Bid Managers are the Unsung Heros of the Sales Team

Michele Warg
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Making a big sale is a team process, requiring dedicated professionals for every step of the way. While sales professionals are usually the first people who come to mind, one underrated and underdiscussed role is that of the bid manager. Find out what exactly bid managers do, what makes them so important to a company's success, and what other members of the sales team can do to help win more customers.

Why Does a Company Need a Bid Manager?

While the sales team is vital for tracking down and pursuing leads, a bid manager oversees the process of sealing the deal, or securing contracts and clients. The bid team essentially completes all the tasks and goes over all the client's needs to prepare a winning proposal. While every team member plays a vital role, the bid manager is the person who creates a timeline for every bidding activity, assigns tasks to bid team members and ensures the quality of the finished document is up to par. A good bid manager makes sure every bid the team pursues has the highest possible chance of winning, which is paramount to a company's success.

Duties and Responsibilities of Bid Managers

While bid managers are essential for the final part of a deal, their influence touches the entire sales cycle. First, these managers are responsible for overseeing every part of the proposal preparation process, including reviewing customer requirements and ensuring everything is done in a timely manner. They also manage and track bids using company databases, work closely with clients, oversee bid pricing and even coach sales staff.

How the Bidding Process Works

Preparing a bid is basically a project within the larger project of securing a client. The process involves proposal creation, a governance review and a review to ensure quality. Although the bidding process needs to be spot-on, a good sales process prior to bidding is still important to developing a winning bid.

What Salespeople Can Do to Help Their Bid Managers

Though their duties may differ, sales professionals and bid managers should always work together to help ensure a smooth, successful sales process every time. One way salespeople can help out the bid team is by gaining a solid understanding of what the customer is seeking, what the competition looks like and what might compel the customer to commit to buy. Salespeople should also bring potential sales to the bid team only if they have a good chance of winning. Otherwise, they can end up wasting everyone's valuable time.

Bid managers work under the radar, often receiving less-than-adequate credit for their hard work. However, understanding the vital role of bid managers can help sales workers better appreciate and aid their bid team, helping to boost the overall success of the company.


Photo courtesy of Stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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