |
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Assuming that you've decided to take the plunge and improve your marketing effectiveness, networking is one good starting point, well within the comfort zone. Whatever your level - senior partner, or early-career professional - you can make a positive contribution to business development through network contacts. |
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A few words about client satisfaction |
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Each year, Julian Midwinter & Associates conducts many research projects, both on behalf of its professional service firm clients, and at an industry level. |
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How to be a hot commodity with your clients, in your firm, and in the marketplace |
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Savvy players understand both the professional and personal benefits of being identified as a “leading light”. They leverage the value that derives from being a truly in-demand and “hot commodity”. |
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Death by PowerPoint |
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We’re often asked how many PowerPoint slide should be included in a presentation and how much time a presenter should spend on each. |
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Using newsletters to develop business |
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Julian Midwinter & Associates has done extensive research among key consumers of legal services on the subject of newsletters. Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve found that works, what doesn’t, what clients value, and some techniques to ensure that your newsletters deliver maximum business development. |
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Marketing to tech clients |
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One of the first things you must remember is that to market to tech, you need to be part of the community. However, simply not wearing a tie does not make you part of that community ! |
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Getting the client relationship review meeting right ! |
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Our extensive research confirms that most substantial clients value - and expect - periodic frank relationship reviews. |
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The 4 C's of persuasion |
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We've all had the experience of watching a TV commercial and wondering "what was that all about?" … or reading a sales promotion letter and thinking "so what? why should I care?" |
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Just how important is price ? |
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A few years ago, a high technology vendor surveyed 400 sales reps, asking what was the most important factor in winning a deal. Overwhelmingly, the answer from the salespeople was "price". |
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Closing proposal gaps |
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For most people writing proposals, making the document truly persuasive is one of the biggest challenges. |
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Winning: what matters most ? |
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Try this quick quiz. Look through the following list of proposal or tender attributes and tick the three factors you think will have the most impact on whether you win - or not. |
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Possible key selling arguments |
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Sorting through what's important to your prospective client and determining what will differentiate you from your competitors can be a daunting task. In hard-fought competitions, how we deal with even minor issues can make the critical difference between winning, and losing. |
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What really needs to go in a proposal ? |
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Given the choice of reading 10 pages, 40 pages, or a 200 page proposal, which would you choose to read first? For most of us, it's not a hard decision to read to the short document first. Which raises a question we're often asked: "what should we include in our proposal?" |
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Dos and don'ts of direct mail |
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Direct mail remains an important element of marketing communications strategies. Getting it right is the subject of books rather than just quick eTips. But we're happy to share a few highlights from lessons we've learned through lots of research plus plenty of first-hand experience! |
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Credibility killers |
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Most of us realise the importance of making a good first impression. However, it is equally important to continue to build a positive impression with your client at every opportunity. |
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Why do clients buy ? |
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You may be saying to yourself "if I knew the answer to that question, I'd be very wealthy!" However, the answer isn't really all that elusive. |
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Enivornmental scanning - a winning edge |
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The difference between a winning proposal and a loser frequently comes down to what you know before you write a single word … not what you find out after you've written the document ! |
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Effective questioning |
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A valuable business development skill is questioning. |
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Testing your message |
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Ineffective proposals and presentations focus only on information about your firm and your services. |
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