Hiring a professional bid writer is a big decision. In many cases it involves placing the fate of your organisation in one person and their ability to write.
But ultimately hiring a bid writer is a decision that you will not regret. If you wish to progress your company through competitive tendering then a bid writer will place you well ahead of the competition.
1. Understanding the requirements
To the untrained eye a PQQ (pre-qualification questionnaire) or tender can be a confusing document – pages and pages of specifications, questions, policies and accreditations. A professional bid writer will cut through the specification to determine exactly what is required from your company.
If you do not understand the requirements then you risk losing the bid. A bid writer has worked on hundreds of submissions and knows exactly how the specification relates to your company and what is required.
2. Assuring compliance – bid/no bid
Ensuring that your company is compliant is one of the most difficult processes when completing a tender. If you do not meet the specification then you will automatically fail.
It can be hard to make the decision as you may feel that you can deliver the contract better than anyone else, however, if you are non-compliant then that is irrelevant.
A professional bid writer has the skills and the knowledge to make an informed bid/no bid decision for your company. In making the right decisions and ensuring your company is compliant you will naturally increase your success rate and reduce costs.
The next step in compliance is planning. If a company is non-compliant for whatever reason, you can implement processes that will make you compliant for the next occasion.
To understand more about the bid/no bid process, you can download our bid ready checklist HERE.
3. Professional writing
Writing a tender is hard. It takes a special sort of writing that is honed over a long period of time. The best bid writers have learnt from years of evaluator feedback and winning bids.
Many companies employ their sales team to produce the tenders, however, this not only creates a sub-standard submission, it means that they aren’t completing their day-to-day duties as well.
There is no substitute for professional writing and from the moment you hire a bid writer you will see the difference. The process is incredibly creative and takes a certain sort of persuasive writing. What a bid writer brings is a unique talent to make your company look good, and that is what is needed to win a bid.
4. Thorough review process
As well as writing, you need a thorough review procedure in place. Even the best writers understand the need for another set of trained eyes. At the very least a bid will need to be proofread.
A review process implemented by a bid writer can be the difference between a losing submission and a winning one. Without this process you risk non-compliance as well as simple mistakes that could ultimately cost the bid.
5. Following up the submission
Once a document has been submitted you will need to wait for the result. This can often take a long time (sometimes a very long time). You need to understand exactly how and when to follow up the submission for the best results.
For example, should you lose or be excluded from the process it is important to know how and when to appeal. A professional bid writer knows when an appeal might be warranted and can sometimes save a company from a losing bid.
Executive Compass® has written hundreds of winning submissions and can help your company stand out from the competition and win more tenders.
For more information on how we can help you, fill out our contact form HERE, or call 0800 612 5563 to speak to one of our bid managers.
