Here are nine things you need to avoid if you want to write a successful tender.
1. Only submit a table of costs
You think that your client is only interested in what you will cost. So a simple table should do the trick. The ‘tender’ you then send is no more than an Excel spreadsheet with a calculation of all the materials and man-hours involved. Not very handy. Your client wants to see more than just a calculation. Expand on your standard tender template. Make sure your client understands why you made a certain calculation and have arrived at this amount. Summarise what the client is asking from you, specify what the work entails and only then present the costs involved.
2. Not knowing your target group
You write the wrong person's name above your tender. Ouch! The wrong company name. Even more painful! Your regular clients probably have a very positive picture of your company. And you want to keep it like that, right? So determine the type of client you are quoting to. Is it a private individual or a company? Once you have worked for certain general contractors more often, they will know what you can do and that you are reliable. In which case, an enthusiastic introduction, a brief paragraph about the project and the work and costs involved would suffice. Private individuals, however, will not be won over by just a standard quote. They want to see that you understand their wishes.
3. Uncertainty about costs for additional work
Keeping to agreements, unexpected high costs due to additional work and poor communication are all issues of concern that can be removed by including them in your tender. Point out that you will always consult with the client before carrying out additional work. Demonstrate that you always keep your agreements. Do not miss the opportunity to differentiate yourself from others in a positive way and to put any concerns of your client to rest.
4. Plough through hundreds of documents before writing a tender
The general contractor sends you dozens of files and hundreds of documents through WeTransfer or perhaps even a USB drive. Not very helpful. With 12Build, you will receive all the documents relating to the invitation to tender in a clear and structured overview. You will only see those documents that apply to you, because the general contractor has already made a preselection of the files.
5. Write a whole book about how good you are
Many companies reason from the inside out. They enjoy talking about what they do well. Almost every tender provides an exhaustive presentation of the company. These are things that are superfluous. If you have received an invitation to tender, the general contractor has already chosen you to submit a tender. Of course, you need to promote your company, but do so in light of the invitation to tender in question. Study the client's case carefully, demonstrate that you have mastered the required services and restrict the eulogy of your company to the actual matters at hand.
6. Wait two weeks before writing the tender
How long does the process take from the invitation to tender to submitting a quote? Too long. When you have a company profile with 12Build, the general contractors send you an invitation to tender and you respond immediately by informing them whether you intend to submit a quote or not. general contractors will then know what to expect immediately, saving them additional work. Prompt responses will result in more confidence in you as a subcontractor. The average response time of subcontractors who receive invitations to tender through 12Build is 10.9 days.
7. Use indirect and passive forms of speech
Using unnecessarily long and complicated sentences makes your text appear formal and official. For a general contractor this is falling on deaf ears. Clear language means clear information. Engage with your clients directly and informally. Some organisations even forbid a too formal approach to contact with clients. Doing this runs the risk of sounding pompous and outdated.
The client needs to understand your tender. It might be common to use specific terminology among colleagues, but try to avoid it in tenders. If you really need to use specific terminology, provide an explanation. This includes IT terminology and country-specific words.
Give your text a final look-over before submitting the tender. Check it for spelling mistakes and obvious grammatical errors. Make sure you remove them. If your tender looks untidy, a client might have reservations about your ability to deliver satisfactory work.
8. Forget your general terms and conditions
This is advisable if you… Well, when is this ever advisable? Do not forget to add your general terms and conditions in a link beneath your tender! general contractors will then know exactly what to expect from you. And in the event of miscommunication, or something is asked of you which you disagree with, you can always refer to the general terms and conditions which the client has agreed to.
On the subject of conditions: do not write too many conditions in the tender itself. If there are actually conditions attached to your tender, collect them in a single overview. That is much clearer than adding them willy-nilly throughout your tender. Clients will then have a clear picture of how it stands and will not be confronted with any negative surprises.
9. Present a muddle of information
Make sure the structure of the tender complies with the accepted norm. Do not start off by stating the conditions. Try to adhere to the following structure:
- Begin with an attention-catching introduction.
- Describe what your company will do for the client.
- Summarise what the client is asking from you.
- Indicate tangible benefits to the general contractor in choosing you.
- State all of the costs. Do not omit any information.
- Include a link to the general terms and condition.
- Finish with an appropriate conclusion, but avoid clichés.
