4 Tender Winning Tips

In construction, particularly in high value projects or tendering situations, it is all about proving yourself. And in this post, you'll be given 4 tips on doing just that. You'll also find out how improving your case studies can be worth millions of pounds of extra work you would not otherwise have won. Research from Nielsen across 58 countries of 29,000 people confirms that 84% of people trust word of mouth above all other forms of advertising. In fact the second most trusted at 70% is online reviews which is another form of word of mouth, before you start to see the usual suspects like advertising, social media etc. much further down the list.

That's why case studies and references are so important, but it's surprising how we forget how vital they are. In construction, because of the size, value and cost of choosing the wrong contractor, it is arguably more important.

Let's face it, if your printer ran out of ink, would you sit down, produce and issue a tender? Requesting PQQ's and then scoring the bidders with 20% of the scoring being about case studies of other people who had used a £6 cartridge of ink without a problem? Or would you choose the quickest provider that seems as though it's a reasonable deal without a second thought?

Tips On Putting The Most Trusted Form Of Advertising Much More Prominently In Your Quoting & Tendering

1. Presentation Folders. This is so obvious, I almost didn't put it in. Create a folder. One for your reception area if you have one. And one for each person who goes out to see clients, or, submits tenders. In the folder put 5 copies of each of your case studies or press clippings in separate plastic pockets. Use them. It's the most trusted form of advertising. It's the equivalent of bottling word of mouth and being able to unleash it strategically exactly when you need it.

2. Your Tender Portfolio. Did you know that logic comes second in buying decisions? We like to think we are purely logical beings, unswayed by anything other than cold hard facts. But that's not true. The synapses in our brain that fire first when presented with a proposition are all to do with emotion, swirling around unnoticed because alot of it happens subconsciously. Logic comes second and is important. In a tendering situation, when you are scoring highly in all other areas and you are neck and neck with your rivals, think about how important the typical 20% scoring for references can be. If you trigger that emotional buy-in with better case studies, then that extra point or two can make you the winner.

3. Quoting. Use your case studies as additional appendices when posting, or attachments when emailing. So make sure you have your case studies professionally designed and have one version (low resolution) for emailing, and one version (high resolution) for printing. And when you are printing, use a supplier who can produce it on a heavier, gloss-coated paper.

4. Client Meetings. Don't leave your folder behind! This is your portfolio which proves everything you say, through the eyes of the people who have already experienced your brilliance. I make no apology for repetition, but word of mouth, captured in the form of a case study, triggers the most trusted form of advertising the world over.

We, We, We and Me, Me, Me Versus You, You, You

Look at your competitors websites. Look at your own website. And look at your own case studies. If you see the word "We" repeatedly, you have not captured word of mouth. When you talk about yourself, you're biased. People don't as easily trust you as they will trust the words of others. Have a look at this post for example. Up to this point, the word "we" has been used 9 times and the word "you" 39 times and "your"16 times. Does it make a difference when WE are talking about YOU rather than ourselves?

When you produce case studies, interview your clients. Get their words. Quote them and produce a draft for them to approve. Or use the expert copywriters at Construction Marketing Experts. You get an email template you can use to ask your clients for permission to speak to us for just a few minutes to get a view on their experience of you. And you then get compelling case studies, written completely in word-of-mouth-friendly language, and professionally designed to stand out from the rest.

Professional case studies have lifetime value. They will improve your sales conversions. They will boost your tender win rate. They could be worth tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds or even millions with extra work you may not have otherwise won.

If you would like to see some examples of case studies which help you seriously improve your bottom line performance, get in touch and ask us to send some case study examples.