Bid professionals – you may think your bid creative hits the mark, but you’re probably missing the point

There’s one definition of advertising that really resonates with me: “to announce or praise (a product or service) in a medium of communication in order to induce people to buy or use it.”

When I read this, I’m reminded why – without a shadow of a doubt – advertising principles belong in the bid world.

Using them is your best opportunity to connect with clients. It’s the most effective way to discover and powerfully communicate your value proposition. It’s what everyone should be doing and yet very few are.

More than a pretty face

Some say that design has been the biggest change in bids over the past decade.

What they mean is that businesses are (finally) realising that boilerplate templates, black and white Word documents, complete with stretched logos and pixelated imagery, pale in comparison to visually attractive documents.

But while design is talked up as a major industry progression, I see it as a step in the right direction at best. In itself, it just isn’t the pinnacle of bid presentation it’s made out to be. Without substance or foundations in place, it’s actually only the tip of the iceberg – and this is a huge missed opportunity.

A bid that’s pretty will easily outshine one that isn’t, of course. But once everyone’s running theirs through an art-worker – this will happen sooner or later – what then? How will you stand out? How will you give yourself the best chance of winning?

The answer is advertising

Bid professionals who start treating their bids as full-blown advertising campaigns will quickly place themselves ahead of the curve, and the competition.

Instead of presenting potential clients with something that’s only aesthetically pleasing, advertising principles give you the chance to invite them into an all-absorbing experience – one that will incite emotions and excitement, and leave a lasting impression.

Advertising campaigns are backed up by a methodology that gains a really in-depth understanding of products, companies and audiences. By applying it to bids, you’ll be able to unearth your most persuasive differentiators, form a truly compelling value proposition and create messages that strike straight to the heart of what the client wants.

There’s honestly no better way to achieve impact than by understanding the precise characteristics of your target audience – from their problems, needs and desires to the outcomes they expect and those they dream of. Only then can you position your company as the solution they can’t ignore.

The best ads are able to convey all of this in an instant.

So are the best bids.