Winning your audience The DNA of engagement

Identify l Influence l Achieve

APMP UK 14th Annual Conference 2016

Freelance v Employed: Engaging to Win Mike Fernott and Pippa Birch

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Take a seat…

Work as a freelancer? #TeamPippa #TeamMike Employed by

a company?

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Who are we?

Mike Fernott #TeamMike Bid Manager for fleet management company 11 years’ experience Public and private sector Bid and proposal management / writing Construction, engineering, defence, energy

Pippa Birch #TeamPippa Freelance Bid Writer 15 years’ experience, 4 as a freelancer Bid Management, Bid Review & Edit, Bidding advice for small companies Highways, Construction, Facilities Management, Custody, Forensics…..

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Today we will discuss….

1.  What does it mean to be employed or freelance?

2.  Who are the ‘customers’ in each case?

3.  How can we actively engage in the process?

4.  What issues might we encounter in these roles?

5.  How can we adapt to avoid these issues?

6.  Which role allows for greater customer engagement?

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What does it mean to be employed or freelance?

Employed Freelance

•  Paid a monthly/annual salary

•  Produces work for sole company

•  Based in company office(s) or work from home on company systems

•  Part of wider company Sales or Marketing function

•  Opportunity for career progression

•  Manages own company / workload

•  Works across multiple companies / sectors

•  Works from home on own systems, or ‘implanted’

•  Can be a sole / additional resource to a company team

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Who is the customer?

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Who is the customer?

Employed

Prospect/ Client

Operations

Directors Sales

Marketing

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Who is the customer?

Freelance

Customer’sCustomer

Existing bid team

Bidding company

Bid Consultant

SMEs and Operational

Staff

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How can we actively engage?

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How can we actively engage?

Employed Freelance

•  Build internal relationships

•  Understand the business processes

•  Research the end customer

•  Understand internal customer expectations

•  Learn from past opportunities

•  Collaborate with wider team

•  Be approachable

•  Understand what the business wants to achieve

•  Obtain/produce clear Bid Plan and expectations

•  Serve internal customers to best of ability

•  Demonstrate trustworthiness in your expertise

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What issues might we encounter?

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What issues might we encounter?

Employed Freelance

•  Daily / monthly / annual churn… same old same old!

•  Obtaining information from higher sources / sales team

•  Inter-company politics

•  Other priorities or issues within the business

•  Unrealistic client expectations

•  Boilerplate age / relevance

•  Access to people and information

•  Mistrust by existing team

•  Turning multiple bid sources into ‘consistent’ response

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How can we adapt?

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How can we adapt?

Employed Freelance

•  Listen and learn

•  Be attentive and engaging

•  Be flexible

•  Embrace different ways of working

•  Keep to programme

•  Communicate expectations

•  Keep learning!

•  Listen and learn

•  Be attentive and engaging

•  Be flexible

•  Embrace different ways of working

•  Keep to programme

•  Communicate expectations

•  Keep learning!

Focus on the value YOU add – this applies to us all!

#TeamPippa #TeamMike

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#TeamMike or #TeamPippa?

#OneBidTeam

Remember… •  No two bids are the same

•  No two companies are the same

•  No two methods are the same

•  No two people are the same

•  Understand the value you add… not determined by position or status!

Association of Bid and Proposal Management Professionals

conference@apmpuk.co.uk www.apmpuk.co.uk

www.apmp.org

UK Chapter