When you’re kicking off a bid, it’s easy to want to dive in to the deliverables and get as many words written down as quickly as possible. Yet, the quality of what you submit (and therefore your chances of winning) will be greatly improved by taking the time to read. This doesn’t just mean a brief skim: if you’re reading to supercharge your bid, it should be an active task that takes all your attention. Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and dive in!
What You Should Read
Why You Should Read
By reading into all of the opportunity documents, you can make an informed bid-no bid decision. Being confident it’s a viable opportunity for your business will allow you to create a solution that is tailored to the opportunity, rather than providing an out-of-the-box offer that isn’t necessarily aligned to the service requirements.
By paying close attention when reading opportunity documents, you’ll be able to makes notes of compliance elements and review your bid before submission to make sure it is aligned. This makes you less likely to put all that time and effort into a tender only to be disqualified for not adhering to the commissioner’s request.
You need to go beyond the surface level to truly understand what you’re bidding for: it’s not just about what the commissioner says, it’s how they say it. Reading closely and paying attention to the kind of language the commissioner uses in the opportunity documents and evaluation criteria will allow insight into their pain points. In turn, you’ll be able to create win themes that focus on what matters most to them, mimic the language they use and show solidarity with their needs, making them feel heard. This, in turn, will make you far more likely to hit those higher scores.
While you’re actively reading, you’re bound to come across something that you want to clarify to make sure the opportunity is deliverable for your organisation. Without this close attention, you could lose the chance to resolve a vital sticking point that greatly impacts your financial packet.
By setting time aside for reading at the start of your bid process, you’ll give yourself time to thoroughly research elements that will take your bid to the next level. Where the commissioner references local initiatives, organisations, partners, showing an understanding of these in your responses will demonstrate that you understand what is important to the commissioner and that you are therefore the right supplier for the opportunity.
Reading around the incumbent and other competitors allows you to identify your differentiators and match them to the commissioner’s values and requirements set out in the specification. This will help you stand out through a tailored offer that impresses the commissioner by promoting your strengths and addressing weaknesses in the competition.
Do you see the value in using reading for opportunities but just don’t have time? Reach out to our team today so we can help you use reading to supercharge your bids.
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