Often under-estimated, is the importance of capturing – in detail – both the content and conclusion of conversations with the prospective client organisation’s representatives.
The more socially-minded, talkative business development and sales operatives often feel it unnecessary to capture all the components and intricacies of discussions. Yet, if it was a well-planned and quality conversation, the majority of its content – if documented – will be of value to the bid team tasked with formulating a bid strategy.
At the least, it will provide the bid team with an insight into the client’s thought processes as the resultant points and ideas were crystalised during the course of the conversation. At best, it will reveal the client organisation’s concerns and desires in detail and the reasons that organisation’s representatives hold these desires and have these concerns. These insights offer valuable signposts for a bid team, in that they (a) potentially point to the offerings that will satisfy these desires, and (b) help identify the strengths and strategies that the bidder can table to mitigate any risks the client perceives.
