Are you tired of not winning tender opportunities? If you’re writing all the right things but still not winning, you may not be providing the buyer with enough evidence of your success. Like anything in business, you must back up your claims with relevant evidence – tender writing is no exception! Evidence ensures your tender proposal sounds authentic and believable. When you’re writing your tender, remember:
- The buyer reading your tender will be thinking, “so what?”. You must be persuasive and genuine
- The buyer will make their judgement based only on the information you provide
- Without evidence, your tender will look superficial
So, how can you provide evidence when writing your tender proposal?
1. Testimonials
Words from those you’ve worked with before can go a long way in your tender (if they’re good, that is!). It helps demonstrate to the buyer that you’ve successfully worked with other people similar to them and what they thought of the quality of your service. To make the testimonial believable, make sure you’ve used their full name, position and company.
2. Case Studies
Using case studies is a great way to provide evidence to back up your claim. You can use these to show your client what you’ve done for others. What was the problem they faced, and how did you provide the perfect solution? It may have been another tender that you won.
Be sure to talk about your success with that project in terms of how the client felt and what they achieved. It’s important to note that the buyer may request a site visit depending on the type of services they are looking to purchase. Try and pick case studies that are referenceable by a site visit.
3. Photos
Yes, you can include photos on your tender applications! It’s not all about persuasive writing. For example, if you’re a gardener and tendering for a significant project, include photos of other projects you’ve completed. After all, pictures speak a thousand words.
4. Qualifications/Licenses/Associations
What are your qualifications and licenses? You should refer to any you hold, along with any associations you may belong to. These are a great way to increase your credibility. For example, if you’re a builder tendering for a Government project, show you’re committed to your craft by displaying your Master Builder’s Association badge.
5. Policies & Procedures/Systems
If you’re making claims, such as “We have got an effective quality assurance system”, you need to have the evidence. Providing your company’s policies & procedures shows the client that you have systems in place to make these claims. Then, everyone is on the same page, and the buyer knows what to expect.
Tender writing is a big undertaking. But if you always remember to speak with the buyer, answer their questions (in great detail), list your unique selling points and provide proof of your claims, you’ll be fine!
Sound like too much hard work? Tendering is indeed quite time-consuming. The silver lining is that once you have gathered the evidence, it can form part of your evidence pack and can be used for future opportunities.
Are you still struggling? Get in touch!
If you’d like to discuss what sort of evidence is appropriate for your business, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or drop us an email. We are happy to help.