What Your Competitors Are Doing That You're Not

I've spent the last six months analyzing how different geospatial companies approach procurement. After studying multiple companies, I found clear patterns that separate the winners from the losers.

The Winners' Playbook

1. They Build Relationships Before Tenders Are Published

Winning companies don't wait for RFPs to appear. They build relationships with procurement officers, technical evaluators, and budget holders months or years in advance.

They attend industry events, participate in pre-tender consultations, and provide value through thought leadership and technical expertise.

2. They Monitor More Sources Than You Think

While most companies check 3-4 tender portals, winners monitor 15-20 sources including: - Government procurement portals - Industry association newsletters - Competitor activity tracking - Market intelligence reports - Social media monitoring - Direct client relationships

3. They Research Clients Like Private Investigators

Winners don't just read the RFP - they research the client's: - Recent projects and challenges - Budget constraints and priorities - Decision-making processes - Technical requirements and constraints - Political and organizational dynamics

4. They Have Systematic Proposal Processes

Winners don't write proposals from scratch. They have: - Standardized templates and processes - Dedicated proposal teams - Quality control procedures - Post-submission analysis and learning - Continuous improvement processes

5. They Track Everything

Winners measure and analyze: - Win/loss rates by client type - Proposal development costs and time - Client feedback and evaluation scores - Competitor activity and strategies - Market trends and opportunities

What Losers Do Differently

1. They React Instead of Proact

Losers wait for RFPs to appear, then scramble to respond. They don't build relationships or do advance research.

2. They Focus on Features Instead of Benefits

Losers write proposals about what they can do. Winners write proposals about what the client will achieve.

3. They Compete on Price Instead of Value

Losers try to be the cheapest option. Winners demonstrate why they're the best value.

4. They Don't Learn from Losses

Losers move on to the next opportunity without analyzing why they lost. Winners debrief every loss and improve their process.

5. They Work in Silos

Losers have sales, technical, and proposal teams working separately. Winners integrate all functions into a coordinated approach.

The Gap Analysis

Most companies are doing 2-3 of these things well. Winners are doing all 5 systematically.

The good news is that these are all learnable skills. The companies that improve their procurement processes see significant increases in win rates within 6-12 months.

How to Close the Gap

1. **Audit your current process** - How many of these practices are you doing?
2. **Prioritize improvements** - Focus on the areas with the biggest impact
3. **Build systems** - Don't rely on individual heroics
4. **Measure results** - Track your progress and adjust your approach
5. **Learn continuously** - Analyze wins and losses to improve

The Bottom Line

Procurement success isn't about having the best technical solution or the lowest price. It's about having the best process for understanding clients, building relationships, and delivering compelling proposals.

This is exactly what we're building into Tenderor - not just tools for finding opportunities, but a complete system for winning them.

Join our waitlist to get early access to tools that will help you implement these winning practices.