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Business - 4 min read
Head of Sales and Marketing
Nov 8, 2016 3:54:56 PM
The tender is your chance to show why your business can do the job better than your competitors. Many tenders suffer the same, easily-avoided mistakes and have lost out because of them.
Below we outline 7 common mistakes hurting your project tenders and how to avoid them.
One of the main differentiators between you and the other tenders is how much the job will cost. Including a bad estimate will give the reader the impression that you’re not up to the task, so ensure everything is accurate and include as much information as you can. Do your homework ahead of time and find out what the job will really cost. Use a pricing template to display all of your expected costs, detailing how you get to your final quote. It will help you plan for any contingencies and show the reader you’re prepared and professional.
Writing may not be your biggest strength, but you can make your tenders easy to read with just a few simple tips. The best way to do this is to use an active voice. For example, “We are submitting this tender,” as opposed to “This tender is being submitted by.” It seems like a small change, but it makes a difference to the reader. This is because it gives you authority over the subject of the sentence, making you sound direct, succinct and in complete control.
Try to keep your tender short and to the point. The reader will most likely have a whole pile of tenders on their desk, so the ones that get to the point quickly will make a good impression.
Tender questions are designed so that the answers can be easily compared by the reader. Failing to directly answer the question will frustrate the reader, because they will then have to sift through to find your answer in the document. Most often, they don’t have that time or desire to put in the extra effort, and so you’ll miss out. Include subheadings and answer the questions clearly and succinctly. Make it easy for the reader to like you.
It may seem silly, but so many tenders are tossed into the recycling bin as a result of easily-fixed spelling and grammatical errors. Print out your document and read it slowly, making changes and fixing errors as you go. Then read it aloud. It’s amazing how often we can pick up mistakes and find simple solutions by doing this. If you’re still unsure, get someone else to read it through. And make sure you spell the name of the company and the contact person correctly.
Different types of tenders require specific documents, but all have to be up to date and certified. You need the right forms to proceed, otherwise your tender could be disqualified and all your effort will be in vain. Double-check that everything required is attached and ask a manager if you’re unsure.
One of the most common tender mistakes is forgetting to sign it. Sure, there are a lot of documents that need signing in your tender, and it can be easy to miss a few by accident. So pick up your pen and check and re-check everything.
Tenders can be difficult to prepare, but watching out for these common mistakes will give you a major advantage. So do your homework, keep it short and check everything twice and then twice again. Tender checklists can be a great tool for ensuring your submission doesn't miss important information.
Get your tender checklist when you enrol in our Building a Better Trade Business eCourse:
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