Writing a bid for a business tender can be a tricky matter in that contractors have had the advantage of a broader and lower income base of companies bidding. This therefore makes the competition hot so having a winning formula for you bid writing cannot set you wrong.

In the article below James England discusses the most effective themes for your business proposals and what could make it set you apart from the rest. Use the navigation link to view articles on online tenders on CBN's website as well as business related articles.   


Develop Effective Win Themes for Your Business Proposals
Author: James England

Win themes are too often neglected in many proposals. Frequently, both new and established companies forget that any proposal should instil confidence in the potential buyer, highlight your competitive advantage and show exactly why you are best suited for the job. Written proposals with an effective win theme almost always ensure you, the provider, a winning contract.

What is a win theme? A win theme can be defined as a concept presented in your proposal that is designed to persuade the buyer of your unique suitability to deliver the project. Find a single aspect that marks you as uniquely suited for a given project and present this to the buyer.

Creating compelling reasons to buy is why you land contracts. This is even more important if you are conducting business primarily over the Internet. Face to face interactions naturally work much better when it comes to creating lasting relationships. Online, you need to work harder to make yourself stand out. Distinguish yourself from competitors in every way possible.

Merely listing your qualifications won’t get you far. It won’t hurt, but you will need to do much more than this to consistently win jobs. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that your experience alone will speak for what you can do - when a proposal is tailored specifically to a contract and shows exactly how and why you will meet the customer’s needs, you will be much more likely to gain his business.

Defining win strategies and how they relate to you is not an easy task. They frequently vary considerably from proposal to proposal. Pick the competitive advantages you have that are important to the client. Emphasize your value. Competitive advantages are those experiences you offer that are obviously superior to what your competitor offers. Are you more experienced? More creative? More in touch with the direct issues a project applies to? Find whatever aspect distinguishes you from the herd and focus on how this feature can improve the end product for the client.

Use a tool such as the Learn to Write Proposals (www.learntowriteproposals.co.uk) Bid Capture Plan to help you define you proposal win themes and strategy

Focus on developing distinct win themes that will ensure that, at the very least, you are always strongly considered for any given contract. Businesses hire the company or individual they feel will deliver the best results. Granted, price is often a strong concern, but more important is the ability to instil confidence in those who consider hiring you. Play to your strengths and emphasize your distinct value to the client. No one can advise you exactly on how to do this, but knowing your strengths allows you to easily understand how you can fulfil a contract.

You must always emphasize your value to the client. Hundreds of businesses are vying for the same opportunities. Guarantee your success by offering something specific. The Bid Capture Plan helps you define the factors that help present to the client the perception that you are unique amongst potential suppliers in being able to win this contract.