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Bid writing, also known as tender writing, is the process of creating effective and high-quality content on behalf of a company in order to win a tender/contract or general business opportunity. Typically, bid writers will complete PQQs, ITTs and other aspects of the tender process for the client.
A bid writer is someone responsible for the success of this process.
Expert bid writers must be able to deliver persuasive, well-communicated content to win a tender. Also, they must have knowledge which is transferable across many different industries/sectors.
Wondering if you have what it takes to be a bid writer? Here are our top 10 skills you will need!
An invaluable skill when wanting to become a bid writer. You must have experience communicating effectively through your writing. It is not simply about writing clearly, or concisely. You must be able to persuade the buyer that your client is the best possible option. You must also be able to write with considerable detail, to demonstrate your client’s skills and evidence of success through case studies. Striking the balance between being concise and detailed is challenging, however, an expert bid writer should be no stranger to this task.
Similarly, being able to communicate verbally is a valuable skill for a bid writer. The assumption that bid writers only need to be able to communicate through the written word is wholly inaccurate. Bid writers will often liaise with clients on the phone, face-to-face and on video meetings. It is, therefore, important that bid writers can update and query their client using their strong verbal skills. This satisfies the client that their bid writer is easily relied upon, accountable and effective in their planning process.
As aforementioned, a bid writer must have strong attention to detail. This involves both the research and writing process as a bid writer must be able to swiftly pluck relevant information for the tender, write with sufficient detail to persuade the buyer of the client’s suitability and eradicate inconsistencies/errors in their written work.
Having excellent time management skills is crucial to the success of a bid writer. Not only must a bid writer be able to plan effectively, but also meet all internal and external deadlines they have been set at every stage. Failure to meet internal deadlines will result in a rushed tender which will likely not contain enough detail to meet the buyer’s criteria. Failure to meet the final deadline will absolutely result in a failed tender.
Note: It is always a good idea to leave yourself several days spare in your planning process for any internal/external factors that may occur and delay your bid. Submission portals are notoriously unreliable, so never submit at the last minute!
The ability to think strategically is a valuable asset to have when becoming a bid writer. Before writing, as part of your planning process, you should already have a bid strategy. This means that when it comes to creating responses to the buyer’s questions, you are prepared to answer in a way that shows your client in the best possible light.
A good knowledge of various IT software is vital for any bid writer. You will be required to communicate across platforms and have access to tenders as and when they become available. Opportunity tracking platforms are necessary to finding a client new bids.
Bid writers must be able to conduct effective research and collate evidence on behalf of their client in order to develop and provide convincing arguments. They will research the client’s sector extensively to be able to tailor their argument to the client’s cause with confidence and accuracy. Conducting research will be included in their planning process before the actual writing begins.
Although bid writers have a great deal of independent responsibility, there is rarely one bid writer working on one tender at a time. A typical bid team will involve:
It is crucial for every bid writer to be able to work collaboratively with other bid writers and those involved at every stage of the tender/bid process. Good teamwork also involves strong planning and time management, to keep all those involved held accountable and knowledgeable of the deadlines met and the ones left to meet.
Being a bid writer can be stressful. The combination of strict deadlines and the potential for juggling multiple bids can be challenging to the most experienced bid writers. This is why it is vital to be able to adapt under pressure and the key to coping is planning! Keeping on top of things but also knowing when to be flexible when a client changes their mind is vital. Plans change!
While you will work as part of a team as a bid writer, you will be expected to be held accountable for your contributions to the team. It is important that you can prepare, plan and write effectively without prompts from others, as others will also be relying upon you!
There are several reasons why the career of a bid writer is advantageous. Here’s our top reasons:
The skills required as a bid writer are skills which are needed/desired in most professions. Strong written and verbal communication skills will always be valued, as will organisational skills. Also, adaptability and coping under pressure are necessary for the ever-changing nature of most businesses in various sectors.
Every bid/tender that a bid writer undertakes will likely be in a different industry than the previous one. Undertaking research on many different sectors is vital to a bid writer’s success. Therefore, work variety is part of the role and can be an exciting prospect if you enjoy researching and writing on a variety of topics.
A bid writer will have great opportunities for career progression within their respective companies. Not only will your skills be transferable, but you can also progress to the role of team leader, senior bid writer or bid manager.
Bid writers are highly intelligent and hard-working individuals, which makes them attractive prospects to many employers. However, many companies simply do not have the means to employ an in-house bid writer and hire the services of a bid writer outside of their normal operations.
So, you know the top bid writing skills needed for success…but what happens if your first bid is unsuccessful?
Don’t fret, always ask for feedback from the buyer. All submitted tenders have flaws, unsuccessful or otherwise. Therefore, it is vital that you find weaknesses in your argument and improve. When approaching the feedback stage, ensure you are armed with questions to present to the buyer to achieve the best, most detailed review.
Some questions may concern the following topics:
Now you know our top bid writing skills, you may require our various tendering services…
Once you’ve found the perfect bid for your business, send it our way. Our Bid Writers can take care of the whole thing for you they’ll even submit it on your behalf. They’ll let you know what they need from you, providing you with a full Tender Writing breakdown.
Our Tender Ready 4-week programme is perfect for businesses that have never tendered before. A Bid Writer will work with you to ensure you have everything in place to tender successfully. Tender Ready offers your business:
If you’ve been tendering but aren’t seeing success from your current efforts, our Tender Improvement package can help. Our Bid Team will assess your previous responses and tender documents. They will work with you to improve for future submissions. This package includes a 12-month subscription to a Hudson Discover portal and additional tendering development services.
If you’ve written your own tender response and need it double-checked for errors, Tender Mentor can help. A Bid Writer will proofread your work for any inconsistencies, grammar, or spelling mistakes. They will also ensure it’s in line with the specification before you submit it. This is a great way of improving your skills and understanding of how to polish your tender.
Contact us to find out how we can help your business SUCCEED!
Do you only require assistance with PQQs or SQs? We can help!
Simply submit the relevant information regarding the work you need and we will provide a quote for the work agreed upon.
We provide support at all levels of the bid writing process, so if you simply need it proofread before you submit it, we can also help with that!
Upgrading to Discover Elite can optimise your tendering efforts!
Our two new time-saving tools can improve competitor awareness and success rate when bidding for a contract:
The Ultimate Time Save Package (for those on the go!)
The Become a Pre-Bid Master package
Wanting to impress a buyer? Our creative content agency Vocal is always on hand to help!
Our Vocal team are never afraid to be heard – we’re a loud bunch!
From micro-businesses to large organisations, we provide ways to make your business stand out from the crowd. We can transform your bid into a professionally designed tender document!
Vocal specialises in:
Our online virtual learning environment for Education, Enterprise and Home Learners is currently being used to power our own platforms – Tender VLE and Procure VLE (Coming soon).
We believe in learning at your own pace, wherever you are!
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