Writing a bid is, as I’m sure you’re well aware, no small feat.
Many questions to deal with. Answers to write. Wording needs to be polished. And all of this under the pressure of a rapidly approaching deadline.
This makes AI a valuable resource in bid writing. But how can you use it well? How do you write bids with AI in an efficient way? In this article, we’ll give you a small taste of what it can look like!
Why would you write bids with AI?
Before we delve into actual methods, let’s pause for a moment.
Why should you write bids with the support of AI?
Is AI coming for the bid manager’s job now?
Not at all. Here’s the thing:
- Writing bids is time-consuming.
- The bidding process is time-sensitive.
- AI can help.
- You free up time.
- More time leads to better bids.
- Better bids = more money.
Time is money when responding to tenders.
Simple as that.
Option 1: Writing with generic generative AI
There are, of course, many different AI services to choose between. But your most important choice is this:
- Using generic generative AI. For example, ChatGPT or Gemini.
- Using generative AI tailored for bidding work. Tendium’s bidding platform is one such example.
First, let’s take a look at how you can use generic generative AI when writing bids.
Prompt for best results
AI likes clear instructions. Don’t hesitate to tell your AI that you’re writing a bid, your industry, the tone you’re aiming for, and other relevant information.
Get help with wording when stuck
AI never gets writer’s block. Think about that for a moment. Very handy.
If you have a question that you’re struggling to answer, let your AI give it a try. Copy and paste the question and ask for an answer. Don’t like the answer? Provide feedback or ask for ten alternatives.
Your response sounding so-so? Ask AI for a rewrite!
Not quite satisfied with a response you’ve written? AI is great at rewriting. Copy and paste your question and answer, and ask for a rephrasing. Even if you don’t like the exact suggestion, it often sparks new ideas.
Ask AI to summarise technical descriptions
Need to summarise a long technical description or a policy document into a few concise sentences? Ask your AI for help. Generative AI is great at summaries. Of course, make sure the response includes all essential information.
So far, so good. But AI can do more.
Option 2: Writing with generative AI in a bidding tool
To fully leverage AI, it needs to be tailored for the task at hand (writing bids) and for whom it’s working (your company).
This is best done by using a bidding tool with AI. Let me show you how.
1. Feed AI with previous bids and other relevant information
You want to teach your AI everything. The more it knows about your company and your bids, the more effective it will become.
Therefore, you need an interface where you can securely feed your AI with all this valuable information, as well as update and change it as needed. You can do this in a bidding tool.
2. Identify all questions to be answered
Instead of copying and pasting back and forth, the perk of a bidding tool is that everything happens in one place. You identify questions in tender documents directly in the bidding tool and convert them into tasks.
And then you’re ready for the magic.
3. Generate a first draft of the bid
You now go through the questions you’ve identified, and generate AI answers directly in the bidding tool. Responses are based on all the information you’ve fed the AI with. Plus, you get several alternative answers to choose from. You of course edit the answers as you see fit.
The point of using AI in a bidding tool is to free up as much time as possible for value driving activities in the bidding process. This allows you to maximise your chances of success, so you can do business with the public sector at the level you deserve.
Want to try writing bids with AI?
This article provides a glimpse into the benefits AI can bring to bid writing.
Want to know more? Book a demo and we’ll have a look at the bidding tool together. Welcome to the future!
