Writing Business Bids and Proposals For Dummies


Book Description

Acquire the necessary skills to win business through proposals, bids, tenders, and presentations—this hands-on guide is your partner for success You have in your hands the collected knowledge and skills of the professional proposal writer. Proposal writing is a profession — a growing and increasingly important one and an essential part of a broader group of business development professionals who plan and execute strategies for businesses who want to obtain new customers. Proposal writers have a professional organization — the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) — and their best practices are the foundation for this book. Proposal writing is a skill you can learn, practice, and master; you can even go through a professional certification process to prove your mastery. Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies is your no-nonsense guide to finding out what professional proposal writers know and for applying it to your own business. If you're a small- to medium-size business owner, a first-time proposal writer in a medium-size company, or a sales representative, you know that a written proposal (printed or electronic) is still a common, personal, and effective way to win business. Written in plain English, Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies will help you to: Know the difference between reactive proposals (the RFP or request for proposal) and proactive proposals Focus on the customer by going beyond their requirements to address their true needs Know your competition through research and analysis Write persuasively to develop a winning business proposal Plan and use a repeatable proposal process Incorporate a lessons learned aspect to your proposal process Use tools and templates to accelerate your proposals Motivate and lead your proposal team to ensure they're on the same page Use graphics to enhance your proposals Learn ways to automate your proposal development process And a whole lot more Additionally, you'll gain access to ten templates for building a proposal, find out ten common misconceptions about bids and proposals, and add a compiled list of online resources to your toolset. Grab a copy of Writing Business Bids & Proposals For Dummies to start sharpening your proposal writing skillset.




How to Write Bids that Win Business


Book Description

How To Write Bids That Win Business brings together over 30 years of know-how in creating and crafting successful bids for tendered contracts. This book is an invaluable guide for bid managers and bid writing teams. It shows you how to: - create a bid writing strategy that plays to your organisation's strengths - increase your success rate by focusing on bids you are more likely to win - avoid at the outset bidding for contracts you don't want to win - embed robust bid writing management systems that deliver results time after time - ensure you follow the three golden rules for bid writing success Based on extensive research, How To Write Bids That Win Business explains what bid evaluators are really looking for, by deconstructing the questions asked and explaining how to answer them to achieve top scores. Parts I to III guide you through the complete bid creation process, providing the tips, techniques and tactics for maximising your effectiveness at the shortlister interview. In Part IV the book examines the forces shaping the future of bid writing, and outlines the three key factors for success in the years to come. Co-authors Martyn Curley and Stephen Oldbury, co-founders of Bidwriting.com, have advised many UK business-to-business organisations across 35 commercial sectors. David Molian was for many years Director of Cranfield School of Management’s renowned Business Growth Programme and has consulted for numerous companies on developing their brands and growing their businesses. He is a Criticaleye Thought Leader and remains a visiting Fellow at Cranfield. If you are looking to take your organisation’s bidding performance to the next level, improving profitability and morale throughout the business, How To Write Bids That Win Business is the book you need.




Persuasive Business Proposals


Book Description

Use the latest technology and techniques to craft winning proposals.




Writing Winning Business Proposals, Third Edition


Book Description

Winning proposals that turn prospects into clients Based on the proposal-writing system used at A.T. Kearney and KPMG Peat Marwick, Writing Winning Business Proposals features proven strategies, along with worksheets and other tools that clearly show clients what they want and will easily seal the deal. Thoroughly updated, the third edition offers general guidelines that apply to all business proposals making this the must-have proposal-writing book to have on hand. Writing Winning Business Proposals features: Winning formula from top consultants proven to work for any proposal Complete step-by-step process, walking you through all the difficulties Up-to-date, user-friendly redesign with new worksheets and charts Updates on fees and collaboration If you're seeking approval for projects, or want a client to buy, invest or do something, Writing Winning Business Proposals is the reference you need to get you to get them to do what you want.




Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals


Book Description

Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals shows suppliers and vendors how they can gain competitive advantage by being more effective and productive when pursuing sales opportunities and competing to win new contracts. Suppliers and vendors can also learn how to identify and reduce delivery risk and commercial risk. Responding to requests-for-tenders (RFTs) and requests-for-proposals (RFPs) is frequently a challenging time for the supplier and vendor bid teams. Within tight timeframes, they must finalise their win strategy, determine their delivery plans and create compelling documentation that responds to the customer's questions and requirements. This essential reference work explores what needs to happen when responding to RFTs and RFPs and explains the essential knowledge needed by the bid teams. In clearly written and well-structured chapters, Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals addresses everything a bid manager or bid team member needs to know. Understanding profit, pricing, value and risk are essential for competitive pricing and profitable business. How customers manage their procurement programmes drives the lifecycle of a sales opportunity. Sales governance based on objective criteria identifies the right opportunities to pursue. Knowing what to look for in RFPs and RFTs helps to structure powerful bid responses. Understanding contracts, finance and business cases protects the commercial position of the supplier or vendor. Mastering these topics makes bid management a complete discipline that places a premium on leadership and managerial skills. Not only are the fundamentals of bid management captured simply and concisely, Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals also explains how to plan and manage a bid response. Additional chapters define what makes a bid response compelling, as well as how to write and review bid documents to best position your bid, tender or proposal. Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals introduces the Bid.Win.Deliver Framework, a new and unique approach for responding to sales opportunities. In 16 procedural steps, the Bid.Win.Deliver Framework guides bid teams through the development process from identifying a sales opportunity to developing a compelling and competitive bid response. Any supplier or vendor in any industry that submits bids, proposals and tenders will benefit from adopting the Bid.Win.Deliver Framework. The framework provides a clear roadmap for implementing best-practice bid management at suppliers and vendors in any industry or market. The Bid.Win.Deliver Framework equips any professional with the skills to lead and manage a bid response. For experienced bid managers, the Bid.Win.Deliver Framework provides a common reference for discussion, reflection and professional development.




Creating Winning Bids


Book Description

'Creating Winning Bids' sets out the key stages in the production of a winning bid. Based on tried and tested methods, and using a simple step-by-step process, it will improve your chances of success in what can otherwise seem a daunting and complex process. Distilling the author’s experience of over 25 years of bidding in the public and private sectors, it is packed with practical tips about what your client really wants to see. Beginning with a concise look at how to find new opportunities for work, it examines the various types of bid that can be made and includes invaluable explanations of the jargon used in the bidding process – from OJEU to PQQs. Illustrated throughout with useful diagrams and checklists, and covering a range of procurement routes, this guide will help anyone from the sole practitioner to the large firm with a dedicated bidding team to create practical and perfectly-tailored winning bids.




Win More Business - Write Better Proposals


Book Description

"Suppliers, consultants, contractors, service providers"--Cover.




Winning the Contractor Fight


Book Description

"The Contractor Fight" is what HGTV host and best-selling author Tom Reber calls the battle between your ears. We all have stories and experiences that have formed us into who we are. We are what we think, and the battleground is our mind. The Fight is not with the people you think are "cheap customers." It's not with the unlicensed competitors or the "illegals," as many contractors think. The Fight is with yourself. Sadly, most of the struggles contractors have are self-imposed. It's friendly fire. The negative ways we think about ourselves and our worth... friendly fire. The growing debt, working too much, small bank account... friendly fire. Winning the Fight is a choice. You're noble and full of integrity. You bend over backward to serve your family and clients. You have taken it on the chin more times than you can count. Now, it's time to get yours. Earn what you're worth. Create a business that serves you and energizes you, instead of one that beats you down. Choose to own your crap and get better today.




Bids, Tenders & Proposals


Book Description

* Huge scope - covers all aspects of tender writing for public sector, private sector and research funding * Expert guidance from a specialist who has written over 200 successful tenders and proposals * Highly practical approach - based on examples drawn from actual bids and tenders With more and more corporations opting for "preferred supplier" lists, bids and tenders have become a fact of business life. For the small or medium sized corporation without a specialist bids-and-tenders team, the research unit, or the university team, bid preparation can take great amounts of senior management time. Here's where this book comes in: practical and written in an accessible style, it uses examples and checklists to explain how to create bids that are outstanding in both technical quality and value for money, bids that stand a good chance of being successful. Lewis provides "best-practice" advice on every step in the process, including: Bidding for public sector contracts; tendering for the private sector and for research projects; analyzing client requirements; managing, resourcing and researching the bid; developing and writing the bid; defining outputs and deliverables; communicating added value; describing professional experience; producing and submitting tenders; stating the price; understanding tender evaluation; and making presentations.




Winner Takes All


Book Description

These days, most companies find themselves having to tender or bid for new contracts and clients. It's now part of the business landscape -- companies simply have to be good at tendering and pitching if they are going to have any chance of getting new business and clients. This book, written by one of the leading consultants and trainers in competitive business tendering, provides the key principles for winning bids, tenders and proposals. Savvy and practical, the principles are based on the author's extensive consulting experience with large and small companies, helping them to win big-ticket, "must-win" contracts (with a success rate of 86%). These essential principles apply to any company, in all sectors, which are seeking to improve their new business win rate.