Strategic Tendering For Professional Services (win More, Lose Less)

By (author) Fuller Matthew; By (author) Nightingale Tim
Short description/annotation
Apply best-practice guidance to every stage of the proposals and biddings process with this essential guide to improving your procurement strategy.
Description
WINNER: Business Book Awards 2018 - Selling the Dream Category Competitive bidding for work is a long-established aspect of business within the professional services and consulting sector. For many markets, pitching has become a critical element of both attracting and retaining business. Combating clients'' demands and intense competition, firms that want to win and retain business need business development and marketing teams that are experts in creating compelling proposals. Strategic Tendering for Professional Services offers a masterclass in improving your pitching skills and processes. Drawing on insights from current pitch and proposal professionals and client-side procurement teams, Strategic Tendering for Professional Services provides end-to-end best practice guidance. From the crucial decision of which request-for-proposals (RFPs) to respond to, right through to the all-important face-to-face presentation and post-pitch follow-up, this practical handbook leads readers through all stages of the process on best practice and strategies for success. Packed with practical features to help readers put guidance into practice, Strategic Tendering for Professional Services also supports business-wide improvement with a clear analysis of the processes and systems available to support pitch assembly and reporting. Whether you are a bid and proposal professional looking for extra tools, a business development or marketing manager providing support and expertise to partners, or a professional wanting to improve pitching skills, this book will be key to winning opportunities that will set the firm apart.
Table of contents

• • Chapter - 01: Introduction - Why use the Proposals Book?;
  • Chapter - 02: To pitch or not to pitch?;
  • Chapter - 03: What does the client want?;
  • Chapter - 04: Planning to win;
  • Chapter - 05: The procurement predicament;
  • Chapter - 06: Smart pricing;
  • Chapter - 07: Writing to win;
  • Chapter - 08: Presenting to win;
  • Chapter - 09: Following up and post pitch feedback;
  • Chapter - 10: Tools and technology;
  • Chapter - 11: There has to be a better way;
  • Chapter - 12: Appendix: How to manage a billion dollar pitch;

Review quote
"Essential reading for those who want to survive and thrive in an increasingly competitive professional services sector."
Review quote
"You may think that your sheer brilliance and reputation in the market - either as a firm or as an individual - wins you work. If you think that, prepare to be destroyed by anyone who has read this book!"
Review quote
"I really, really like this book. I can''t count how many times lawyers and others have asked me for clear, relevant, practical guidance on their tendering efforts - and here it is, neatly combined in one tome. Debunking several of the urban myths around tendering (you can win and lose only on price etc), the authors manage to convey complex information in simple, persuasive terms, providing both visual and written assistance to busy professionals seeking to have their practices succeed. I''d see this as being essential reading for those focused on their businesses, their clients and their own careers. Highly recommended. "
Review quote
"This is exactly the book that the market is missing! A very well structured, pragmatic and complete overview of best practices in pitching. Well written by one author, who himself has led many pitches at top tier professional service firms, and by