How Your Core Values Drive Client Success
- The Kiwi Bid Support Team
- 20 hours ago
- 3 min read
Core values are more than just a buzzword.
When you submit a tender, evaluators are looking for cultural fit, ethical standards, and long-term compatibility. Why? Because it helps them distinguish between a set of businesses all offering more or less the same thing.
Your business core values can strengthen your bid (and help you avoid lowering your price in an attempt to secure the work). In this guide, we cover how to effectively incorporate your values into every tender.
Why business core values matter in tendering
There are heaps of reasons why showcasing your business core values just makes sense.
Core values can:
Cement your business identity: Show what you stand for and what you can offer your clients.
Add trustworthiness: A reminder that you’re not flaky, and a way to solidify your company’s unique story so far.
Build relationships: The best partnerships are based on well-aligned values, so evaluators look favourably on businesses that care about the things they do.
Shape employee behaviour: This gives evaluators an insight into your business processes, standards, and expectations.
Business core values are arguably more important than ever in the modern world.
With climate change and other societal issues on the rise, businesses have to show they care. We don’t have to tell you that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is huge. If you can show you meet your responsibilities towards the environment, ethics, social (like charities and community engagement), and economics, that could be a huge tick from potential clients.
While RFPs don’t always ask outright for your business core values, companies are looking for details about your company culture, communication style, and vision. So, it makes sense to weave in your values, and how they link to your processes.
We cover some practical ways to do that in the following section.
Practical tips to write core values into your bid
Word your business core values so they align with the tender brief. Here are our four top tips.
Tailor your values to the tender
Read tenders carefully to work out what’s important to the company. Respond to questions in a way that shows you share those values (for example, echo wording where possible), but make sure your claims ring true.
To do that, find connections between the business’ needs and your offerings. Look for broad expectations, like quality, reliability, value for money, and communication, and explain how your core values help you meet them.
For example, in a question about service delivery, you could touch on your communication or responsiveness values.
Use specific examples
This is your chance to prove your claim. Include examples of projects and wins that clearly show your values coming to life. Aim to highlight how your values shine through in your processes and your people.
Use confident language
Persuasive writing removes the presence of doubt in your abilities. It’s not about saying “We’re the best!” but about using subtle language techniques to convey your confidence.
For example:
Be firm in your values: “We uphold…” instead of “We try to uphold…”
Use the active voice: “We completed the project…” instead of “The project was completed…”
Avoid sentence modifiers that sound waffly or indecisive, such as “maybe” or “might”.
Don’t pull values from thin air
If you completely rejig your business core values based on the tender, this can seem inauthentic. Aim to use the values listed on your website or in other business comms. In other words, your claims should always be honest!
In most cases, you’ll be able to flex and shape the values you already hold to suit requirements.
Nail the brief with expert bid writers
Our bid writers can get clarity of the brief and write a tender that highlights your core values. They know how to respond well to each requirement, and are experts at connecting those requirements with your skills and values.
Reach our team on enquiries@kiwibidsupport.co.nz or use our online enquiry form.
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