Tender Mistakes: 7 Deadly Tender Sins
Tender mistakes can mean you miss out on winning the tender. Maybe you committed one of the 7 deadly tender sins?
There is nothing worse than pouring time and energy into a tender response, only to be greeted with silence. Deep down you know that your company could have handled the job with ease and you thought that you'd be in with a chance, but still, no response.
Maybe you committed one of the 7 deadly tender sins?
These tender mistakes can harm your tender submission, so read on to learn how to avoid them.
#1 Lack Of Preparation
Typically, the tendering organisation will have a process to follow to decide who to award the tender. If you leave your response preparation too late or rush through it, you're likely to miss important details or miss critical deadlines.
Start preparing your response as soon as possible.
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#2 Templated Responses
Some companies will respond to multiple tenders using a standard template. While this saves time, it reduces the probability of a successful tender submission.
Make sure that you tailor each tender response to the requirements.
#3 Assumptions
While you may know your company's abilities inside out, that doesn't mean that the tendering company does. If you assume that they know what you're capable of, then you run the risk of them assuming wrong.
Don't be afraid to spell out your capability.
#4 Filler Content
Some organisations seem to think that the more they put into tenders, the more likely they are to win it. Unfortunately, this can often end with them rambling on and burying important details in superfluous filler content.
Be as succinct as possible without losing the meaning behind your response.
#5 Ignore Details
Think of how frustrating it is to chase up something because someone has ignored key details or information. You don't want to do this to the tendering organisation as they'll likely move your tender response into the "too hard" basket.
Make sure that you provide all the information or answer all the questions that the tendering company has asked for.
#6 Overcomplication
Some companies will try to sound smart by preparing overcomplicated tender responses. The problem with this is that it often makes the response hard to read and understand.
Try and make your tender response as easy to understand as possible but as complicated as necessary. After all, it can be hard to respond to a tender without some technical information included.
#7 One Take Wonder
Some people will write and submit a tender in one take. This means that they will send the bid without proofreading it. Important details or errors could be missed, leading to an unprofessional portrayal of your business.
Ideally, get someone else to proofread your tender and check it for accuracy against the requirements.
Next time you're preparing a tender response, have this blog open to make sure that you don't make any of the 7 deadly tender sins. Your responses will improve, and before you know it, you'll be winning more tenders in no time.
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