How do we win the bid? 我們怎麼贏得標案?

source: penny auction

How do we win the bid? The first thing and also the only is RESEARCH!

It does sound funny, doesn't it? We are drafting a proposal, not a paper! Yes, you are and you do need research… on your decision makers, on your competitors, on your destination, on the congress objectives, on the neighborhood, on your own capacity, etc. It is not a joke! When you bid, you are in a battle where you need strategies and throughout understandings. So, let's have a look at the ‘cooking recipe’!

1.    Understand the association objective

Give your audience what they need and want, not yours! So, always keep the objective in mind when planning. Otherwise you will hear: “Thanks, your idea is brilliant but not what we are looking for!”.

2.    Research and Analyze

Analyze your own strength and weakness. Understand who your competitors are. Find out the final decision makers. Know the game rules.

3.    See through the Request for Proposal / Bid Manual

Make sure you do! Just like the old saying: the devil is in the details.

4.    Follow it!

Don’t bother to create your own format. By this, I mean you can amaze them in anyway but put everything required into your proposal in order. So, the board can compare one with another. No one is happy looking up for one thing leaf to leaf.

5.    Develop the Bid Documents

Easy to read (no slang or jargon)

Use images and illustrations

Use correct English

Determine format (online vs. print)

Share responsibility

Be innovative!

6.    Build up the bidding team

Local host

Convention Bureau

Venue

Government representative/City official

PCO

Airline

Sponsors

 source: CIO

Many associations fail in bidding even though they prepare thoughtfully. Many see it like cooking with recipe, easy! But not all of us are talent at cooking. Therefore, even International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA) emphasizes the importance of appointing a PCO for bidding because a good PCO is:

- Responsible: To be your reliable partner

- Knowledgeable : You don't have to reinvent the wheel

- Experience: Learning a lot from past experiences & mistakes

- Expertise: So, you can be one step ahead of your competitors

- Specialization: Make your bid proposal unique

source: pinterest

競標，似乎是很多協會組織的一大難題；倒不是因為沒有人或是不夠專業，更多時候是他們太輕忽了。以為照著食譜就可以做出滿漢全席，但其實不是所有人都有天份可以當廚師，是吧?! 的確，寫一份競標書不難，只要注意以下幾點：

1. 了解該組織的目標。給顧客要的，而不是自己有的，才能吸引到顧客。

2. 做足功課並分析。要去了解的不只是目標，還有誰做決定、這場遊戲的規則、對手是誰等等。

3. 看清楚招標書。魔鬼藏在細節裡，對吧?! 所以確實看清楚招標的內容，才不會寫出一份牛頭不對馬嘴的企劃書。

4.  照著做！這點很重要。就像所有主考官一樣，如果它們還需要翻來翻去找資料，那他們很有可能會當作你沒有寫到。除非你買了保險，不然不要隨便冒這種風險。

5.  寫標書時要注意：容易閱讀、多使用圖片及示意圖、使用正確的語言、確定形式(電子檔或書面)、分擔責任、要有創意。

6.  建立競標團隊。團隊成員從當地的主辦方、政府組織、場地聯絡人、PCO到企業代表都可以。

但如果要贏得標案，你需要更有力的協助，這也就是為什麼連ICCA都強調要找專業的PCO是很重要的。