There are so many new opportunities now that the economy is improving that it almost feels like being a child in a sweetshop. You get your search results on the latest public sector bids and they range in size and value and location and…well, yes, we could have a go at all of them!

And of course you could- but how good are your chances of success and what is your likely return on investment?

A little while ago a new customer of mine asked me if they should bid on a new opportunity that had just been advertised. Great! I thought they are really getting active and seeking new openings to grow their business.

I read the bid documents they gave me and it was immediately obvious that the contract was way outside their reach…it was a defence contract and they didn’t have certain security checks. They weren’t sufficiently experienced in that type of work and only had a passing relationship with the customer.

To carry on would have tied up their valuable resources that might have been better used elsewhere and would certainly have wasted their time and money.

Even though they instinctively knew the contract was out of their reach they were prepared to throw away money on a bid that they were unlikely to ever win. Worse still, it could have damaged their reputation with that potential customer and with others that they knew…because, as we all know our customers talk to each other and share their experiences!

To avoid this happening to you it is crucial that you get to know your company really well.

I regularly use the term ‘positioning’ in business generation and doing a bit of navel gazing is a great help. When you know yourself you can position yourself so your potential or current customer knows that how you can meet their needs and solve their problem. It’s about understanding…

…What you do best…

…How you do it…

…Where you should be doing it…

When you know the true value of your goods or services and how they will help your customer to fix their problem, you can connect more quickly and in a way that they want to see and hear and understand.

When you position yourself to win you enhance your credibility in areas where you are stronger than your rivals and downplay areas where you might be weaker. You show yourself to the best advantage and connect more quickly so you increase your chances of winning more bids.

Your rivals may already be doing this so if you need help or want to benefit from our bid preparation workshop tools just give me a call.

Tip

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