It’s the thought that counts

This article was featured in Bidding Quarterly’s 2024 Christmas Edition, so we’re sharing it here on our new Insights section of our website, with more to come in 2025!

With the holiday season upon us, we often think of grand gestures or big surprises when it comes to what we want for Christmas. But, in the world of bidding, it’s not the dazzling innovations or sudden “ah-ha” moments that win contracts. Instead, it’s something far more fundamental: execution.

Winning bids is akin to preparing and presenting a holiday feast that will go down in family lore. The recipe, in most cases, is well-known. There are frameworks, processes, and methodologies that are understood across the industry. Every bidding team knows the ingredients: experienced project managers, rigorous review gates, compliance checks, and the strategic use of consultants. Answer the question and put the customer and their concerns first, and bob’s your festive uncle. But having these ingredients isn’t enough to guarantee success.

Flawless Execution

Just like in cooking, where anyone can follow a recipe, the difference lies in the details—how the ingredients are combined, the timing, the skill in execution. The top chefs aren’t successful because they know a secret recipe. They’re successful because of how they handle their ingredients, tools, and technique. The way they lead and communicate with their teams is how they achieve consistent, precise results. The same is true in bidding: it’s not about knowing the steps; it’s about how flawlessly you prepare for and execute them, often under pressure.

Many chase the allure of innovation, believing a game-changing idea that no one else has thought of will bring home the pigs in blankets. Clients, too, often expect to be dazzled by something new—something that will magically solve all their problems. The Artificial Intelligence under the Christmas tree is only as good the Actual Intelligence of the person using it. But, just like Christmas gifts, what seems most exciting on the surface often fades. What lasts—what truly adds value—is the gift of consistent quality and reliability. Innovation can and should be used to raise the standard, as much as it has the potential to raise the bar.

Our Gift to You

So, here’s your Christmas gift from us: a simple lesson tied with a well-executed ribbon to take into the new year. Instead of wooing clients with the next tinsel-drenched novelty, focus on helping them perfect the basics. Work on helping them fine-tune their processes. Aim to raise their standards for precision at every step, from pre-planning to final submission and beyond into review processes, win or lose. Just as a chef sharpens their knives, plans their approach, refines their skills through practice, and then tastes the sweetness of success, help your clients understand that bidding is a long-game of execution.

This holiday season, drop the gift of bidding enlightenment down your clients’ chimneys, bring them into the warmth of consistent execution. Whether bidding on a simple project or a major flagship contract, forget about the bells and whistles. It’s about how well you bring the elements together—how you execute, day in and day out. Perfect that, and the results will speak for themselves. Oh… and think of getting your loved ones a boring but thoroughly reliable gift they’ll use year on year… like a quality rolling pin…

Happy holidays. Here’s to a year of flawless execution.