I've written hundreds of tenders and supporting documents in my entire writing career, and I've seen people making the same mistakes over and over again. I don't really blame them, to be honest. Tender writing takes a lot of work. It requires a lot of time, effort, and, more importantly, keen attention to detail. But you can avoid those mistakes if you know what they are.
So, here's a compilation of the top tendering mistakes and how to avoid them.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Not answering the questions
Trust me when I say that too many people fail to answer the questions on the response forms — then they wonder why they didn’t win the contract. Those questions are designed so the tender evaluation panel can easily compare the answers.
Imagine how frustrating it must be to sift through the documents trying to find the answers only to find nothing. To avoid this tendering mistake, make sure that you answer all the questions clearly, and in the order that they were asked. Unanswered questions are a certain way to land a low score.
Not understanding the tender issuer’s business
When submitting a tender, you want to stand out from the rest. To achieve that, you must understand the tender issuer’s requirements. Too many people use generic submissions or just copy-paste from previous submissions. Ensure you thoroughly read all of the tender documentation, including any specifications or scope of works, so you can customise your tender submission and reinforce how you meet all of the requirements.
Not specifying the benefits for the tender issuer
Here’s another common mistake I always see — not stating why the tender issuer should choose you. You may be the best at what you do. But failing to specify what’s in it for the tender issuer on your submission is a path to failure because all they are interested in is why they should choose you. So, tell them what you can do for them and how they can benefit from it.
Wrong organisation name
Surprised? But yes, this is one of the mistakes in tendering that deserves a spot on this list because it happens all the time. Let’s be honest here — everyone copies and pastes some parts of the tender from the previous submissions. But be cautious when doing so. The last thing you want to do is submit it with the wrong tender issuer’s name on it. So, make sure that you change it whenever you copy from a previous submission and then do a document-wide search to double-check before you submit..
Heaps of waffle
As I mentioned earlier, your bid submission is just one of many your prospect will read. Unfortunately, I see too many people adding heaps of waffles and unnecessary information on their documents, ultimately missing the whole point. Your tender will stand out if you immediately get to the point and use the right words. NEVER ever throw irrelevant or un-asked information into your submission because you think it will help. It won’t. And ALWAYS reference any supporting information in the main submission.
Unclear writing
Remember, a tender is a formal document, meaning your writing must be clear. It may not be your best skill, but a few simple steps can help you avoid committing this tendering mistake. Make sure you read through the submission when you have the time to review it thoroughly -(if you rush it, trust me, you will miss something). And if you can, get someone else to proofread it for you so they can let you know if anything is unclear or just doesn’t make sense.
You wouldn’t believe how many tenders go to the rubbish bins daily, all because they haven’t been reviewed so they could correct those silly mistakes. Those are wrong spelling and grammatical errors that you can avoid if you double-check your tender submission before submitting it. Here are some simple proofreading techniques you can do to prevent this mistake.
Poor document layout
For tenders, looks matter. However, many people fail to present their submissions so that they are appealing to the reader. Poor layout and formatting can kill your chances of winning at first glance. Use headings and subheadings, break your paragraphs, and include photos. The bottom line is to design your tender so your prospect will be engaged right from the get-go.
Inaccurate or incomplete costing
One of the most vital pieces of information your prospect will look for in your bid submission is how much it will cost them if they accept your bid. Sadly, I've seen many tenders that don't have accurate costing or have left parts of the pricing schedule blank, which gives the reader the impression that you're not serious about your bid. So, accuracy is key here.
Not signing it
Believe it or not, too many people forget to sign their tenders and just submit them without a signature. That’s one of the most common and the biggest mistakes bidders often commit. There’s no excuse for not scanning your signature and then copying it into the tender submission wherever a signature is required. And if the submission requires a Statutory Declaration, make sure you execute it in front of a JP (or similar), then scan the entire document and include it with your submission.
Need help?
As you can see, it’s not really that hard to avoid these tendering mistakes as long as you know what they are. But I understand that writing tenders is not for everyone. So, if you need help, TenderWise has helped heaps of our clients win lucrative contracts. Just give Pauline a call for a chat at 0400 514579, email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au or contact us here.