Don’t Get On the Disqualified List

In the previous article, Be Prepared to Win the Bid, we talked about some of the hiccups that business owners run across when submitting a bid. A lot of companies spend time on making their bid proposal look good visually but don’t fully understand that following the instructions as outlined in the bid proposal is key. We will talk more about this specific topic a little later.

It must be understood that talent is not enough. You must convince the buying agency that you are capable, competent and worthy of winning the bid. It is your job to convince the buying agency that you are the best of the best.

How you do this is by how you present yourself on paper during the bidding process. In your bid, you are letting the buying agency know who you are, what you can do, how you will do it, in what fashion it will get done, and then why should they choose you over anyone else. It is your goal to make your bid speak volumes to the buying agency in order to win the bid.

In the previous article, you were provided with a few quick and easy step that you can take to help in winning the bid. Now we will explore some factors that go into disqualifying you as a potential bidder. As it was recently discussed a lot of companies spend time on making their bid proposal look good visually but don’t fully understand that following the instructions as outlined in the bid proposal is key.

Let’s explore why this is important using the scenario below:

Bid requests

• Submit all numerical data in an excel spreadsheet;
• Bids must be sent to 12345 Samuel Circle, 3^rd Floor, Essex Room, Duluth, GA 30097 on Friday, April 10 by 10 am;
• Proposal must be tabbed as specified under Clause F – Markings and Packaging; and
• All written content must be in Arial 12pt Font double-spaced.

You submit

• All numerical data submitted in an excel spreadsheet;
• Your bid arrives at 12345 Samuel Circle, 3^rd Floor, Essex Room, Duluth, GA 30097 on Friday, April 10 by 10:10 am;
• Proposal tabbed partially as required under Clause F – Markings and Packaging; and
• The written content was submitted in Times New Roman 12pt Font 1.5 spacing.

You provided your variations to the proposal because you believed that it would look visually better this way and incorporated a little creativity. It is these simple variations that can cause your bid to be considered unfavorable and you become a disqualified offeror.  Also, you bid did not arrive on time, it is your job to do what it takes to assure that it’s delivered as requested.

If you do not follow these simple directions you are wasting your time submitting a bid. Some companies spend a lot of time and effort on their marketing piece, which does help, but initially, it is the content that catches the eyes of the receiver. By paying close attention to what the bid requests are I guarantee that you will be on your way to winning the bids within the near future.

Connect with us at Jabez Enterprise Group (JEGroup), @JEGroupBiz, LinkedIn, and Facebook to see what we are doing next, or to become a part of The What’s Next Effect (The WNE). Or to become a part of the diversity and inclusion conversation pick up your copy of Get the Cheese, Avoid the Traps: An Interactive Guide to Government Contracting.

Vernita Naylor
Published Author, Speaker, Founder/Owner Jabez Enterprise Group (JEGroup)

“Always do your best and be transparent in how you conduct business.” Vernita Naylor

 

 

Being the Best in Bidding

Is talent enough to win a bid? No. In order to win a bid, the goal is to convince someone, who may not know you, that you are capable, competent and worthy of winning the bid.

You must make them believe that you are the best of the best. How do you do this? First, let’s walk through the process.

In your industry, you may see that there are certain competitors that are always winning bids, especially those bids that may interest you. What do you know about your competitors? Have you researched them?

Understand that it is not always about talent, it is also about relationships. Just like in anything else, relationships play a key role in winning as well. In the cases where there is a bidding process have you been able to figure out how your competitors are winning the bidding war?

In most cases, it is how they present themselves on paper during the bidding process. It is the written content that is a pertinent part of winning the bid, their expression of showing themselves the best of the best. The content that you provide says who you are, what you can do, how you will do it, in what fashion it will get done, and why should they choose you over anyone else.

How your information is written is what speaks volumes for your company in helping to win a bid. There a few easy steps that you can take to help you to win the bid, let’s explore some of them:

1. Carefully review the full proposal;
2. Read, understand and follow the instructions as outlined;
3. Adhere to the specifications as provided; and
4. Make the content flow, easy to understand and read.

Yes, it is just that simple but believe it or not a lot of potential vendors miss the mark frequently.  How they miss it is by not following the steps previously mentioned. In the next article, Don’t Get On the Disqualified Proposal List, we will explore some of the ways that cause a potential bidder to become disqualified.

Connect with us at Jabez Enterprise Group (JEGroup), @JEGroupBiz, LinkedIn, and Facebook to see what we are doing next, or to become a part of The What’s Next Effect (The WNE). Or to become a part of the diversity and inclusion conversation pick up your copy of Get the Cheese, Avoid the Traps: An Interactive Guide to Government Contracting.

Vernita Naylor
Published Author, Speaker, Founder/Owner Jabez Enterprise Group (JEGroup)

“Always do your best and be transparent in how you conduct business.” Vernita Naylor