How to Win More Bids by Challenging the Way You Bid
- Vision TDM
- Aug 15
- 2 min read
I recently met with a potential client who proudly shared their bid success rate. Without thinking much of it, they mentioned they win about 1 in 4 tenders. A respectable figure, they said it’s the industry average, after all.
But here’s the thing: if you're losing 75% of what you pursue, isn't that a problem?
It’s amazing how often businesses accept low win rates simply because they’re “normal for the sector.” They focus on what’s being won, rarely asking what’s being lost or how much time, resource, and opportunity is being poured into failed bids. It’s only when you reverse the lens “we lose 3 out of every 4 bids” that the gravity of the situation becomes clear.
In this case, the client wanted support to implement a bid strategy they believed was “working fine.” But when I asked about their actual win rates, 37% for medium-sized bids and 21% for large ones their confidence began to waver. Framed differently, they were losing two-thirds of medium bids and four-fifths of larger ones.
That conversation led to a deeper discussion and now we’re working together to make the small, focused changes that will significantly improve their performance.
Here’s What Bidders Can Do Right Now to Shift the Dial:
Benchmark Your Current Performance Record your current win rate and compare it to your competitors. Don’t rely on general industry figures, be specific to your size, sector, and clients.
Analyse Past Submissions Review your previous bids. Where did you score well? Where did you lose ground? Don’t rely solely on buyer feedback, it’s often too vague. A third-party appraisal can uncover issues you can’t see from the inside.
Focus on Marginal Gains You don’t need a complete overhaul. Start by identifying and improving a handful of key areas, bid structure, executive summaries, value propositions, pricing clarity, or proof of delivery.
Remember Dave Brailsford’s "1% rule" with British Cycling: small, incremental improvements across many areas can deliver a big performance uplift.
Assign Targets and Track Progress Once you’ve benchmarked and reviewed, set realistic targets 1%, 3%, 5% uplift in win rate and track progress. That small shift could mean hundreds of thousands (or millions) in additional revenue.
Bring Your Team on the Journey Share your findings with your bid team and senior leadership. Set clear actions, timelines, and ownership for change and embed performance tracking as part of your bid governance.
Final Thought: Don’t Settle for “Good Enough”
If your current win rate isn’t where you want it to be, don’t accept “sector norm” as an excuse. Your competitors are likely using the same methods you are - which means you have a real opportunity to get ahead.
At Vision TDM, we help businesses like yours challenge their assumptions, identify the blind spots in their bid process, and implement small, high-impact changes that lead to real results.
If you want to win more bids without increasing bid volume or headcount, let’s talk.
📩 Book a discovery session with us today and take the first step towards transforming your bidding performance, one smart change at a time.
🔗 Want help sharpening your next bid? Let’s talk 👉 www.visiontdm.co.uk
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