Fortem not only provides a stand-alone capability to manage proposals for our clients. In fact, we often work beside our client's bid teams to boost their tendering capacity. In this role we add value not only as cost effective 'extra hands', we also pass on to your personnel the tools, tips and techniques we have learned over many years of business development and tendering.
Sean has recruited, trained and managed many bid personnel in the past, and has found that personal coaching (rather than formal group training) of staff is initially the preferred means to develop effective capability within a proposal group. Formal training yields better results for staff who have gained some practical experience in bidding where the more theoretical content provided can be applied in the context of their particular operation.
If you are looking to develop the skills of your existing bid personnel, please talk to Sean about the coaching options available.
Commonly we encounter bid teams where staff have learned their skills completely 'on-the-job'. This often results in loose definition around the bidding process and a high degree of variability in the quality of tenders produced. Teams in this situation can benefit greatly from some practical training in formal bid processes and sales strategy.
Fortem can deliver small group courses on a range of topics including The Formal Proposal and the Compact Bid. They provide a down-to-earth grounding in the strategies, processes, and systems that can be deployed to deliver this critical part of your business. Attendees will be given a range of practical tools to plan and execute successful tenders - skills they can quickly turn to benefit your business!
We believe that it is important for clients to develop quality in-house processes and teams to lead their proposal efforts. Please contact Fortem to discuss your training requirements today.
A problem we often see occurs where tenders are submitted with little (or no) formal corporate review. This exposes a business to significant risks should the proposal be either non-compliant, contain costly errors, or give unintended commitments which become binding under a subsequent contract.
We can conduct formal reviews of your documents, both before and after submission. In the pre-submission review, we assess your draft response against the tender specifications and provide a detailed report flagging key issues to be addressed, compliancy issues, and suggestions for improvement.
Post submission, we will attend client debriefs with you and document key learnings for future use by your sales team.
Fortem can deliver the full spectrum of document production services. Sean McCaffrey and his team of associates have all held Business Development or Proposal Management roles during their careers.
We understand the language of selling, how to frame a proposal around a client's key requirements and the importance of using targeted imagery and quality production layouts to achieve successful results.
Whether it be editing a cover letter or managing a multi-team tender response, Fortem can quickly assemble a highly qualified, cost-effective team of editors and graphic designers to meet your requirements.
When first working with clients we sometimes find that there is poor control over the management of the 'front end' of their business. Inadequate review of opportunities, rushed submissions, low win rates and stressed sales teams typically result!
This damages a business not only through lost work, but equally through the significant resource investment, time wasted and opportunity costs incurred while chasing unsuccessful bids. We also often see that information gained during the proposal is never formally captured into the corporate information systems. This 'closing the loop' is a critical source of knowledge to fine tune your future sales efforts.
Let Fortem assist you to implement simple controls to manage your tendering. You will ensure appropriate rigour is applied to the selection of business opportunities, that you manage the process effectively, and integrate the learnings from each proposal into your business knowledgebase.
Delivering successful EOI, RFT, panel applications, and general marketing submissions is Fortem's core business. Sean McCaffrey brings his personal experience as proposal manager for one of the world's largest engineering consultancies to your project.
Adept at building rapport with client bid teams, Sean will quickly establish control of your project and collaborate closely with your personnel in a relaxed, but structured fashion. No surprises, clear communications with all stakeholders and a pleasant experience for those involved is our modus operandi!
From the bid strategy development through to post-submission review and capture of learnings, Fortem will lead your proposal in a methodical, organised and transparent manner. Our business has been built upon long term, repeat commissions from our clients - you can be certain that our commitment to your business does not cease the minute we complete a particular assignment!
Successful business development is rightly grounded in personal relationships, not glossy brochures and slick corporate spiel. However, any good business developer will tell you that it is critical to have quality marketing material to reinforce your sales message when communicating with clients.
Showering clients with generic marketing material is no different to cluttering their letterboxes with junk mail - and it elicits the same response! Your message needs to be succinct, relevant to clients' needs and must actually demonstrate that your business is the one best positioned to meet their needs.
Fortem will work with you to develop a suite of targeted marketing collateral including capability statements, project data sheets, industry profiles, CV's and more!
'We understand your needs, we have delivered these same requirements for others, we did an outstanding job for them and we can prove it' - this is what grabs a client's attention. Definitive proof of your capabilities is the most compelling sales statement you can make.
One powerful means to achieve this is through peer recognition. Industry awards are powerful marketing tools utilised by businesses who appreciate that buyers are significantly influenced by the perception of reliability and quality that an industry-awarded brand offers.
Awards become, in effect, your peers/competitors advertising the strengths of your business on your behalf!
Sean McCaffrey has led the development of major award submissions including Engineering Excellence Awards and Civil Contractors Federation awards. Contact us today to discuss how we can help!