The Sales Process

Points to be considered:

Does the quality of the company image promoted in the tender documents reflect the real quality of the company? It is one thing to have a good product, but have you communicated that effectively to potential buyers?

If you can't sell your company, who can?

Make copies of the tender documents and do a rough draft of your bid beforehand. If your tender looks appalling – with blotting errors and major spelling mistakes – it is extremely unlikely you will be successful.
Use reverse psychology. If one of your suppliers were introducing themselves by the same documents would you buy from them? Be honest. Projecting the right image is a skill in itself.

Don't undersell yourself. Remember, not all the questions that are going to be asked of your company are in the tender documents. It might be you have to prove you can supply a certain size of organisation – in that case a concise representation of a project dealt with for a similar sized organisation could help win the confidence of those who are judging your bid.

The paperwork you provide is there to work for you, not against you. You may be marked down (if a points system is used) if you cannot offer convincing evidence of your company's pedigree.

iv.Empathise with your buyers. Don't provide them with what you want to sell; provide them with what they want to buy.
v.Keep one point in mind – if they are buying your types of products and services from another company, why shouldn't they buy from you?

Next: Becoming a Supplier