Business Development and Bid Management: A Continuum or a Conundrum?
I have been both a business development manager and a bid manager in my time.
On reflection perhaps my stint as a business development manager was at least in part about bid management. I managed bid writing processes but had some contact with the client and used strategic sales techniques such as Miller Heiman, hence the ‘business development’ tag.
In my present role as a bid manager there is a definite distinction between the two roles. Business development is entirely client facing whilst bid management is all about marshalling internal resource to produce an effective bid, including writing material that goes into the bid and co-ordinating the quality of the bid ‘solution’ as a whole. From this distinction it follows that business development occurs much earlier in the bidding cycle, with managers unearthing opportunities via relationships with clients. Bid Management, in its purest sense only kicks in once a business development manager presents the opportunity (usually a Request to Participate or Invitation to Tender) for a bid manager to do his/her stuff.
Simplistically, but also often accurately ‘business development’ is about sales, client relationships and account management. ‘Bid Management’ is a set of skills based around effective writing and project management.
Having done both of the roles I am not convinced that the distinction needs to be as marked or delineated as often is the case. A good bid manager would surely only benefit from exposure to the client and thus better understanding of what the written response should be. A business development manager having experience of bid writing is again, only a good thing. Awareness of deadline driven bid management work will allow a ‘BDM’ to work effectively in tandem with the bid manager.
I understand why the distinction is made. A certain subject or domain specialism is often an imperative and thus those with knowledge of an industry develop the business and take lead in client facing activity. ‘Bid Management’ is quite a fledgling profession and it is in the interests of such as the APMP and those advocating use of Shipley principles that bid management is seen as a real specialism.
I just feel that demarcating the roles to the fullest extent does neither job holder a good service. Effective partnership between BDM and bid manager has to be the best way forward. Without such partnership bids may be submitted without understanding client needs and opportunities may be passed to bid managers which organisations have little chance of winning.
What do others think? Do you wear ‘bid manager’ as a badge of honour or do you see merit in dipping in and out of ‘business development’? As a BDM do you recognise that without some exposure to effective bid writing techniques your sales armoury is severely depleted?
I think there are two sides of the equation here. An organisation has to understand both aspects to be effective.
HI Rob
Some interesting points made, I have been and remain the BDM, Bid Manager and bid writer. It is critical for all round success that the writer and manager are exposed to client facing activities.
However add to this role competitor research, and local economic or market development and you have a multiskilled leader who is conscoius of how important each team member is and can draw the best out of each.
It is a fun role
Regards
Mark
Mark Trotter
January 9, 2012