A professional tender writer can bring a fresh eye to your business, teasing out information that will contribute to the success of your bid, and save you a lot of time and effort in the process.
Going beyond the tender template
Perhaps the reason the tender process seems simple at first is that the tendering organisation usually offers a template for bidders to complete.
However, filling out the minimum information requested isn’t enough. A professional will research your tender strategy, liaise with you on layout and graphics, write and proofread the tender document and make sure you are compliant with the process.
Researching your tender strategy
This involves asking questions that focus on the core of your bid, such as:
- What is the client most concerned about? Can you solve this problem for them?
- What’s your point of difference from your competitors?
- How will you deliver the product/service if you are successful?
These can be hard questions to answer, but a professional tender writer is skilled at knowing how to elicit honest responses that will prove invaluable in your bid.
Graphics and layout
A document’s readability depends on more than just the words. What font should you use? How wide should the margins be? Should you include pull quotes to emphasise key points? Would a diagram or infographic explain a point more succinctly?
Because a tender writer is in the business of creating competitive tenders, they have a handle on what’s hot and what’s not. They know what government organisations are hoping to see in a bid, and what they definitely do not want to come across.
They will also make sure your bid is compliant with the tender presentation requirements – sometimes the tendering body has strict stipulations, even down to colours and font sizes.
The look of the tender is the first impression the reviewers will get of your business, so you need to make a good impression right off the block.
Writing and proofreading
Tenders written by committee tend to have a number of different tones or ‘voices’. These can veer from friendly and descriptive (written by PR and marketing) to unfathomably technical (IT’s contribution).
Setting the right tone throughout requires the input of someone outside the organisation to oversee the bid.
A basic tip for any writer is to run spell check before sending off a document. But there’s more to proofreading than spell check. Sentences that run for miles, too much jargon (or too little), poor paragraph structure and clumsy syntax will create an amateurish and confusing impression.
Ensuring compliance
A well as making sure the presentation of the tender document complies with requirements, a professional tender writer will check that the content addresses all the evaluation criteria, so nothing is missed.
Making a bid is a big commitment. The strain on staff, the drain on resources – it can side-track a business, and take over your employees’ lives. Think about hiring a tender writer to give you a competitive edge, and an outcome that makes it all worthwhile.