3 essential win themes for tenders, bids or proposals to the financial services sector
When it comes to preparing your next tender, bid or proposal to the financial services sector it is a good idea to establish your key “win themes” at the outset. “Win themes” are those key selling arguments and messages that will be repeated, re-spun, and repeated again in several places and in several different ways […]
Continue ReadingLeveraging a tender, bid or proposal win – get (more than) your fair share
Because so many corporate and government clients appoint multiple firms to provide their professional services, winning a place on a formal panel is only a preliminary to getting the client work you really want. And when multi-provider appointments are informal, it’s even more important to drive workflow in your direction. Steps to getting more than […]
Continue ReadingWhy will a client accept your tender, bid or proposal? More key selling arguments
When it comes to key selling arguments for your professional services tenders, bids and proposals it can be hard to distil down precisely the benefits you bring and the value you offer. Here some questions and tips to help you strategically work through what it is exactly you are offering clients in your tenders, bids […]
Continue ReadingUnderstanding buyer perspectives in professional services
While each consumer of expert professional services has a unique set of preferences driving their buying behaviour, various groups or “clusters” of consumers share common characteristics. To forecast likely buying behaviour (and tailor your tender, bid or proposal pitch accordingly) consider these factors. Organisation type and size Public sector, large corporates, private companies, small business, […]
Continue Reading14 tender, bid & proposal trends that are here to stay in 2018
JMA has prepared a guide to the top 14 professional services tender, bid and proposal trends we have observed emerging in the last couple of years. Some trends are positive, others more challenging and for the most part, for better or worse, these 14 tender, bid & proposal trends are now firmly here to stay. […]
Continue ReadingLost proposals…was your price really too high?
For many prospective clients, the fastest and easiest way to tell you that they’re not proceeding with your proposal, tender or bid is to say “sorry – the price is too high”. Sometimes this is the entire story. Other times, it is simply a quick way to avoid saying what’s really the problem – […]
Continue ReadingUsing firm governance and management to gain competitive (and other) advantages
When leading and large clients determine their professional service relationships, one factor influencing their decision is how well prospective service providers fit with their own values, culture, and aspirations. Evidence of strong governance and responsible management goes a long way to demonstrating this fit and becomes especially important in competitive bids, tender and proposal processes with […]
Continue ReadingTender planning: don’t hit go before you’re ready and set
Does this tender planning scenario sound familiar? Excitement builds the first couple of days after an RFT release; there are even attempts to draft responses, but then professional work takes priority and the tender project quickly loses momentum. By the time someone reinvigorates the project, the deadline is looming and the task is even more […]
Continue ReadingBreaking bad bid habits
Time and again, I see professional services clients falling victim to bad bid habits. Abraham Lincoln allegedly said (but actually didn’t): “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Proper planning, organisation, shared accountability, and a sense of urgency is a must if you […]
Continue ReadingHow firm policies can give you a competitive edge
If your professional services firm wants to win work with government, insurer, banking, telecommunications, or large corporate clients, it’s increasingly important to have documented firm policies and procedures in place. Requesting copies of your policies and procedures is becoming very common in RFTs. Tenderers want to gauge risk, as well as assess how efficiently and […]
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Feature article
Responding effectively to (unspoken) questions in tenders, bids and proposals
Over the years we’ve read hundreds of requests for tenders and proposals seeking services from professional services firms. Often RFT/Ps can seem cobbled together bastardised versions of older requests that have been edited by committee and end up asking silly, repetitive or irrelevant questions. Most of the time nothing sinister is going on, it is […]
