Pitching and Tendering – Process, Propositions and Presence

May 18, 2026|Accountants, Kim's Blog, Lawyers, Marketing, Relationship Management, Selling|

These are the highlights of a recent PM Forum – PM Forum training workshop on “Helping fee-earners prepare the perfect pitch” for marketing and business development professionals. We worked through three key aspects of pitching process: Planning and processes; selling and writing; and presenting and learning. Whilst larger firms have highly sophisticated processes and dedicated teams of pitch professionals, others are at the start of the journey. A lack of proactive business development and selling skills means that often tender documents are inward-looking and technical rather than focused on a strong value proposition. The use of AI has shifted client focus from the content of written documents to the presence of a firm’s people. This article supplements the learning resources from the session. Pitching and Tendering – Process, Propositions and Presence

Develop pitch and tendering processes

Larger firms often have highly sophisticated centralised pitch systems and processes with large teams of pitch specialists to support fee-earners. Other firms manage lower volumes of pitches and do not have processes or dedicated pitch experts to assist. Some firms have sophisticated information and pitch processes for key clients but little for other clients.

We spent some time looking at various aspects of the tendering process.

Before a pitch or tender
- Marketing and business development processes designed to target, contact and nurture client relationships
- Significant research into the sector, client and contacts and their needs
When a pitch or tender request arrives
- Assessing if and how they respond to different invitations
- Team assembly and co-ordination
- Research processes to compile internal and external information
- Prepare pitch documents
- Manage client interactions and presentations
After a pitch or tender
- Follow up, measure, research and ongoing relationship development

As time is often the main challenge in producing more effective pitches, bids and tenders – AI and other tools focus on saving time in the pitch assessment, development and delivery process.

Delegates reflected that often pitch materials were: Too generic and inward looking, used out of date materials and lacked co-ordination between teams. Some noted that often more people were added to email review lists – making the process unwieldy.

We also considered where marketing and business development professionals were involved in the process. This led to considering how marketing and business development professionals can add value to the firm and fee-earners by elevating, integrating and expanding their role. Some examples that arose during discussions included:

Establish or improve processes
Initiate the business development process well ahead of receipt of RFPs and ITTs
Research sectors, clients and people
Conduct analysis (especially competitors)
Implement strong project and team management processes
Facilitate multiple experts communicate and collaborate
Enhance the development of differentiating and persuasive value propositions
Ensure materials are properly client-focused
Promote consistency in brand and tone while flexing to adapt to client needs and values
Manage editing rounds and version control
Prepare fee-earners psychologically as well as with information
Coach and advise pitch team members before meetings and presentations
Debrief clients
Move from compliance to innovation
Assemble and maintain libraries of the latest information and versions
Capture, harness and share knowledge, ideas and best practice
Convert case studies into compelling stories

Some mentioned that they struggled to learn the outcome of bids and pitches. This was partly due to disjointed activities across practice groups, client teams, marketing and business development, professional support lawyers and pitch teams. Again, processes can support improvement.

We looked at how to make incremental improvements to the pitch process rather than aiming for a “Big Bang” overhaul. To support this, we needed to improve the relationship with the fee-earners who are managing pitches and tenders.

Enhance value propositions

One area that emerged for greater focus was the development of client-focused value propositions. This requires both in-depth knowledge of the client and also deep sales knowledge to craft a value proposition that:

resonates (why act and why now?)
differentiates (why your firm?) and
substantiates (why trust you?)

Value propositions ultimately focus on how to add value to clients by: generating more money; seizing opportunities, reducing pain and problems, saving money through productivity, efficiency or innovation gains; or minimising uncertainty or risk.

A strong and differentiating value proposition can be achieved with greater knowledge of client needs (obtained through research and client interactions) and tailoring solutions accordingly. Often, pitches and tenders focus solely on credentials – the third part of the value proposition.

Typically, value propositions need to be formed at the intersection:

Client needs
Your services and solutions (and people) and the benefits and value delivered
Competitor position and offerings Pitching, differentiation and competitor analysis

Value propositions may need to be adapted for different stakeholders within the decision-making unit. Selling Basics – Detectives and DMUs (Video). For example:

Economic buyer (e.g., CFO, CEO): Focus on Return on Investment (ROI), risk reduction and long-term financial impact
End-User (e.g., Department Heads): Focus on usability, time-saving and operational efficiency.
The Technical Buyer (e.g., IT, Security): Focus on integration, security standards and scalable infrastructure

Malcolm McDonald on value propositions – How to develop them

Most advanced sales methodologies acknowledge the experience of the fee-earners as a critical part of the value proposition (Insight selling – building on consultative selling models). People buy people.

Super-charge the presence and impact of fee-earners

While AI increases the efficiency of preparing pitches and tenders – from the client’s perspective it may be reducing the effectiveness of the pitching process. So clients are more likely to be influenced and persuaded by activities outside the formal RFP process – the early relationships established, trust, anticipation of their needs, insight provided and the co-creation of solutions by fee-earners.

This shifts the focus from the tender process and documents to the role of the fee-earners in client-facing teams. Clients increasingly want to see those who will deliver the work so this can place pressure on younger fee-earners with little experience of pitching.

We also spent time considering how to enhance business development activity by taking proactive relationship development action well in advance of RFPs and ITTs. For example (from Clients All But Abandon RFPs: Here’s What’s Next – The BTI Consulting Group February 2026):

Deliver an Anticipation Brief
Develop a pre-emptive, unsolicited pitch
Offer to develop and facilitate a 90-Minute Strategy Session
Deploy rainmakers where the growth Is
Create a client-facing diagnostic tool
Build a monthly “Top Risks” signal loop
Aim at sectors and industries with the most acute needs

In some firms, pitching and tendering processes are linked to KAM programmes – with Client Relationship Partners (CRPs) and Client Experience Managers (CEMs) taking the lead in assembling and maintaining client intelligence. This means they are so fully immersed in the client’s world they can equip all fee-earners with information and insight that helps them make a bigger impact on client perceptions.

There was also a discussion about how training, coaching, experience and rehearsals can help fee-earners develop confidence so that they make an impact when meeting and presenting to clients. This contributes to developing and refining their personal brand. And this is part of the broader business development and sales development processes.

Towards leadership – Elevate your Presence, Influence and Impact

Boosting Your Confidence at Work – A Toolbox for Success

Delegate information

Assistant, executive and manager delegates had a variety of roles in marketing and business development

Key delegate reflections and actions

How to assess whether a pitch is worthwhile
Understand the client – highlighting the importance of research
More confidence in asking questions to build knowledge and experience
Implement strategy and process for pitching
Address what we can do for clients
Strengthen the value proposition by tailoring closely to the client
Key points must be immediately understandable
Improve the message to focus more on ‘you’ and less on ‘we’
Follow up with clients after pitches have been submitted for feedback
Track successful pitches
A better understanding of bid processes

Key challenges in pitching and tendering

Too many cooks
Managing multiple versions of documents
Fee-earners providing too much information and detail
Maintaining a consistent brand and format
Encouraging fee-earners to listen to guidance
Managing ever-expanding review and editing processes and version control
Understanding so many technical areas in different sectors and service lines
Getting up to speed quickly on clients
Coping with time pressures (sometimes just a couple of hours to produce credentials)
In larger RFPs, many questions are repeated
Different fee-earners expect different things from the team
Some fee-earners just tell us what to do – and resist any suggestions
Lack confidence to do anything more than just executing tasks

Delegate poll results

Delegates find it useful to compare and benchmark their responses with their peers.

How much of your time is spent on pitches and tenders?

29% Less than 25%
43% 25-50%
29% 50-75%
0% Over 75%

How much experience do you have on pitching/bidding/tendering?


1
2
3	14%
4	29%
5	14%
6	14%
7	14%
8	14%
9
10

Is your role primarily:

0% Part of the sales team (client facing)
13% Strategic support
50% Content development
13% Process support
13% Information/administrative support
13% Something else

Which pitch/tender metrics do you use? (multiple choice)

75% Volume of pitches received/submitted/won
50% Existing client vs new/target client
38% Value of pitches received/submitted/won
38% Profitability of pitches won
25% Analysis by department/service/sector/territory
13% Client rankings of pitch submission
13% Fee-earner and M&BD time on pitches
0% Conversion rate

Do you have a policy/system for agreeing which pitches to accept?

13% Yes
50% No
38% Sort of – but it’s rarely observed in practice

How much research do YOU do to support a pitch?

13% None
38% An hour or so (mostly internal systems)
50% Between two to four hours (including external research)
0% Between five and ten hours
0% More than 10 hours

How often do you conduct a structured competitor analysis when preparing a pitch? Pitching, differentiation and competitor analysis (kimtasso.com)

0% Always
50% Sometimes
38% Never
13% Other (SWOT analysis in our client plans, annual research packs and we then update for formal tenders (this is specific to key clients)

Which do you think is the MOST important factor when writing a pitch document?

75% Focus on the client’s interests

25% Accurate information

How much time do you spend planning pitch presentations? Perfect pitches – Five key points (Video) Kim Tasso

29% We don’t plan presentations – we just produce them
0% Up to an hour
29% One to three hours
43% We spend more time refining the presentation once its produced

How often do you help with rehearsals?

0% Always – every time
13% On the largest/most important pitches
13% Only when requested
38% Rarely
38% Never

Do you make post-pitch debrief calls to clients?

0% Yes – Always
0% Yes – sometimes
13% Rarely
75% Someone else does it
13% Never/We don’t do this as a firm

Develop pitch and tendering processes

Enhance value propositions

Super-charge the presence and impact of fee-earners

Delegate information

Delegate poll results

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Pitching and Tendering – Process, Propositions and Presence

Develop pitch and tendering processes

Enhance value propositions

Super-charge the presence and impact of fee-earners

Delegate information

Delegate poll results

Related articles on pitches, tenders and bids

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