This point is so important, it’s going to be a checklist all on its own:

Have I framed ALL key points and other content from the prospect organisation’s acute point of self-interest?

Go hunting for any place in your proposal, response or submission where you might have slipped into vendor self-centricity.

While it may sound like a simplistic admonition, it’s only a minority of bidders that actually pass this essential litmus test. For many organisations, there’s a quantum leap to be made to translate principle into practice: that is, when it comes to fully understanding the client’s world and associated challenges, and to then formulating a solution specifically to address those issues and articulating that proposition from the client’s perspective.

A particularly good idea is to read your proposed documentation from the perspective of the client evaluation panel that cares nothing about the bidder . . . other than what that supplier or service provider can do – very specifically – to solve the client organisation’s challenges and help turn to reality any goals and visions it has pertaining to the procurement in question.