Pass the Foundation Examination and Become Accredited All courses will be run by Peter Lobl or Andy Haigh. If you wish to know who will be leading any particular event, please contact us. The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) is the professional association for people working in any sales environment where formal bidding and…
£545 PER CANDIDATE (EXC VAT) A full day training event to prepare for and then take the APMP Foundation examination. It will be led by a highly experienced proposal professional. We will introduce you to all the best practice principles that you will need both to get you through the exam and to enhance your…
Pass the Practitioner Examination and Become Accredited All courses will be run by Peter Lobl or Andy Haigh. If you wish to know who will be leading any particular event, please contact us. The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) is the professional association for people working in any sales environment where formal bidding and…
The entire Public Sector bidding process is underpinned by politics. It is not supposed to make a difference but it does! This tool allows you to collate political information from many sources, give your entire team a method and vocabulary to communicate the information and analyse it so you can harness the politics to be on…
When the Bid Manager is ready to go, how do you stop the team from starting work but all going in different directions? This document is a template which covers all the key areas which must be managed to get a quality bid response together and to give the authoring team guidance on how they…
If you have come across an opportunity you are considering investing resources into to bid and win it, us this tool first! The tool take you through 25 key questions and then shows you where are are against you chances of winning.
This is a letter of request of information.
This guide seeks to explain the complex processes by which the government buys, in the UK and Europe, and some of the thinking that lies behind them. Public sector buying differs substantially from commercial buying, but once you understand the principles that the public sector procurement system is based upon, selling to it isn’t more…
Public Sector Bidding and Tendering is different! In our experience the biggest reason that bid teams fail to win public sector contracts they are ideally suited for, is that the bid team does not respond to the nuances of the bidding process as well as it might.
Many businesses sales processes are geared to the private sector. Most of these processes are insufficient to handle the mandatory requirements and procedures required for putting together a competitive public sector bid.
Sixfold has developed an enviable reputation over several years of helping strategic clients win their bids. We have distilled this experience into a wide range of training workshops and courses, all designed to help our clients gain a competitive edge and become more successful in their public sector bidding activities.
The need to present is a simple fact of business life. Whether it is an external presentation to sell your company and its products to the outside world, or an internal presentation to sell a product or idea to your colleagues and managers, at sometime we all have to get on our feet and speak.
A true quality organisation consistently delivers sustainable performance improvement. Demonstrating quality is crucial to any successful bid and key to generating motivated employees and delighted customers. A quality organisation gains a competitive edge whether competing for new customers or developing existing ones.
An increasing number of organisations are choosing to place major ‘non-strategic’ elements of their business with specialist service providers (outsourcing).
Some services organisations must adapt from engaging on many small opportunities to bidding fewer, much larger value contracts.
With the growing complexity of business today, many organisations are finding it difficult to fully exploit all client interactions to maximise revenues from their existing customers. This workshop guides a team through the process of creating a plan that will mobilise resources to make the most of all client opportunities.
With the growing complexity of business today, many organisations are finding it difficult to fully exploit all client interactions to maximise revenues from their existing customers. This workshop guides a team through the process of creating a plan that will mobilise resources to make the most of all client opportunities.
Using the right questioning techniques you can demonstrate to any member of your customer’s team that you understand and support their agenda, and how your offering will best help them achieve their goals and address their challenges. This workshop will develop the business focus required to best influence your customer; – Develop abilities to use…
Your sales management has a vital role to play in achieving this year’s sales targets. You rely on them to coach and motivate your sales people to perform. You rely on them to reinforce training and appropriate behaviours in the field. Most of all you rely on them to lead if you are to retain your best people.
The sales activity of a business should not just be limited to those people with the word ‘sales’ attached to their role or title. Yet all client facing staff have a sales role to play which is very rarely recognised or acknowledged. This course encourages client facing staff to keep a look out for additional revenue opportunities and gives them the skills to qualify and develop them to a sensible degree.
Using a mixture of consultancy and training Sixfold will work with your sales management to identify a sales methodology for your team that will Increase salesperson and sales team efficiency, streamline resources and win more business.
New procurement directives, which came into force on 26 February 2015, made some fundamental changes to the rules governing the conduct of public sector bids in England.
Public Sector Bidding and Tendering is different! In our experience the biggest reason that bid teams fail to win public sector contracts, is that the bid team does not respond to the nuances of the unique bidding process as well as it might.
Public Sector Bidding and Tendering is different! In our experience there is one common reason that bid teams lose contracts they should have won. It is that the bid team does not understand the opportunities that this difference creates. There are numerous ways that the formal, transparent process can be finessed, but many of these…
This guide seeks to explain the complex processes by which the government buys, in the UK and Europe, and some of the thinking that lies behind them. Public sector buying differs substantially from commercial buying, but once you understand the principles that the public sector procurement system is based upon, selling to it isn’t more…
Harnessing the politics and relationships to make a difference.
The Public Sector procurement processes go to extraordinary lengths to prevent relationships and direct contact with the decision makers influencing the outcome of a procurement competition. The outcome is that the process can get in the way of our ability to communicate those things which would allow the competition to get the best result.
The one-day course briefly covers the processes for engaging the Public Sector in contract competitions. It then goes on to deal with how you can work the processes and the bidding environment to get a competitive advantage, even if you are new to this type of bidding. The tools and techniques covered will surprise and delight the experienced bid and sales team, whilst explaining why those “certain to win” go on to lose. Then it will show you how not to get caught in the same traps.
The manner in which a bid team is managed can make the crucial difference between winning and losing. This workshop provides bid leaders and their management with the skills and tools to lead bid teams to produce excellent proposals.
Many companies see the public sector market as one fraught with difficulties. The procurement processes can seem complex, cumbersome and difficult to understand. The sales cycle sometimes seems to be much longer than most business can tolerate. The language is different and the business risk of getting involved seems very high. No wonder many sales teams keep pressing on with the increasingly difficult traditional markets rather than changing focus to this lucrative business area.
The executive summary sets the tone for the entire bid. Often it is the only section that is read by some key influencers. It will certainly be seen by all evaluators. Yet often it is written in a rush at the end of the bid process rather than used to set the key messages for all contributors. This workshop shows those involved in bid writing how to craft a winning Executive Summary
The manner in which a bid team is managed can make the crucial difference between winning and losing. This workshop provides bid leaders and their management with the skills and tools to lead bid teams to produce excellent proposals; – The manner in which a bid team is managed can make the crucial difference between…
Choosing the right strategy requires teams to consider their position with the customer and the likely strategies of the competition together with a host of other factors. Determining the winning strategy is an art that does not come easily to everyone and often requires experience to get it right. This workshop aims to give bid teams the fundamentals to bridge the experience gap so that they can confidently utilise strategies to increase their win chance
How do you ensure you get to the next round? We’ll show you how to raise your success rate
The response to the Pre Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) is very often a knee jerk response to the questionnaire arriving on the desk. However, if the opportunity is not eventually bid for and won, any effort expended against the PQQ is wasted. On the other hand, if the PQQ is not completed, you cannot bid for the contract – even though you are the best organisation on the planet to supply what is wanted!
The presentation stage of a public sector opportunity is almost never given the same proportion of focus as the tender document. This is a significant problem as many an opportunity is lost at this stage because of a lack of preparation, an inability to engage with the ‘audience’ and the lack of confidence of the presenters.
How do you ensure you get to the contract? We’ll show you how to raise your success rate. Kable’s expertise in navigating the public sector makes us the ideal partner to show you how to raise your success rate and get to the contract.
Virgin’s success at overturning the government decision to award the West Coast mainline franchise to FirstGroup demonstrated something Sixfold has long been preaching: the best bidders in the public sector use the government’s own rules to give themselves competitive advantage.
To many; the Public Sector procurement processes appear very daunting. However, some companies get in credible results by knowing how to leverage the processes to best advantage, even though they may not have the best products or solution. Now, once again the rules are changing and those organisations that can respond most effectively will win the prizes. If you really are best in class, you cannot afford to be knocked out by inferior suppliers who play the game better.
The PQQ often gets given to the “office junior” to complete and then you fail to get through. Or, you spend days adding to and tuning the response, and still do not get through! Even worse, you are the incumbent and fail at the PQQ stage of the renewal competition.
If you think that the procedure chosen by your client will not affect your win chance, think again! It is vital you understand the possible impact.
The Competitive Dialogue has been around for some time and we have seen many instances of its use (and misuse) to date. We are now getting some practical understanding of the Competitive Procedure with Negotiation and this note outlines how this experience is giving us more insight and warns of the impact this could have on your win chance.
Like it or not, the new Public Contracts Regulations 2015 are going to make a big difference to how you bid for Public Sector contracts. Sixfold is all about how to finesse the Public Sector procurement to create a competitive edge. We have often focused on how the fundamental principles – equal treatment, proportionality and transparency – can be used as a tool to your advantage.
Sixfold has been called in to help a large company resolve a strange issue with the evaluation of its multi-million pound tender. The company had been told that it had come second and, in accordance with the procurement requirements, it was sent the scores both it and the winning bidder had been allocated.
The Public Sector bidding processes appear to force you to bid exactly the same proposal as everyone else. This process is set up to allow the evaluators to be able to compare one bid against another as easily as they can. The processes seem to stifle any ability to differentiate your offering and slaps down any attempt at innovation! However, we all know that we must stand out from the other bidders if we are to win the bid.
How important is winning your next Public Sector Contract to you? Pretty important? You bet your life it is! So how would it help you to have copies of the recent bids your competitors have produced, on your desk, whilst you get stuck into the latest proposal?
As a Bid Director I have been interested for a long time in what it is that motivates bid team members to work extended hours (sometimes 24 hours and longer without a break). Despite being under high pressure they perform willingly, enthusiastically and, usually, for no financial reward above their normal salary. This does not occur in every case.
You are the incumbent supplier in a Public Sector contract and it has come around for a rebid. You and your team have been doing a fantastic job for years. You know you have the client’s staff on your side because they tell you that your team is doing a good job and you have rescued the client’s business from several, indeed many, disasters of their making in recent months.
andrew.haigh@sixfoldinternational.co.uk
peter.lobl@sixfoldinternational.co.uk
david.evans@sixfoldinternational.co.uk
Thank you very much for this and your leadership the other day. These notes are absolute gold in terms of future strategy
Very good. Useful to take time out and reflect on this important aspect of bidding.
Phone: 01227 860 375
Email: andy@sixfold.biz
Sixfold founder and lead business strategist, Andy has a wealth of experience in driving large and smaller bids to a successful conclusion. He is a published author and regular public speaker in his specialist area of UK Public Sector bidding. He advises clients on the prospects for success when considering award challenges and helps develop the challenge to the point where legal representation is engaged. However, Andy gets his greatest fulfilment in developing the insight and perspective of his client’s bid teams. Although he is an acknowledged expert in bidding and tendering legislation, Andy can and does get involved in the nitty-gritty of the bids he works on with his clients. This “hands on” approach demonstrates best practice and provides replicatable processes to give sustainable bid win rate improvement.
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Phone: 01227 860 375
Email: peter.lobl@sixfoldinternational.co.uk
Peter is a leading expert in UK Public Sector bidding. He was the first UK procurement specialist to advise the High Court as an Expert Witness in a landmark procurement challenge (MLS vs MoD). He gained his experience in large strategic sales whilst working for top international companies. He has an enviable history of sales awards and success. He shows a capacity to understand the sales environment from the client’s perspective. His insight into the client’s political environment gives him a competitive edge that competing bid teams fear. Peter demonstrates his understanding of the latest and developing sales techniques to finesse his client’s bids and influence the evaluators towards his client’s solutions.
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