Tender Series: Gaining a Competitive Edge
What does it take to gain a competitive edge in your tender submissions? Well, you need to go further than just responding to the criteria and application questions. To be truly competitive (and ultimately successful), you need to make your business stand out from the competition. One way you can do this is by leveraging your contract management capability. This is a valuable asset that shouldn’t be overlooked because it can give you a real competitive advantage.
Read and Understand the Contract
First, you’ll need a clear understanding of the contract requirements. The contract will contain the KPIs for the tender and detail your obligations. For example, does the client require ongoing reports and meetings and in what format? Do they require regular data collection or surveys?
Demonstrate Capability
Next, highlight your capabilities and experience and align them to the specific contract requirements (give real examples). Detail the systems and processes you have in place. Honestly, these really don’t need to be complicated – as long as they’re grounded in best practice.
Describe how they allow you to efficiently manage what is required. Give examples of how you’ve used these successfully with other clients. Outline your experience in meeting and reporting on KPIs. What processes do you have in place to deal with issues before they become major problems? Demonstrate how your processes and systems allow you to report on performance, and identify and mitigate risks.
Essentially, you want to instill confidence in the client that your contract management capabilities are efficient and proven. Again, by assuring the client of your contract management capability, you’re alleviating any concerns around missed deadlines, compliance failures and inefficiencies.
Describe How You Manage the Client Relationship
Equally important is showcasing your ability to communicate consistently and professionally with your client. For example, specify in your submission how you keep things on track through regular review meetings. Show that you’re able to report on contract performance and identify and resolve issues early. Ultimately, you want your submission to communicate how you make it easier for your clients to work with you. You need to demonstrate that you’re capable of delivering on your promise. This can can strengthen your submission and may just give you the competitive edge you need.
How We Can Help
As regional development specialists, business success matters to us – particularly if you are based in or servicing the regions. Are you interested in chatting about how we can help you with your tender submissions? We’d love to hear from you. Learn more about how our services can strongly position you for a win.
