A great sales tender or proposal that hits the right notes and grabs the attention of decision-makers makes all the difference when it comes to bidding for, and winning new work.
I worked in the energy sector for over 12 years and saw many Invitations to Tender and Requests for Information pass through our doors... and back out again!
I now run my own business and support customers with their sales proposals so I've seen both sides of the fence.
My eldest son is Head of Procurement at one of the biggest transport companies in the UK and has managed the pre-contract process on a range of major bids.
In these roles we've both seen that success or failure often comes down to a few surprisingly simple things. Things that can easily be avoided if you know how.
To take any uncertainty away we've created our Ultimate 10 Step Guide to help your tender or sales proposal stand out and more crucially, to win new work!
Our Ultimate 10 Step Guide
Make sure you totally understand what your client wants This is the most important point and where it's easiest to trip up without even realising it. So before you do anything else make sure you FULLY understand what your prospective client wants. Read any documentation thoroughly and then read it again. If it's a less formal situation where the proposal is based on a discussion, clarify what you think you've heard by repeating it back. Don't ever guess. If there are things you don't understand, get them clarified or ask. Contacting the client for clarification is perfectly acceptable and shows you are engaged and keen to provide a great service.
Focus on the requirements of the client It may be tempting to launch into telling your prospect everything about your business, how fantastic you are and why they need to choose you, but keep your focus firmly on THEIR needs. Often a client is looking for a solution to a problem that can't be solved in-house, so this is what they want to hear about the most. Yes, your company credentials are important, but not as important as the requirements of the customer. Therefore, save the "About Us" and "Why Us" until the end of the document - unless of course you are asked to provide this information earlier in formal documentation.
Allow yourself enough time Tenders and proposals take time and thought and preparation and completion invariably takes longer than you think. So start early and don't cause yourself unnecessary stress. Leaving things to the last minute opens yourself up to potentially missing things out and making mistakes. Regarding deadlines, while some clients may accept late submissions, you will immediately be on the back foot and have some catching up to do. Others will reject submissions if the deadline is missed, particularly on higher value projects. So plan to submit your tender / proposal at least a day or two ahead of the cut-off point / agreed date.
Ensure you answer all questions This one applies more when you are completing formal documentation and might sound basic but one that is often over-looked. Also, avoid re-cycling responses from other tenders or proposals, unless the response is standard e.g. insurances. A client will always want to see that you have considered their specific requirements and adding a few elements from the project goes a long way towards demonstrating this.
Language and tone of voice Use confident, positive language and choose words that your prospective client can relate to. Avoid jargon and keep your sentences short and to the point. The key here is to KISS your language - by Keeping It Simple and Succinct. The tone of voice you use depends largely on the audience so keep your client in mind and match your tone to their motivations and needs.
Design and layout First impressions count so make sure your proposal has an eye-catching, professional-looking front cover and document design. Even if you are restricted to formal documentation it might still be relevant to add a front cover, which will make your tender immediately stand out from the rest. Use lots of visuals and diagrams to bring your words to life. Less is more in design so don't try and cram too much information onto one page. Visual 'breathing room' is important and enables your key points to stand out. Reference your document with a contents page to make things easy to find. Consider adding an executive summary or at the very least a summary of the client's goal to demonstrate you understand what they want to achieve. Include a case study if it's appropriate. If you haven't got the design skills in-house, outsource it. It'll be money well spent and you can use the pictures / design as a template for next time, or in other marketing material.
Be clear about how you will deliver the work Your prospective client needs to be able to see quickly and clearly how you will deliver the product or service in easy-to-understand steps, with timescales and outcomes for each stage. One of the best ways of doing this is using diagrams and key facts. It also helps to imagine you are explaining your process to someone who knows nothing about it - which is most probably the case anyway!
Provide alternative options and charges If relevant, offering different solutions could go in your favour (although check with your client if they are willing to accept these first). Doing this will show you are flexible and will also help get around any pricing questions if you don't know the budget. Be sure to satisfy the client's core requirements in each option though. No business can survive without making a profit, so work out your costs and profit margins and be confident about what you put.
Show a breakdown of your costs Provide a clear break down of your charges and costs so both parties know exactly what is being offered. Include any relevant caveats and pricing assumptions such as expenses, terms and conditions, etc. Transparency goes a long way and will help the client's assessment of your proposal.
Check and check again When you have finished your tender / sales proposal walk away and take a break. Then when you are ready read it through carefully and check for correctness, sense and apply the "Spelling and Grammar" tool. Once you are happy get a colleague (or two) to check it over and provide feedback before you make the final edits and send it off... with plenty of time to spare!
As a quick reference the following is a list of the main sections to include in a tender or sales proposal document:
A professional looking and well-designed front cover
A contents page
An introduction or executive summary that encapsulates what the client wants to accomplish and what outcomes and results you will achieve for them
What your service will include
How it will be delivered (and when)
A breakdown of charges including any alternative options
An "About Us" and "Why Us" section with a case study if appropriate
Any relevant appendices
Contact details
We hope this has been useful.
If you have any questions or would like support with the design of your tender or sales proposal email kate@kasaris.co.uk.
Thanks
Kate and Sebastian