I bring a curiosity about why people do what they do
What are the Tender Plus team members really like? Well, we asked them to fill you in.
Meet Laura Moylan, Tender Specialist (Perth)
What's the most rewarding part of consulting as a specialist on tenders?
My measure of success on a bid is if I added value to the team, process and the end product. I learnt early on in my career that whether a client will select a bid that I’ve worked on is completely out of my hands, so instead I focus on where I’ve added value and ways I can refine this in the future. As a tender specialist, I’m extremely grateful that I get the opportunity to work with many different clients because I learn something new with each experience.
How do you adapt to the different subject matter that you deal with on a day-to-day basis?
This is usually the hardest part of the job, but I have found that noting things I am unsure of and researching what they mean to be very helpful in gaining context or vocabulary for language used. I’ve also learnt that I am not qualified to be a subject matter expert – meaning I should always ask the question (usually someone else doesn’t know either) and interview the right (read: most qualified) people. Submissions should be written so that a layperson can understand – if I don’t understand what’s written, then there’s a good chance the evaluator won’t either!
What's the best tip a mentor or colleague in the field has given you about tendering and why?
Set expectations early to minimise issues and frustrations later – thanks Louise!
Coffee or tea? (Discuss)
Coffee – no competition.
What's the most important quality that you think you bring to the bids that you work on? Why?
I bring a curiosity about why people do what they do. When I am working within a team, quickly working out the dynamics of the people I’m collaborating with is helpful to getting the best from them. For clients, I want to understand what they want and why to better drive targeted responses and provide the best solution to the issues they want to resolve.
What's it like being part of the Tender Plus team?
Being part of the Tender Plus team is a wonderfully supportive experience. I’ve often found myself working quite autonomously when I’ve been part of in-house bid teams and the biggest change since joining Tender Plus has been having access to such a collaborative support system within the team for help, guidance – or just to vent!
If you could immediately change one thing about tendering that would make the discipline better for everyone, what would it be?
No ambiguous bid requests – say what you want so we know what to give you! RFIs shouldn’t be needed to clarify request wording.
What are the top three tips you would give to a client about writing a tender?
Don’t think you know more than your client – if they tell you something, listen
The client basically just wants to know what you will give them, so forget talking yourself up and let them know what they get out of the deal, and
Make sure you have access to all the Subject Matter Experts you need for your bid.
What's the funniest word, phrase, or acronym you have seen in a tender?
Nothing in particular, but sometimes the length of project acronyms get a bit out of control – more than 5 letters is too many in my opinion!
"We came a close second." Thoughts?
Never what you want to hear, especially after a challenging bid process. While second isn’t a win, it also means a lot was done well to be in such close contest with the successful tender. It’s a great opportunity to find out what was done well and what would have tipped our offer over the line for the client.
What's the word you never want to see used in a tender again?
It’s not so much a word, but more of a restriction pet peeve. When almost all submissions are digital with zoom capability, I struggle to understand why minimum font sizes are still a thing.
What is your favourite sector to tender in? Why?
That’s easy – construction. I’m just the most familiar with it and understand the process, principles and language of the construction field.
Cat person, dog person or other? If other what?
Technically both – My toxic trait is greeting every dog I meet before acknowledging their owner. At home, I am at the beck and call of a very noisy, demanding cat.
How do you describe what you do for a career? (Serious or funny)
Simply put, I help businesses produce bids that win work. As a tender consultant, this looks like:
coordinating bid teams
drafting content which tailored to both the client and project
driving win themes and strategy throughout the submission
designing bespoke, branded graphics, and
creating, formatting and reviewing submission documents.
Why do you think that you thrive under pressure? What make you so resilient?
Truthfully, sometimes I don’t. What I do think I’m able to do well is adapt. I might initially panic when I’m thrown a curveball but getting that out of the way early actually allows me to be calmer and more focused later when it really counts.
"It's all about the price." Thoughts?
It’s often about price. But let’s not completely write off compliance and non-price criteria! It truly comes down to the values and strategic goals of the client – some have a budget they need to stay within, while others prioritise expertise or sustainability and they’re happy to pay for it. The key is working out what drives the client so you can give them what they are after.
Just like Laura, our team of tender coordinators can help you win work. Click here to learn more about the talented Tender Plus team.