Writing for Bids

By considering what you are trying to write and who you are writing for before you begin, your writing will be much more effective.

When we are writing bids, objective setting often starts by considering the list of specific requirements set out in the RFP.

The point of any document is to communicate messages to a defined audience, in order to create a certain outcome. So the question is: what do you want to say?

Winning executive summaries communicate a set of excellent and highly competitive messages. These should be simple, credible, and extremely competitive.

In some ways a bid document is quite an intimate form of communication between you – the writer – and just a few other human beings. The question they are asking is: why should they choose you?

You have thought about what you want to write. The next question is, in what order should you write it?

Not all RFPs allow you to write an executive summary or proposition. But if you are given that option then it is a great opportunity to communicate your competitive position.

Too many bids fail because complex questions in the RFP are simply not answered properly.

By creating an editorial plan – or 'storyboard' – for a bid answer, and showing this to the final review team at an early stage, you can get the content of your bid document approved before writing begins.

In a busy world, business documents need to communicate fast. Skim-reading techniques, such as headings, bold text and boxes, are powerful devices for modern communications.

If your reader is not engaged, you will not have their attention. Getting their interest – and holding it as they read your document – is essential.

A hallmark of good business writing is that messages are communicated as clearly as possible.

Writing with authority is important for internal documents, even emails. It is also critical for external-facing documents, especially those offering consultative advice.

If you want your writing to create a good impression, it is critical that your grammar, spelling and punctuation are accurate.

A few mistakes in a document can undo all the hard work that has gone into its creation.