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Can You Afford To Treat PQQs Lightly?

Guest post by: Lee Lister

Article Overview: Companies that are planning to enter the lucrative business of working for the Government or big private companies need to know many things about the complicated process of getting these contracts. Most agencies only award these contracts on the basis of tenders and it goes without saying that these tenders are fought for very fiercely by an ever increasing number of competitors.

Can You Afford To Treat PQQs Lightly?

Companies that are planning to enter the lucrative business of working for the Government or big private companies need to know many things about the complicated process of getting these contracts. Most agencies only award these contracts on the basis of tenders and it goes without saying that these tenders are fought for very fiercely by an ever increasing number of competitors. The way to set your company apart from the others that are also clamouring for the business is to ensure that your proposal writing skills are up to date. In addition to writing proposals, you will also have to fill out Pre Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) in the correct manner.

It is the sad truth that many companies slip just because of the cavalier fashion in which they fill out their PQQs. Companies that make mistakes in this stage are not going to be invited back in order to complete the submission of the tender. One of the most common mistakes that companies make is that they merely copy information taken from previous submissions because it saves them a great deal of time. This method has many drawbacks and it can cost the company its opportunity for subsequent tender writing.

There is a common misconception that these preliminary questionnaires are just for informing the prospective client about the company’s details. This is true on a very superficial level only. These preliminary questionnaires are actually a very sophisticated marketing tool and smart companies that know this make use of the opportunities it presents. PQQs are very carefully perused by the client because they get a very good idea about your company based upon the information you have chosen to provide.

You can use this questionnaire to showcase the work you have done in the past as well as the resources at your disposal that will enable you to complete the client’s work in the best manner possible. You can also highlight certain strengths that are unique to your company and which will help you execute the contract in a timely manner if it is awarded to you.

This questionnaire is usually used by the client to weed out companies that do not seem to be serious about doing the work that they have to offer. After all, companies that have not bothered to fill out a questionnaire about themselves cannot be relied upon to do the work correctly. There is no doubt at all that these preliminary questionnaires are extremely important to your company since they determine whether you will be invited to proceed further or not.

It would be a good idea to obtain bid or tender writing training if you have to deal with a lot of contracts that are awarded on the basis of tenders. Another good option would be to seek professional help from a company that employs experts in bid writing. They will guide you through the entire process of writing bids and will also ensures that your PQQs stand out from the others because they are customised to the requirements of the particular contract.

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Article Tags: bid training, bid writing, PQQ, proposal writing, tender writing, write bids, write proposals, write tenders



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Area of concentration - Yes, you should work harder on those people. You should train them to be ambassadors for you. Treat them like royalty if they truly are giving and referring lots of business to you. And you should always be looking for new ambassadors. Hope that helps.
Work Hard on 20% Slab - Yes, you should work harder on those people. You should train them to be ambassadors for you. Treat them like royalty if they truly are giving and referring lots of business to you. And you should always be looking for new ambassadors. Hope that helps.
Be fresh and alive and attentive - Keep on doing the same old thing and business will evaporate. You have to be fresh and alive and attentive. Find at least 4 reasons to contact your customers every year. Thank-you card, newspaper clipping, birthday card. It's all about them, not about you. Treat the 20% like royalty and schmooze the 80% to milk more business and prospect new business so you can grow by 25% a year for a 5% net growth.
Something I never heard off - Keep on doing the same old' thing and business will evaporate. You have to be fresh and alive and attentive. Find at least 4 reasons to contact your customers every year. Thank-you card, newspaper clipping, birthday card. It's all about them, not about you. Treat the 20% like royalty and schmooze the 80% to milk more business and prospect new business so you can grow by 25% a year for a 5% net growth.
Incentives for Gathering Data - Great question Kevin! How do you encourage and motivate others to give you the data and information you need to conduct market research? First of all, you need to know what kind of data you are hoping to collect, and how much time you really need a participant to give you? I'll outline this step in Step 2 Market Research coming soon. Many times I see people and companies offering prizes or gifts for taking the time out of your day. This is a great idea. Contests are another great way. With technology so accessible now, gone are the days of the long handwritten survey responses. Surveymonkey.com is just one resource where you can import your survey questions, email them out to a collected database and then get your report for analysis. If you have been in business a while, your own client base is a great first place to look for information. Take clients out for lunch, or host a cocktail session where you can speak with each person. depending on the level of personal data you need, be cautious to allow each person their privacy. We often tape our research interviews, but in order to get past the facade of information some people will give, we have a written contract that we sign with them that states that all their information will be added to the collective group, with no specific names mentioned. This signature commitment negates most peoples responses and we get real, honest feedback. And ultimately, we honour that. Its the arrangement we make with a client too. We wont abuse their clients or staff's confidentiality in us. So if you are hoping to gather information from a specific audience, find out as much as you can about them before planning your approach. if you only need 10 minutes of someone's time, perhaps the prize or incentive is valued differently than if you expect people to take 45 minutes. I once spent over an hour on the phone with a call centre on behalf of Walmart. I was told it was going to take no more than 30 minutes and I would receive 5 new DVD's for my time. NEedless to say, I'm still waiting for my DVD's and I will never entertain another research call from Walmart. Manage expectations. Treat people and their time with respect. And reward them with their efforts. Cheers!


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