Good bid culture always starts with strong leadership which prioritises the bid function.

If you don't take the bid function seriously, you will never win high value work. It takes effort, planning and strategy at the very least. A good bid culture is more than just submitting proposals on time — it’s about creating a consistent, collaborative, and strategic approach to winning work.

It reflects how an organisation values business development, teamwork, communication, and continuous improvement in the bidding process. Here's what it looks like in practice:

🔍 1. Client-Focused Mindset A strong bid culture starts with a deep understanding of the client.

The team prioritises empathy and relevance, asking questions like: - What is the client really trying to achieve - What are their pain points, priorities, and success metrics Every bid is crafted to speak to client needs first, not just to showcase the supplier’s capabilities. Indeed all of the "we are amazing at this" need to be turned into "you will receive X as a result of our expertise in Y". The focus should always be on the client, not yourself.

🧠 2. Clear Strategy Before Writing Good bid cultures don’t dive straight into writing.

They take time to:

- Assess the opportunity

- Decide whether it's worth pursuing (bid/no-bid process)

- Define win themes and value propositions up front

This ensures every proposal has direction, purpose, and competitive edge. You can download my bid/no bid process and templates here:

https://shop.beacons.ai/winning.business/3ff4632c-8271-40d3-8d6c-1763c540972d

🤝 3. Strong Collaboration

Winning proposals are rarely written in isolation. A good bid culture encourages:

- Cross-functional input from subject matter experts, sales, legal, and delivery teams

- Regular reviews and feedback loops

- A culture of shared ownership, not last-minute delegation

- Everyone understands their role and contributes their expertise to improve quality.

🛠️ 4. Structured Yet Flexible Process High-performing teams have a repeatable proposal process — from kickoff to submission — but they stay agile enough to adapt as needed. Key elements often include:

- Kickoff meetings with clear timelines and responsibilities

- Templates, compliance checklists, and content libraries

- Clear version control and editing workflows

- This reduces chaos, improves consistency, and saves time.

🧩 5. Content That Reflects the Brand A good bid culture ensures that proposals are well-written, on-brand, and tailored — not copy-paste jobs. They avoid jargon and fluff, focusing instead on:

- Clarity and impact

- Benefits over features

- Real proof: case studies, data, testimonials, and experience

- The language feels human, confident, and professional.

📈 6. Commitment to Continuous Improvement Strong bid cultures embrace learning. After every major submission (win or loss), they:

- Conduct debriefs and reviews

- Track win rates and feedback trends

- Update templates and messaging based on what works

- Incorporate a mindset of always getting better, not just “getting it done.”

🧭 7. Leadership Support and Accountability In companies with a good bid culture:

- Leadership understands the value of bids and proposals

- Time and resources are allocated to do it right

- Success is celebrated, and learning is shared

- Proposal writers and managers are seen as strategic contributors, not just admin support.

✅ Summary: What a Good Bid Culture Looks Like

It has to be client-centric with a clear strategy for winning success. Team structure needs to be collaborative utilising tools and efficient processes. This in turn creates tailored compelling content, enabling an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

In short, a good bid culture is strategic, human-centered, and always evolving. It is the difference between submitting documents — and winning work.