Blue Monday? Not for me!

Hands up – who has ever left full-time education and said, “I really want to work in Bids and Proposals!”? Not many people I’d like to bet!

Like numerous people who work in Bids, my move into the profession was never a conscious decision. In fact, it was more as a result of circumstance than by design. I was asked if I’d think about taking on the role of Head of Bids and Proposals by Rullion’s Executive Team and, as I’d just come through a difficult divorce and needed a job that meant I could spend less time on the road and more time close to my children, I thought it was worth considering.

Having worked at the sharp end of Sales for many years, to be frank, the thought of leaving an exciting, customer-facing role to start in what I perceived as more of a back-office support and administration position didn’t exactly fill me with enthusiasm. Sure, I loved writing – I’d done an arts degree, and, as a salesperson, I’d acted as opportunity lead as well as supporting countless bids with written content I’d helped to generate. But let’s be honest, a job in Bids has never enjoyed the more glossy, high-profile image that Sales has. However, eventually, and after some persuasion, I thought I’d give it my best shot and, after almost four years, here’s what I’ve found out about a career in Bids and Proposals that has changed the way I think and meant that I genuinely enjoy what I do every day (even Blue Monday):

• You’re part of a community – Anyone who has worked in Sales will know that there’s often inherent mistrust of other salespeople and it can be very cloak and dagger at times – LinkedIn requests from other people in your profession are met with an element of cynicism (are they looking for a new job or just trying to snoop around my contacts list?). But suddenly, in the world of Bids and Proposals it feels like you’re all part of one big happy family. I’ve had countless LinkedIn invitations from like-minded Bids people. I’ve found that people within this career path are all eager to share best practices and war stories, and genuinely empathise with and support each other. There’s even an active worldwide network, the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (or APMP for short), which has been massively helpful for me both in terms of networking opportunities, as well as professional insights and qualifications.
• You’ll get closer to the customer than ever – Capture Planning – who knew? Discovering Capture Planning at an APMP conference a few years ago literally changed my life and made me see Bids and Proposals in a whole new light. Here was the missing link between Bids and Sales. Capture Planning has allowed me to work closely with the Sales team (as well as other key people in the business) to gain deep customer and competitor insights, and collaboratively shape solutions and win themes far in advance of the Bid ever landing. Not only has this helped to seamlessly link the two teams, but it’s helped to elevate the Bids and Proposals function into a far more strategic role than ever, providing support and insight to help win and deliver successful contracts. This brings me to my next point….
• ?It’s creative - but it’s also highly scientific – One of the major appeals of working in Bids and Proposals is the opportunity it has provided me to be hugely creative. In addition to the use of language and written content, I’ve been heavily involved in working with Marketing and external design specialists to create visually compelling proposals and presentations to generate customer impact. But I’ve also learned to embrace data and technology more than ever, implementing processes and solutions, and constantly looking at ways to improve.
• ?You’ll become a Project Management expert – Every Bid is a mini-project that you’ll need to run – seamlessly, efficiently, and with a deadline that can’t be moved. You’ll be responsible for managing and coaching diverse teams of people across all levels and role types in your company, making sure that you always get the best out of them. In fact, chances are that you’ll learn more about your company and speak to more people there than almost anybody else!
• ?It’s exciting – I mean, outside of the military, how many other jobs allow you to set up a “War Room”? In addition to this, I can genuinely say that no two days are the same. There’s such a huge variety of different types of work to get involved in – one day I might be helping to create a video for us to use, the next I might be organising a content library or looking at how we can make better use of technology. And then there’s the Bids and Proposals that we get involved in – anything from a highly structured Public Sector tender through to a creative proposal for a brand-new solution for an online Retail company.?Of course, the excitement isn’t always positive and with bidding, there are lows as well as highs! But after a loss, the only way forward is to dust yourself off, learn from what went wrong, and move on to the next opportunity.
• ?The company you work for and the people you work with can make a huge difference – Finally, as much as I love working in my role, the company that I work for and the people that I have worked with both directly and indirectly, have made the biggest difference to how much I’ve enjoyed my job. I’ve been incredibly lucky, not just to be offered the opportunity to take on the role in the first place, but also for the encouragement and support I’ve been given by Rullion. They have given me the flexibility to make the role my own and allow the team to flourish. Yes, I’ve made some mistakes along the way, but the culture I work within has allowed that (in fact trying new things is positively encouraged - getting it wrong occasionally is seen as a learning journey rather than something to be vilified). Finally, one of the main reasons I’ve been able to succeed in the role and that it’s been such a rewarding experience has been the people I’ve been able to both learn from and work alongside. Whether from within Rullion or outside the organisation, having a great support network has allowed me to flourish in the role and given me the confidence I’ve needed to progress.

So that’s how I got to where I am today – happy in my job, even on the darkest, most depressing day in January! Of course, I’m not suggesting that everyone changes to a career in Bids and Proposals tomorrow, but for those of you who might be considering any career change (no matter how old you are) then I would urge you to do so. ?

As Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it, keep looking. Don’t settle”.

#bids #bidsandproposals #proudtobeapmp #unlockyourpotential #career