There are a lot of tenders in our country, but because of fierce competition some people more specially the youth give up even before trying. Granted a tender can change your life for the better, so you have to strife hard to stand out. You win by demonstrating that you are the least risk, that your tender is the least risk to the client. You demonstrate a sound methodology. The following are more tips that can help you go claim that tender.
1. Get The Price Right.
Price is a big factor in awarding tenders so you want to ensure that your price is competitive as much as you also want to make a profit. Working out how much the contract will cost requires you to pay close attention to the specifications in the tender. Labor, materials, equipment, insurance, the length of the contract and how assets like vehicles will depreciate during this time all need to be considered.
2. Choose Carefully.
Newcomers can be tempted into bidding for a contract that doesn’t really suit them, lured in by a pertinent keyword or high contract value. However, when you consider the amount of time and resource needed to prepare and deliver, it’s important to choose opportunities that fit your business like a glove.
3. Prepare, Prepare And Prepared More.
The preparation of your bid can rely on valuable time from multiple people, so it’s important that the planning goes into it. Not only can this avoid forgetting anything, but an effective plan can be used as a template moving forward.
4. Ask For Clarity.
It’s important to remember that you’re not on your own. In every tender, there is a contact listed if you have any questions. As there is usually a deadline for questions, don’t skip something you don’t understand, ask immediately!
5. Empathize.
Give consideration to the buyer’s viewpoint in your responses. Pick out their needs and explain how you can solve their problems, concentrating on how your skills and experience fulfill the requirements of the tender. Try to find more about the organisation and their ultimate responsibilities and goals.
6. Collaborate For A Stronger Bid.
If you’re still keen on bidding but recognize weaknesses in terms of skills or experience, could you strengthen your bid using a sub-contractor? With this in mind, it’s worth maintaining a trusted network that you can draw resource from.
7. Read Between The Lines.
Sometimes, especially in high-risk tenders or projects, you won’t necessarily be told what those risks are or what some of the potential issues could be because you have to find out yourself. Quite often, it can be a little bit sneaky but read between the lines, try to understand what some of the key risks are for the client, for their business, and for the project.
8. Check, Check And Check Again!
Never check your own work; get as many people to proof your tender bid as you can grab hold of! It’s easy to miss the occasional signature required or mix up cross-referencing. Most importantly, an outsider’s perspective can help tweak and improve answers.
9. Presentation Is Key.
Check for any specific requirements, how many copies required, whether the proposal should be bound etc and ensure it is all well packaged so it arrives on their desk in one piece! It goes without saying, if you have to submit your bid electronically, that you should follow up to ensure it has been received.
10. Don’t Give Up.
If you don’t succeed at your first tender attempt, put the process down to experience and remain tenacious. Once you have delivered successfully on one tender, you have a foot in the door and more success will follow. In the meantime, keep focusing on delivery and service excellence.
