Crafting compelling and strategic tender Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) can make all the difference in securing sought-after procurement contracts. As well as adding a human element to your bid, tender CVs are a vital component of your proposal, showcasing the skills, expertise and experience of your team. With so much riding on your perceived ability to partner with a client and pull off a project, it is vital that CVs are approached strategically and leveraged to maximise their impact – and your bid score.
Why tender CVs matter
Tendering is a competitive business by its very nature. Clients are looking for more than just a great price; they want to ensure they’re partnering with a team of experts who can meld with their existing team, deliver exceptional results and ultimately bring their vision to life.
This is where tender CVs come into play. They provide a comprehensive overview of your team’s capability and when done right, they also cement the viability of your proposed solution, giving clients the confidence they need to feel secure about partnering with you.
Taking the strategic approach to tender CVs
There is a business-as-usual approach to writing CVs which will cover all your bases and possibly even reach the compliance level for this portion of your bid submission. Of course, the ‘good enough’ approach is something we never advise. This is the road frequently travelled, the one your competitors are likely to also follow, and the one that creates no differentiation for you and no excitement for the client.
To create winning tender CVs that break the mould, you need to work to a different set of criteria.
Put the client at the centre of your CVs
Before you start crafting your CVs, it is expected that you would have already thoroughly researched the client’s needs and expectations and developed key messages and a solid bid strategy around these. Your tender CVs should be consistent with the rest of your submission and therefore need to reinforce your overall strategy statements.
As well as being tailored to address bid criteria, the CVs should embrace your key messages and emphasise the aspects that are most important to the client. Make sure they speak to the solution you are pitching and the benefits that it offers. Contrary to popular belief, CVs aren’t just about what you’ve done in the past, client benefits need to be front of mind.
Highlight your team’s capability
Ensure that your CVs clearly highlight the key qualifications of your team members. This includes their relevant experience, qualifications, certifications and any unique skills that set them apart. Pay close attention to what is most relevant to the project at hand and highlight these things.
As much as possible, align your team’s expertise with what the client needs. Include evidence that demonstrates capability, this may be in the form of references, testimonials, specific project experience or even short case studies.
Tender CVs with a future focused approach
A crucial element of tender CVs is in your writing style. As well as weaving a narrative that is more than just a list of qualifications, you need to ensure you take a future focused approach. This is the key to taking your CVs from business-as-usual to something special that engages evaluators and scores big. In essence: Don’t just tell them what you have done, tell them what you will do.
If your CV just focuses on past projects, you are only demonstrating past success and relying on your client to connect the dots. To push the envelope, you need to take your team’s existing real-world examples and achievements, describe the skills developed through this experience and tell the client how these skills will make a difference on their project specifically. Avoid statements like ‘has managed teams’ and focus on alternatives like ‘will lead the team’.
At every step ask yourself why the experience you are including is important, why it is relevant, what it means for the client and how it will be used to benefit them.
Keep your digital profile consistent
In the technology age, it is important to remain transparent and consistent. It should come as no surprise that your client will do their own research about your organisation and your team. When tender CVs are reviewed, cross-checks can include calling previous employers or coworkers you may have in common with an evaluator, and at a bare minimum a LinkedIn search to look more closely at experience. The last thing you want is to highlight an inconsistency or exaggeration so be sure to keep your CVs transparent and accurate.
Never underestimate design
While content is crucial, the design of your tender CVs can also have a big impact. A clean, professional layout that is consistent with the rest of your bid and company branding can enhance the overall impression of your team.
When developing your CV templates, consider white space for clarity and readability, relevant professional imagery to build your brand and create interest, and remember to use plain language principles so your content is clear and concise.
Work with a professional tender CV writer
Engaging professional tender CV writers, like Aurora Marketing, to assist with your bids will elevate your CVs and save you considerable time. Using a dedicated resource to chase, collate, assimilate and polish all of the necessary information from all of the many sources required to bring a suite of CVs together is worth every cent. When you work with an industry pioneer with extensive experience in winning bids, you can also be confident that each CV will hit the criteria outlined here and improve your score with evaluators.
Tender CVs are a powerful tool in the tendering process. As well as creating connection and giving your bid a human element, they can significantly enhance your chances of success. By taking a strategic approach and focusing on the client and the project at hand, you can create engagement and build confidence in your team and your solution.
At Aurora Marketing, our tender services team is trained in our unique 8 layer writing methodology which puts the client at the centre of every bid. Designed and proven to help you win more tenders, we know how to cut through and grab the attention of evaluators.
To find out more about our Tender CV Services, click here or contact us today.
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