10 Questions You MUST Ask Before Diving into a Bid
By Georgia Ryan
Sun Tzu says in The Art of War: ‘He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.’
Wise words.
The same goes for bidding.
Jumping at every opportunity that comes across your desk is a recipe for burnout, wasted time and lost profit.
Ask the right questions first.
10 Top Questions to ask
- Does this service already exist, and do you deliver it?
This sounds like a simple one, but it’s a trap many fall into.
If the client’s looking for something specific, and it’s not within your core expertise, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Are you really able to deliver, or are you bending what you do to fit the client’s needs?
Key Insight: Don’t try to be all things to all people – stick to what you do best to avoid a misaligned bid that wastes time and resources.
- Does it align with your strategy?
Chasing every opportunity might feel productive, but throwing mud at the wall isn’t a strategy.
Plenty of teams get sidetracked by bids that don’t support a company’s core mission. If the opportunity doesn’t align with your long-term strategy, it’s almost certainly not worth pursuing.
Key Insight: Only pursue bids that support your strategic goals; every distraction diverts resources from the bids that could make a real difference.
- Do you have a market-leading offer?
Clients don’t want to see another “good enough” solution. They’re looking for the best, something that stands out. If you can’t clearly articulate why your solution is better or different, you’re going to blend in with the rest.
In a competitive bid environment, “standard” isn’t enough. If your offer doesn’t have a clear edge, there’s a high chance your competitor’s will.
Key Insight: Don’t settle for standard – focus on what makes your offer unique and make that difference clear to the client.
- Do you know the buyer and the opportunity?
You need to go well beyond the RFP and really understand the client’s challenges and goals.
Bidding on assumptions rarely ends well.
Have you engaged with the client? Do you know what’s really driving their decision-making?
If you haven’t and you don’t, you can make a fair bet that someone else has and does.
Too many bids fail because they’re based on assumptions. Building relationships and engaging early gives you the insights to tailor a response that’s meaningful and relevant.
Key Insight: Engage early and build real client relationships – guesswork is costly in competitive bidding.
- What’s the financial impact?
It’s so easy to get seduced by big numbers, but not every contract is worth winning.
Are the margins right?
Will the contract support your bottom line, or is it more likely to drain your resources?
A high-value contract doesn’t always equal high returns. Run the numbers to ensure this opportunity aligns with your financial targets.
Key Insight: Focus on profitability, not just revenue – make sure every bid supports your financial goals.
- Is it repeatable?
One-off contracts might be tempting, but the real value comes from repeat business.
If a bid doesn’t lead to future work or ongoing partnerships, you need to seriously consider whether it’s worth your time.
Long-term relationships build sustainable growth. Short-term wins can be satisfying, but they rarely provide lasting stability.
Key Insight: Prioritize bids that lead to repeat business or solid client relationships for long-term growth.
- What’s the cost to win?
Bidding isn’t free.
There’s a cost to every bid in terms of time, effort, and resources.
You need to evaluate whether the potential return justifies the effort you’re putting into the bid.
Major bids often demand significant investment, sometimes with no guaranteed outcome. Make sure the stakes are worth it and your budget aligns with the possible return.
Key Insight: Calculate the true cost of bidding – if the win won’t cover the expense, focus on higher-value opportunities.
- Do you have what you need to win?
Do you have the expertise, the team, and the resources to deliver what the client needs?
If you’re scrambling to put the pieces together mid-bid, the client will notice.
Without the right resources, even the best bid team will struggle to deliver a winning proposal. The client needs to see you’re ready from day one.
Key Insight: Only pursue bids where you have the resources to deliver confidently – scrambling mid-bid reflects poorly on your team’s capabilities.
- What’s the timeline?
Rushing a bid is never, ever a good idea.
If you don’t have enough time to craft a well-thought-out response, you’re better off passing on the opportunity.
A rushed bid lacks the polish and detail needed to win. Quality always wins over speed in bids that matter.
Key Insight: Prioritize bids where you can deliver quality responses – rushed bids rarely win and often waste resources.
- Who’s your competition?
Sun Tzu also says: ‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.’
If you don’t know who your competitors are and what they’re bringing to the table, you’re fighting with one hand tied behind your back.
Understanding competitors’ strengths and weaknesses helps you position your bid effectively, leveraging your strengths while addressing any potential weaknesses.
Key Insight: Know your competitors to sharpen your position; a clear view of the landscape lets you focus on your advantages.
A Final Thought
Before you jump into any bid, take a step back and ask these ten questions.
Smart choices save time, resources, and the frustration of going after bids that don’t align with your strengths or goals.
Winning the right contracts takes strategy, focus, and clear thinking.
So, before you write that next bid, ask these questions and save yourself the headache.
Learning the hard way hurts.
Don’t do it.
