Niemand wil werk verzetten dat niets oplevert. In sales is dat helaas wel de realiteit. Om meer zekerheid in te bouwen, passen we vaak tender kwalificatie toe. We vragen hierbij ons zelf af of we de aanbieding wel willen gaan maken. Dat kan zowel in een normaal salesproces of bij een tender.
In hoofdlijnen zijn er vijf relevante tender kwalificatie criteria:
| 1. | Kunnen en willen we leveren wat de klant vraagt? |
| 2. | Hebben we voldoende informatie om de beantwoorden te kunnen doen of kunnen we dat krijgen? |
| 3. | Hebben we een relatie met de klant en hebben we invloed uitgeoefend op de inhoud? |
| 4. | Hebben we de juiste mensen beschikbaar om de beantwoording te doen? |
| 5. | Is het tijdspad dat de klant vraagt voor ons voldoende om een kwalitatief sterke beantwoording te doen of kunnen we daar invloed op uitoefenen? |
The more times a NO, the smaller the chance of winning. Of course, how much NO is acceptable to you depends on your business and circumstances. At Stryfes, we recommend never accepting more than two no’s. Then you can also keep your win ratio high. Want to learn more about the win ratio? Influence on win ratio is about your impact on win ratio.
1. Delivering what the customer demands
If a customer asks for peppernuts and you only supply shoes, it’s a no-no. But in B2B, the answer to this question is a lot more nuanced. As for us, this question has two parts:
- Can we substantively deliver what the customer is asking for, and do we want to?
- Are the terms of delivery set by the customer acceptable to us?
Sometimes you don’t want to deliver something the customer asks for. For example, the task may be too small, but the complexity may be high. So that may mean that other customers are compromised. Being able and wanting is thus central.
Many companies send along their procurement terms and conditions. These are by no means always made for the services you provide. It may also contain unreasonable parts. If that is not negotiable, you must ask yourself if you want the job.
2. Sufficient information
By no means are all quote requests complete. Of course, a customer does not always have a good idea of what you need to send him a quote. Also, you may have particular questions that do not apply to another company. Almost always, the client’s tender is incomplete.
If the information is incomplete and opportunities to get more info are insufficient, you should consider making an offer. It is by no means always so black and white. Sometimes you get a little more information or multiple rounds of questions, which still gives you a better idea of the client’s question. Want to know how many questions to ask during such a round? Read: How many questions to ask in a tender or RFP?
3. A relationship with the customer
Indeed this is the holy grail in Bid Management: Having the relationship and influencing the content of the solicitation. This takes place well before the client writes the bid. If you are not in a relationship and therefore have had no influence on the content, it is not necessarily a huge problem. You will then have to answer a firm YES to all other questions.
Because you don’t know the customer, you also don’t have a good idea of your competitors. You sail blind throughout the bid process.
Do you have a good relationship with the client, yet the RFP comes unexpectedly? Then that relationship may not be as good as you think. The client did not trust you enough to inquire with you before the writing process. Are you the current supplier, and you didn’t know about it? Lots of work to be done! And an eye-opener for your tender qualification because how big is your chance of winning now?
4. The right people available
Sales teams rarely influence the timing of a bid. The client determines when you receive the documents and when you must turn them in. And in most organizations, only a few people are present who are very good at answering bids. With every bid, ask yourself if you have the right people available. When a bid manager? is an article to look at when it’s time for a “real” Bid Manager.
By the way, this question is not always necessary. If it is a relatively small application, consider whether someone else would be happy to teach you how such a process works. The ideal way to discover if there are still talents in your teams. Also, this question is less relevant if you have many tools and a solid knowledge base of answers. After all, that already makes answering a lot easier. Want to read more about such tools? An overview of all bid management tools is precisely about this.
5. Time for answering
Clients often take quite a long time to write a bid. The time you have to answer is often a whole lot shorter. In some cases even so short that it is unfeasible to put a quality piece there.
If the client does not allow for a later submission date, ask yourself if you want to participate. In sales, the motto is usually: To never have shot is always a miss. Still, the chances of advancing to the next round are not very good. Look before you leap. Because a lot of work must be a way to answer this particular bid. Is it worth it?
Want to learn more about the biggest mistakes you can make in answering? The ten most common mistakes in proposals are about this.
Conclusion
To get a good idea of tender qualification, it is essential to understand the five qualification criteria. Using these criteria, you can judge for yourself whether or not you qualify for this particular tender.
Stryfes advises:
Be selected for your tender qualification! This usually pays off in your odds of winning
Wil je meer weten over bids? Hieronder elke links naar artikelen:
