When first starting work in the bid world, teams would replicate the branding of the company they were targeting - using photography based on what that company did and mimicking their colour schemes.

I too am guilty of this and I started

wondering why we were regurgitating a firms brand when we were selling them ourselves. It is imperative that companies convey the right messages when going to market and these communications should instill confidence and persuade a potential client to buy your services using the strength of your own brand to impart your strong and clear message.

Since this realisation, I have striven to produce unique stand-out materials,

that truly show our clients and prospects that we have listened to them, know what they want from us and have put the right proposition together for them. I always embark on a project by distilling key differentiators and reasons why we should win over the competition. Once I have these key components nailed down, I will come up with a tag line and base the concept and imagery around this for our submission. Ultimately all of our competitors are selling the same services - its how we differentiate ourselves that is what makes us win in the market place.

In this industry, it is imperative to show clients how seriously you are taking the process, so your proposal really needs to stand out and truly demonstrate to your prospect that you really want to win this work. This often culminates in bespoke design, with our materials demonstrating a strong, bold and confident message, giving the overall proposal a stand out quality that reinforces your commitment to the client and the work you are about to carry out for them. In an ever changing, competitive market you need to stand out or you wont grow your business and that is fundamentally the reason I do what I do. I want to work for a successful firm and I can play a direct role in that by helping Aon Hewitt win in the market place.