How to manage a bid remotely – Part 5 – a centralised bid content library
It’s the dream of many a bid team – a single repository of bid content that is up to date, quick to access and ready to go at your fingertips. Really when it comes to helpful tools for winning bids it’s the ultimate – access to a comprehensive bid content library that is. Remote or […]
Continue ReadingHow to manage a bid remotely – Part 3 – managing key bid decisions
In Part 1 of this series we discussed the importance of focussed and consistent communication with your remote bid team – setting agendas, regular meetings and consistent tools or channels. In Part 2 we covered-off managing less formal interactions and the importance of keeping up remote bid team morale. Now, in Part 3 of How […]
Continue ReadingHow to manage a bid remotely – Part 2 – keeping up remote bid team morale
In Part 1 of How to manage a bid remotely we discussed the importance of setting clear and consistent communication protocols to drive effective bid collaboration. However, in these uncertain times it’s a very good idea to look beyond ‘formal’ bid communication and take time to regularly check-in on your remote bid team’s welfare. While […]
Continue ReadingHow to manage a bid remotely – Part 1 – effective collaboration at a distance
In the wake of the ‘new normal’ COVID-19 has brought we are all learning new techniques and trialling different approaches to managing tenders, bids and proposals. Many bid teams who would normally work alongside each other have had to drastically adjust as the old onsite collaboration model has (for now) been turned on its head. […]
Continue Reading11 Quick fixes to improve the quality of your tenders, bids and proposals
It’s the night before your tender, bid or proposal hands in and with a sinking feeling you realise it still needs ‘work’. Maybe it needs a lot of work, or just some key finishing touches applied. But without a deadline extension there’s no time to fully recast your responses, alter your document structure, change the […]
Continue ReadingResponding 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 […]
Continue Reading3 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 ReadingHow to interview subject matter experts (SMEs) at tender time
SMEs – that’s ‘subject matter experts’ (rather than ‘small-to-medium enterprises’) – can be great to work with (as can small-to-medium enterprises!) on a tender. However, sometimes in the heat of a deadline SME input to a tender can become lost in translation (or worse left out). We’ve talked before about how specifics sell, and that’s […]
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 Reading14 tender trends impacting tenders, bids & proposals and the trends that are here to stay
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. […]
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Feature article
Tender readability – tips to improve your tender presentation and some tender presentation no-nos
Tender readability remains a problem for some in the 21st century. I still see submission documents that cling to a handful of really old hat tender presentation and formatting techniques. I suspect this is because some of these ‘rules’ are viewed as being more appropriate to a ‘formal’ style of document such as a tender. […]
