The Importance of Bid Management Services for SME's

What is Bid Management?

Businesses can often significantly increase their revenue (and profits) by bidding for contracts in the public or private sector. The bidding process can often be relatively complex, time-consuming, and in some cases, require specific skill sets. The management of this process, known as 'bid management', entails, essentially, the overseeing of the entire tender process.

Now some organisations, particularly larger companies, have designated personnel whose sole responsibility is bid management. In addition to this, they will likely have in-house bid directors, bid writers, bid co-ordinators, and designers. However, many small and medium sized companies simply can't facilitate this; and therefore the title 'bid manager' becomes an extension of an existing role. Unfortunately for SME's however, having a designated person to monitor and manage bids is crucial for bid success, and diluting an existing role will likely lead to frequent and recurring failures in the bidding process.

We're here today to explain to you what bid management is, why it's important, the key skills that make for a good bid manager, and why you may want to consider hiring bespoke bid management support (which, incidentally, we offer...).

What are the duties of a bid manager?

The primary role of a bid manager is to supervise the whole bidding process; beginning with the selection of appropriate tenders to bid for, right through to supervising the entire team who are drafting the actual bid itself.

It is vital that a bid manager possesses a comprehensive understanding of the commercial and operational components of a company. This provides them with the information they need to compose certain sections of the bid and to opt for the most appropriate contributors who can supplement the bid with their own expertise and precise data.

Additionally, bid managers should be very aware of the desired outcomes of the tendering organisation so that they can compose an offer that will demonstrate why their company should win the bid.

Key Bid Manager Skills

#1 Organisation

It is essential for successful bid management to have a bid manager who can coordinate the relevant people involved and guarantee that all tasks are completed according to schedule.

As a bid manager, one is likely to have multiple projects at once, which must be monitored carefully to check progress and ensure quality.

#2 Efficient Exchange of Ideas

As a bid manager, your role is to explain to the purchaser why your company are the ideal option for fulfilling their requirements. You'll need to take technical terminology and convert it into terms that the general layman can understand. Additionally, you need to stay in close contact with your team to make sure everything is progressing smoothly. Being good at communicating is incredibly important (not just verbally, but perhaps more importantly, also in the written form).

#3 Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal abilities are key when you're in contact with many people. As a manager, you must not be afraid to request contributions from even the highest-ranking members of management, who may already have a full schedule. Ultimately, your job is to direct a team and ensure that everyone is aiming for the same target.

#4 Attention to Detail

Carefully vetting bids prior to submitting them can be a make or break process! In some cases, teams may have a dedicated proof-reader, but the majority of the time, the responsibility of the final review falls upon the bid manager. In many instances, formal consent from either the Managing Director or the Board is needed before the bid can be submitted.

Taking the time to address any spelling mistakes or editing notes that were overlooked will help to ensure that the bid appears as polished as possible.

Top Tips for Effectively Managing & Running Bids

Formulate a Writing Plan & Come Up With a 'Style Guide'

It is essential that all team members involved in the writing of the bid be provided with key details such as: the writing style, tone of voice, font and text size. This is to ensure a uniform and neat look to the application. Nothing is more annoying for the 'buyer' than huge documents that are all over the place!

For those that are not directly part of the bid writing team, they may deliver their contribution in a Word document that doesn't adhere to the style that has been set. In such a case, it is critical to make sure that when it is added to the bid, it follows the style that has been previously specified.

Organise, Organise, Organise and Delegate (Effectively)

It can beneficial to think about the overall project, then break up the bid into smaller components. By doing this you can gain clarity on what needs to be done, and by when, and then assign deadlines to individuals involved in the project (whether in-house, or external). T

his way, the bid can be wrapped up in a timely manner and allow for any final reviews from stakeholders or those in 'higher' positions.

Brainstorm Creative Ideas for the Design

Making your bid more attractive is VERY beneficial. Utilising flow charts, organisational structures and diagrams can help to present complicated data in an easier to comprehend manner, making it so much easier for the buyer to visualise the content.

It's also much more interesting than huge blocks of text!

Keep Lines of Communication Open

It's important you keep lines of communication open with all stakeholders and contributors involved in putting together your bid. Often, frustration occurs due to untimely responses. By keeping in touch frequently, and developing rapport with your support network, you'll find it's much easier to get the information you need, when you want it.

Why You Should Outsource your Bid Management

Businesses that do not have a dedicated bid manager can find the process of bid management quite challenging. As previous small business owners ourselves, we appreciate that as the leader of a small company, you tend to wear many hats (marketer, bookkeeper, salesman, marketer, cleaner etc). It's tough! And the art of business, especially for smaller organisations, is about making the best use of your resources (and that most likely means not managing the bid writing process yourself).

That's where we come in!

To strengthen your chances of success in your next bid, let our experts at Bid Writing Network take on the role of Bid Managers. We provide an extensive start-to-finish service in which we gather all the necessary information from you, then we take it from there. This allows you to focus your energy and attention on the areas of the business you do best (most likely not writing boring bids!)

If you're interested in a no-obligation chat with our Director, Michael, contact us here!