Excuse me… If I could just interrupt your new year’s resolutions for a second. Dumbbells down, pens off paper, e-cigs in pockets… this is important. Thank you.
Its January 2016, an opportunity for a fresh start, new challenges, and with that successes. Hopefully by now you’ve caught up from the Christmas break.
While you’re busy feeling the effects of that 6th mince pie, and planning the new and improved you, I thought it necessary to remind you not to forget about changing the way you tackle your bids.
As an organisation, we have found the most common reason for a poorly written bid is lack of preparation. Organisations often come to us last minute, having let the deadline creep up on them and in a bit of a panic. This panic is often evident in the work produced thus far. It can be mismatched dialogue, unclear goals or simple things like poor grammar or too much repetition. When you’re stressed in work there is less time for you, and your diet/gym program/travel plans will soon take back seat.
Here are some of the best way to prepare properly for a bid, and ensure that 2016 is your healthiest yet!
1. First things first, if you want a winning bid, start planning EARLY. Waiting until the ITT is released means you have lost valuable time, which will result in late nights and weekend working.
2. Get your strategies together upfront. Start analysing before the tender is out. We know this stage as a blue team, and is an ideal way to start assessing your strategies, win themes and competitive analysis.
3. Get your deadlines in the diary…and stick to them. Breaking up the project into chunks and putting those in set timeframes avoids a last minute rush. Also you won’t be too phased by sudden date/deadline changes if you’ve already started the work.
4. Remember Bid Projects Involve People – And these people will be busy too. Get your team together and delegate, arrange meeting dates, and set deadlines with them.
5. Get your tools together – Often in large bid projects we suggest having a ‘bidhub.’ One room reserved for planning, meetings and is a centre for the whole project. You also won’t believe how much investing in a big pack of coloured pens will help.
At HealthBid we have a team of strategic experts that can do all of the above for you. From creating win themes, to helping engage and motivate your team for success. It’s never too soon to call and discuss. Contact Joe Gatenby our business development manager on 07341 338 200.