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Whilst you may wonder why you need to jump through yet another hoop in order to win a contract, the tender presentation benefits both suppliers and procurers and should be seized as a further opportunity to convince the client that your company or organisation should be the winner.
Tender presentations have two main purposes. It gives the buyer and supplier a chance to meet each other and it allows both parties a chance to clarify any points to explain aspects of the written tender.
Tender and bid presentations usually take place after submission of the written tender and your submission will have already been scored. It is also likely, although not guaranteed, that if you are invited to present your tender in person that your company is to be shortlisted with the presentation scoring confirming this. (However, this is not always the case.)
It is easy to see the tender presentation as just another way of saying the same thing again but it is a mistake to think this way and will result in a lost, last opportunity to win that tender. Going into the presentation fully prepared is critical. While you can’t possibly know what will be asked, being fully versed in all aspects of your submission and the tender specification will prevent it from being the harrowing or worthless experience that it would otherwise be.
Tender Presentation Top Tips
Choose the right teamUnless you are going it alone, taking key people in your team can be advantageous. Functional specialists, such as operations manager, project manager etc. can bring a multi-dimensional aspect to your presentation. Questions can be answered in depth and accurately and your client gets to see your organisation in action. | Prepare a list of possible questionsAnd the answers to those questions. It’s impossible to know what you will be asked. Even if the client emails you a list of questions, you won’t know how they will wish to clarify until they do it. The key is in being as prepared as possible, reducing those uncomfortable silences and blank looks which encourage doubt on the part of the client. |
Prepare a great presentationRegardless of which software you use to prepare your presentation (but hopefully not flip-charts!), an eye-catching presentation with graphics, charts and colour will keep your listeners interested. A corporate blue background with 30 pages of bullet points is boring in much the same way as 30 pages of block text. Add some innovation to your presentation to ensure your listeners remember key points and overall, remember your team and your presentation for being interesting. | Elevator pitchHone and refine your elevator pitch – USP, purpose, history and services briefly and succinctly. It’s amazing how much information you can convey if a few minutes if you spend the time to get it right. If a professional tender writer has written your main tender, get them to help write your elevator pitch too. |
Bid & Tender Resources
For more helpful information, advice and tips, please head over to our Bid & Tender Writing resource pages, alternatively you can watch our helpful video below for further ‘advice for completing a tender‘
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