In an ideal world, we would be offered the training needed for most jobs we are asked to do, and working on bids should be no different. However, this is very often not the case. Perhaps because it is assumed that the primary skill needed is writing, and that we’re all taught that at school,…
The lack of clearly defined leadership of a bid is one of the major reasons bids are lost. Lack of leadership leads to lack of direction, and lack of support for people working on bids (some of whom are doing it in addition to their day jobs). Best-in-class bidding organisations attribute much of their success…
Whether it be to customers or partners (people who sell on your behalf), the communication of your business value is critical. But before you can communicate it, you must understand it, a process that never stops, as it is forever changing. In many cases, the brand says it all; for example, Apple, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce at…
Best-in-class bid capability cannot be achieved without excellent processes. Sadly, I see numerous organisations who lack any process whatsoever, or have the process neatly hidden away in long-forgotten book shelves or servers. I have also seen many organisations who mistake process (intended to bring structure) with internal governance, which often results in corporate ‘treacle’ that focus…
It is obviously critical to understand both these things. The HMV story has been told many times before, but they clearly failed to recognise the opportunity (and threat) that online sales and downloads represented, or perhaps they recognised that new market entrants like Amazon and Apple were the barriers and knew that the fight was…
Organisations who succeed in growing are the ones with a solid strategy and budget for growth. Most importantly, this must be a strategy that everyone agrees with and actively supports, not one dreamt up by half-a-dozen ‘clever’ people in a board room one rainy afternoon just before year end. So, where do you start when…
The value an organisation places on bidding is the primary indicator as to their current capability. Sadly, I see bidding, and the people who work on bids as their primary function being criminally undervalued and unappreciated. A thankless task you might say! Best-in-class bidding organisations value bidding as business-critical within the overall business strategy, giving…