We live in very difficult times with fierce competition for every piece of work leading to ever cheaper prices. We all have to live with a combination of the following:
Crazy pricing
Burdensome prequalification and tender processes
Ever more onerous marking with no leeway
Bigger companies feeding at lower levels
Longer tender lists
Long established relationships counting for little
For how long can this continue? Is this what it is going to be like for the foreseeable future? The last recession took 5 years to shake off and get back to a more even market, but the unfortunate truth was that prices were lower, margins still squeezed and productivity down due to the loss of key people.
What can be done now to improve your situation?
Brian Jukes from Business Fix is currently working with a number of clients to do exactly this. His top five tips for improving your winning ratio are:
1. Use your resources wisely, don’t just fill in every prequal you can get your hands on. Be selective and put the effort into the one’s you can win.
2. Make sure the people completing the documents fully understand how to answer the questions and are able to interpret exactly what the client is looking for.
3. Brainstorm with a diverse team for the most important bids.
4. Get feedback on every submission and act on it
5. Develop a clear business strategy and communicate it to all staff. Revise every 2 or 3 months as the market changes and develops
Remember this is not a lottery where more chances increase the opportunity to win. This is competitive race that will be won by the smallest of margins. It is also worth remembering that each PPQ and each tender costs you money to submit. The best prepared have the best chance and waste the least amount of money
Friday, 7 August 2009
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