Plan to get testimonials from clients who won’t talk
After 20 years helping companies win public sector contracts, I’ve learned something painful. I spend a lot of my time advising clients on which references they need. Then supporting them through inevitable disappointments when public sector customers won’t help.
Late last year, my client pursued a strategic £2 million opportunity. They needed three references for “similar scale contracts delivered within the last 5 years.” Together, we identified their strongest public sector clients and we crafted a clear reference strategy.
Reality hits hard
They rang their best customer – a Local Authority where they had been delivering brilliant service for three years. “Could you provide a reference for our new tender?” they asked.
“Sorry,” came the reply. “Legal says we can’t give references until six months after completion. It is policy!”
Welcome to procurement’s game of snakes and ladders. I’ve been playing for 20 years. Just when you think you’re climbing, another snake appears.
The Last-Minute Disaster
The problem is often compounded because bid teams leave references until the last minute. They treat them as less important than the technical solution. All energy goes on crafting detailed technical descriptions. References become necessary evils, to be sorted out later.
Here’s what they don’t seem to get. In Public Sector evaluations, technical content must balance with all the other “point winning” elements, like compelling references. Without this balance, even the best technical solution will not win. I’ve seen brilliant technical responses lose to mediocre solutions. Why? The winner had stronger references and scored more points as a result.
The Professional Paradox
I recently supported a client through a three-week period where they tried to find suitable references. The leading one was a government department where they’d delivered spectacular results. We assumed excellent delivery meant easy testimonials. The only reference we could get was one which was so sanitised it was worthless.
Their technical solution was genuinely innovative. It would have transformed the prospective client’s operations completely. But without strong references to balance technical content, even their brilliant solution couldn’t (and didn’t) win.
Breaking the Runaround
After two decades supporting companies through reference challenges, I’ve learned something. Building reference strategies is a really important part of the bid strategy. When I help clients map their public sector relationships, at the outset we seek to identify multiple potential referees at different levels to cover the entire ITT elements.
Reference Strategy from Day One
Our advice: don’t treat references as afterthoughts. Build reference collection into your bid plan from day one and manage it. Plan a requirement for a reference into your contract terms. Make sure your business creates case studies during successful projects – not months after completion.
Remember, in Public Sector competitions, points mean prizes!
