How do you ensure accuracy when tasking bid-writing resources (i.e. writers per se, not technical / subject matter experts) with the production of those parts of an EOI / RFP / RFT response that require technical explanations and copy?
There’s going to be a steep learning curve to achieve the necessary understanding of the subject and the “technical” members of the audience (scientists, engineers, programmers, for example) for whose benefit they are writing their copy . . . unless you, as bid manager, help them out.
Here are three ways in which you can provide assistance to your writers:
1. Create a bank of resource material.
Build up a collection of pre-approved (i.e. by the appropriate technical/subject matter expert) product or service descriptions and explanations.
Before you create the writing guides for your bid writers / section authors for each submission, identify the most relevant components from this pre-existing bank of material. Have the relevant technical expert (i.e. for the bid in question) look this over in detail, and confirm that it is correct and ready for use in the context of the specific submission you’re working on.
2. Invest in an encyclopaedia of industry terms and definitions, if you’re bidding into an industry or field that is substantially removed from your own.
This strategy (or a version of it) was one of my first moves when I sought to become a specialist in large project alliancing bids, when that method of delivering civil infrastructure projects was the trend, during the first decade of the millennium. I read every publication I could find on project alliances. Many had glossaries of the vast number of terms that were specific to alliancing.
I studied these over and over, until I had them down pat. Had I not done this, it would have been very difficult for me to have competently conducted the 50+ interviews for my ‘Cracking the VfM Code in Collaborative Contracting’ book trio. And it would have been impossible for me to have run a project alliancing bid with any degree of credibility.
Taking the time to learn to speak the language of your readership, and to be certain you’re doing so flawlessly, is a smart investment of your time.
3) Subscribe to the most popular industry journals of your client’s sector.
Read articles of direct relevance to the client’s issue or requirement.
Whenever you hit a concept or term you don’t understand, do further research to obtain an understanding – whether that be asking your own resident subject matter experts, or even resorting to Wikipedia (which you should use with caution, as it is not always totally accurate, given that it can be contributed to by anyone).
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