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How to structure a great answer in tender writing

colour 300x225 How to structure a great answer in tender writingYou’d think that tender writing was quite straightforward, once it was clear what was being asked of the writer. RFPs and ITTs are usually pretty prescriptive when they set out what needs to be done. However, it is actually pretty tough to come up with an outstanding answer to a question in a proposal document, regardless of how talented or experienced the writer is in his or her field of industry. The problem is, even when a question can look straightforward, there are often underlying aspects which need to be addressed which are not always as clear as they should be.

So, given the fact that an extra level of comprehension is needed to provide a compliant answer, what is the best way to actually structure a question response to give yourself the best possible chance of winning through your proposal writing? Follow these steps to optimise your chances of success with the evaluator…

Read the question

When you are faced with your proposal document, the first thing you need to do is read the question carefully. Highlight the key elements of the question, picking out the most important words which form the information request. What are they asking for?

Analyse the question

From there, you need to ask yourself the purpose of the question – why is it actually being asked? What does the recipient of the proposal want to know from you? When you know this, it becomes much more simple to structure a good response and be compliant.

Use the question to structure your response

When you highlight keywords in the question, you are usually automatically generating the ideal structure for the response. If a question is looking for cost, time and benefits information, you have three sub-headings right there to work with.

Go for it!

Now you have all you need to write a compliant answer. Start out by summarising your understanding of the question, by placing it in to context. You can then go on to add more detail beneath the sub-headings which you have identified through the question.

Keep the purpose of the question in mind at all times when you write your response, and bring in as much evidence-based fact as you can to support your answer. Steer clear of sweeping assertions which can’t be backed up through evidence, as this weakens your argument.

Your response should look at each aspect of the question in turn, approaching the required information systematically and in a structured way. Once you have written your first draft, look through the copy and ask yourself whether or not each section you have written brings value. Does it answer the question? If you were an evaluator, what marks would you allocate for the response? Are all aspects of the question not only answered, but backed up with evidence? By going back over your response you are in an ideal position to provide a compliant, inclusive answer.

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