Tendering is not won by the loudest capability statement. It is won by the team that truly understands the client. In this episode, Deb from Tender Plus shares a client-centric approach to tendering and bid writing that goes beyond the RFT documents, into the real pressures, risks and decision-making dynamics that shape what clients choose and why.

Joined by Karina Ames, Business Development Specialist and Manager at Tender Plus, we take a look at what separates generic tender submissions from proposals that feel like they were written for one client, and one client only. If you want to improve your tender strategy, strengthen your win themes, and write more persuasive tender responses, this conversation will help you focus on the one thing that consistently moves the needle: putting the client first, properly.

We talk about why client centricity in tendering is not a buzzword; it is empathy in action. That means asking better questions, having real conversations, and learning what matters to the client beyond the formal schedules. If you are working on tenders, proposals, government tenders, or competitive bids, you will hear practical ways to gather the insights that help you tailor a solution that is valuable, not just compliant.

We also cover what it takes to influence before the tender drops, how to build trust early, and why incumbents do not win by default. Tendering is never just what is written down. There are biases, internal politics and risk concerns under the surface, and winning teams know how to read them and respond with clarity, humility and confidence. If you want to win more tenders by improving client relationships and writing bids that feel safe to choose, you are in the right place.

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 Client-Centric Tendering Mindset

03:03 Tendering and Bid Writing as an Exercise in Empathy

04:13 Understanding the Client Ecosystem and Decision Drivers

06:54 Collaborative Contracting and Relationship-Based Tendering

07:34 Why You Should Talk to the Client Before the Tender

08:37 Asking Better Client Questions to Win More Tenders

11:54 Tender Clarifications, Probity and Staying Compliant

13:52 Influencing Early: Shaping the Tender Before It Drops

15:05 Incumbent Tender Risk: Avoiding Arrogance and Showing Humility

18:04 The Hidden Iceberg: Unwritten Factors That Decide Tender Outcomes

19:20 Final Takeaways on Client Centricity and Winning Tenders

LINKS:

Web: https://www.tenderplusconsulting.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tender-plus/

Tendering was not the path I expected to take, but it became the work that showed me how meaningful impact can happen in very real and practical ways. What began as a dream of diplomacy eventually led me into the world of aid, and then into tendering, where I discovered a craft that is strategic, collaborative and deeply purposeful.

My first tender, supporting a judicial reform program in Indonesia, opened my eyes to a completely different kind of contribution. It showed me that winning work is not just about process or paperwork. It is about bringing together ideas, people and strategy to create something thoughtful, persuasive and worth choosing.

Over time, that journey became Tender Plus. From a one-person business to a team working across Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, I have seen just how much skill, care and resilience this work demands. Tendering is often misunderstood, but it plays a vital role in shaping infrastructure, services and communities, and the people behind it deserve far more recognition than they often receive.

This story is really about why tendering matters. It matters because it creates opportunity, supports recovery, and helps good work move forward. And it matters because behind every submission are people doing their best to make a genuine difference. That is the story I want to keep sharing.

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 From Diplomat Dreams to Tendering

01:53 How I Found My Way into Aid Work

02:06 My First Tender Win and What It Taught Me

03:52 Balancing Motherhood and Career Ambition

04:18 How I Built Tender Plus

05:06 Working on Major Australian Projects

05:33 Why Kindness Matters in Tendering

06:01 Leading a Business Through COVID

06:26 My Blood Cancer Diagnosis and Recovery

07:38 Why I Started This Podcast

08:23 Final Thoughts and Invitation to Listen

LINKS:

Web: https://www.tenderplusconsulting.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tender-plus/

Chasing The Win is for people in the pursuit world who know this work is about far more than deadlines, documents and compliance. Behind every bid, there is strategy, judgement, communication, trust and a whole lot of human effort. There is the challenge of bringing clarity to complexity, staying steady under pressure and creating something that genuinely deserves to be chosen.

I created this show because I believe more of this knowledge should be shared. Tendering shapes so much of the world around us. It influences who delivers vital services, who builds important infrastructure, who supports communities and who gets the opportunity to make a real impact. And yet, so much of the insight behind this work stays tucked away inside busy teams, hard deadlines and long bid days. I wanted to create a space where we could bring more of that thinking into the open and have more honest conversations about what it really takes to do this work well.

Through this podcast, I will explore pursuit strategy, win themes, persuasive writing, client relationships, team dynamics and the lived reality of bid work. Some conversations will be practical and focused. Others will explore the more human side of the work, the pressure, the collaboration, the tension, the resilience and the small shifts that can make a big difference.

At its heart, Chasing The Win is for the people behind the submissions. The bid managers, writers, strategists, subject matter experts, sales leads and everyone else who cares deeply about creating something thoughtful, credible and worth selecting. I want this show to feel generous, grounded and useful. A place where we can learn from one another, strengthen the craft and bring more clarity, confidence and humanity to the pursuit process.