Client Reviews

Hi Jordan,

“Taking your recommendations we approached the bid from a new perspective and it has paid quick dividends. So thank you for your help and I look forward to applying the strategies from Think and Win Bids during the tender phase.”

Joseph-Paul Rossi

Business Development Manager

York Civil Pty Ltd

“I worked with Jordan in 2012 on a $100m tender and I recruited her again for a separate company’s tender in 2017.

“Jordan used strategic review and comprehensive interviewing techniques to extract key information from our senior nominated staff. In each case, this process provided a concise Curriculum Vitae script tailored specifically to the tender. It was thanks to these scripts that our people were best represented as the experienced face of the company, and as such were shortlisted in an extremely specialised field.

“The process Jordan employed was very involved, and the resulting work and subsequent results exceeded expectations.”

Tim Herlihy

Operations Manager

Contract Services Australasia Pty Ltd

“Jordan was engaged by Abigroup Contractors to independently review historical bids, suggest document improvements and enhance its pre-bid smarts.

“Through a well-defined and targeted coaching program, skilfully articulated by Jordan, our bid staff gained an invaluable appreciation of the strategic importance of well-researched proposals, in-depth questioning, and forming a deeper understanding of our clients’ value criteria.

“For those companies or individuals serious about the need for their staff to actually think and so improve the ‘non-cost’ and ‘quality elements’ of their relationship contract bid submissions, I recommend Jordan to you.”

Steve Abson

General Manager – Northern Region

Abigroup Contractors (Australia)

“Jordan, thank you so very much.

“Your contribution to our winning bid was greatly appreciated. We are all thrilled here at the win with the New Zealand Defence Force.

“Again, our thanks.”

TelstraClear

New Zealand

“Jordan Kelly has a totally unique ability to walk into a company and, with clever and incisive questioning, identify the smartest and most relevant competitive strengths on which to build its key marketing productions and sales documentation.

“She’s sharp; sharp enough that I’m glad she’s working with us and not our competitors.”

Building Industry

Marketing Manager

(Household Brand Name and Largest Player in its Sector) Sydney, Australia

“Jordan Kelly recently provided guidance of extraordinarily high quality to Oracle in the planning and production of an important strategic communication project.

“Her sharpness of mind, objectivity and lateral thinking skills were the perfect resources to help us clarify and convey the competitive strengths of our solution.

“Consolidating the benefits of her facilitation skills is her remarkable talent as a strategic writer. This ensured we effectively communicated the superiority of the Oracle solution.”

Cheenu Srinivasan

Director – Planning & Operations

Oracle Corporation

“The skill sets she teaches are highly relevant to our business. They can make a huge difference in converting opportunities into prospects, or even creating opportunities in the first place. She has a great coaching style, and whenever resistance arose she handled it well in my view.

“She also showed us how to weave some of her own magic through our writing, to create continuity, relevance and a compelling, readable style. I picked up some great ideas, techniques and principles in these sessions, which I’ll be putting into practice immediately.”

Alliance project manager and bid leader

Alliance Network International Pty Ltd

Queensland

“Our weekend workshop by Jordan Kelly helped me see the bid evaluation process from the client’s perspective. I now cringe when I look back on some of the bids and client communications I have sent in the past. Her unique perspective was exactly what I was looking for, for our sales and marketing team and all the participants were very impressed with both the content and the delivery.

“I can honestly say that the concepts that Jordan uses have already become part of the way we work and interact with our clients, not only in the realm of a bid, but also in day-to-day interactions. Whilst not for the faint-hearted, Jordan’s workshop lead us through the bid strategy formulation process in a way which completely changed the way we approach our clients. She does this, not by formulas or templates, but by a complete paradigm shift, which truly changes ingrained behaviours.

“Thanks, Jordan, for what should become a pivotal moment in the history of our company.

“PS: It is amazing! Even with general customer correspondence, you have managed to instil a deep-set change in the way I am communicating with my customers.”

Nicholas Dal Sasso

General Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd (Environmental Monitoring)

“I’ve worked with Jordan for six years on many different projects and many different objectives, and I heartily endorse both her skills and her service levels.

“I am always surprised at the challenging briefs Jordan is able to execute. She can take a market sector or subject area that is completely unfamiliar to her and generate smart, insightful and implementable strategies.

“Her strategy formulation skills are complemented by her skilful facilitation, her first-class writing skills, and by the fact that she delivers on time, every time.”

Steve Abson

Chief Operating Officer

Ostwald Bros Queensland

“Jordan is a provocative, challenging and totally dedicated teacher. She is relentless in her pursuit of success on her client’s behalf. This is a very good thing for any organisation that wants to improve its proficiency in business-critical proposals and RFT responses.

“Jordan will accept nothing less than the best output in any area of performance, from preliminary research through to end-product, and the quality of her coaching in all of those areas is such that each member actually does achieve to the very best of their ability, which increases every time she works with us.”

Simon Ormes

Business Development Manager (North Queensland Division)

Abigroup Contractors

“Thank you for your input and assistance with the development of TeleGrid’s strategic planning process. We found your knowledge and insight into the marketing process interesting and stimulating.

“Your quick grasp of the issues facing TeleGrid and your suggestions for change, based on your obviously sound experience, were both useful and achievable.”

Amal Hanna

Manager – TeleGrid

TransGrid Sydney, Australia

“Jordan is a results-driven megaproject bidding strategist and a serious thinking author. She combines those two very valuable skills to produce pragmatic, insightful advice for those who read her books.

“She’s candid, focused and erudite in her works, and interested in the application of her strategic intelligence to the science of winning bids in the international construction sector.

“She has been able to capture her insightful thinking in a way that provides meaningful and practical assistance to her readers.

“Further, her broad field of authorship is testament to her skills.”

Dr Bill Young

President

Asia Pacific Federation of Project Management

Hong Kong

“Jordan, you played an integral role in our management team’s success in winning the $100 million Emergency Alerting System contract with the Victorian Government.

“We knew without doubt that we had the superior offering … and you made sure that the fit between our ability and the client’s needs was immediately recognised by the evaluation committee.

“You have an inherent ability to see exactly what intelligence needs to be acquired in a complex and critical tender process, and you have an equally impressive ability as a strategic planning facilitator.

“We thank you for your efforts on our behalf.”

Wesley Dart

Commercial Manager

LSE Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd

“If you require a strategic thinker who can apply a laser sharp and incisive line of questioning, who can cut through jargon and clutter like a knife, and who can rapidly pull all the elements of the “big picture” into one cohesive strategy, then Jordan Kelly’s is the very best brain you could hire.

“Jordan has a distinctive, fresh, smart style that greatly focuses the thought processes of an organisation’s own business development team. I for one have found hers to be a far more productive approach than the standard “methodologies” employed by so many consultants.

“The benefits of this style include not only the production of winning bids but also a very effective transfer of her skills to those executives fortunate to be part of the strategy sessions she so deftly facilitates.”

Steven Di Pietro

Managing Director

Shop’n’Chek Australasia

“Jordan Kelly has worked with our team on a variety of tenders, and a variety of tender types.

“We are a small, tight-knit team, comprising everything from our Executive PA, to our Construction and Project Managers, our Estimators, our Business Development Manager, and myself, North Queensland Manager.

“What has been particularly gratifying and valuable about her involvement with our team, is that, while she lead us, taught us, and co-managed our activities with us, she was at the same time one of us. She was an absolutely integral member of our team.

“Although her mandate was to work with us on the production of our RFP responses, every aspect of her work with us actually became a coaching session and a learning experience in its own right. The residual value of her bid work with us has been immense in that regard. We simply don’t do things the same way any more, and in every part of our business development work and bidding activities we now find ourselves guided by the principles she has progressively instilled in us.

“Her involvement with us continues to be an asset to our operation.”

Gary Innes

North Queensland Manager

Abigroup Contractors

“I have worked with Jordan to develop a coaching program for companies and individuals wishing to improve their knowledge of the bidding process for PPP projects.

“Drawing on her considerable experience, Jordan skilfully captured and structured the raw content I provided, then complemented it with her own research and Intellectual Property, to create a coaching program which provides a great jump start into a fascinating industry.”

James Mitchell

Independent Project Director

Public Private Partnerships

Australia

“Thanks for your inspiration, support and hard work on the bid. I personally enjoyed working with you and wanted to thank you for challenging me to really think about what I was writing.”

Uldis Clarson

Bid Manager

(Sydney, Australia) Parsons Brinckerhoff

“Alliance Network International recently contracted with Jordan Kelly to assist us with developing an overall strategy and putting together a tender for a very large bid that was crucial to the long-term growth of our business.

“Jordan lead us down a strategic assessment path that formed an essential part of the overall document development process. She guided our executive team through many fascinating and highly productive processes to achieve a truly strategic bid, at every level; a bid that has demonstrated to us that a winning strategy is also able to bring objectivity and reason to a price-focused client.

“The extremely effective techniques used for drilling down into the individual areas of the tender, identifying the perfect strategy to underpin each and then putting it all together in a document that easily flowed from section to section to provide an overall ‘big picture’ is a tribute to both her strategy and writing skills.

“An additional and unexpected benefit was the learning we received through her teaching ability and her valuable knowledge transfer focus throughout this whole process. The bid development processes that Jordan has led us through will be used in our future tenders.”

John Major

Managing Director

Alliance Network International Pty Ltd 

Sydney, Australia

“Jordan does considerable research into the non-price attributes section of a tender to ensure it is project-specific (non-generic) and relevant. This serves to ensure the best possible non-price adjustments are made to the tendered price to achieve a winning bid.”

Tim Grammer

Senior Engineer

Fletcher Construction New Zealand

“Jordan provided Bombardier Transportation with support to spearhead our tender response strategy for a multi-million dollar overseas rail project.

“For an engineering organisation, more product-focused than ‘market’-focused, Jordan showed the tender team another way to present the tender that was creative, customer-focused, and ensured we stayed on target consistently throughout the tender documentation.

“Jordan has a great feel for a customer’s needs and aspirations, through thorough research of background material to personal contact strategy.

“Jordan demonstrated a keen sense of what mattered to the customer, and her prose in the key frontpiece, the Executive Summary, was appropriate, emphatic and balanced.

“I recommend Jordan to others open to a new way of expression in the difficult world of tendering.”

Alan Burns

Director – Sales and Marketing

Bombardier Transportation Australia

(Formerly Adtranz, Bombardier is the world's largest manufacturer of railcars)

“We called Jordan in because the increasing pace of mergers and acquisitions within the IT and Communications industry was beginning to see Allaw lose vital relationship continuity with our large corporate clients. This was eroding a significant part of our long-standing business base.

“It was important not only to reposition our services with the identified new key partners within those client organisations (clients such as NCR, HP-Compaq, Nortel Networks) but also to re-define our value proposition, in order to strengthen our relationship with them.

“Jordan played an essential role in helping us define our offering, along with its strategic and competitive strengths. Importantly, she also helped us align these with the clients’ needs in such a manner that we became their only sensible choice of service provider.”

Walter Schwalbe

Director of Business Development

Allaw Pty Ltd (Vendor Warranty Service) Sydney, Australia

“I first worked with Jordan when I was with a small technically-oriented company bidding for a major Government project. She quickly realised that we lacked the “big picture” on how to present ourselves and our proposal to the many and varied stakeholders who would contribute to the final decision.

“Her strategic thinking led us well outside our normal comfort zone, but she was able to convince us that her approach was the most likely to win over the doubters and the risk-averse.

“Along the way she wrote much professional and excellent copy, and greatly raised the morale of the bid team (who were ultimately successful).

“I strongly recommend Jordan for her ability to think creatively but clearly, and to communicate the results in a personable and stimulating manner.”

John Lush

Principal Consultant

John Lush & Associates (Technology Project Managers, Australia)

“Jordan has helped us immensely in conveying our message clearly and succinctly. When it comes to sharing the story, she has an amazing ability to script it.”

Paul Crowley

Vice President – South Pacific

Eagle Global Logistics (Aust.)

“I have received the final copy of my new-business proposal. Just to let you know that I am very happy with this document. I do feel very fortunate that our paths crossed as you have produced something on my behalf which will provide me with a distinct competitive edge.

“You have made this process very simple; you are obviously a very talented strategic writer and your ability to quickly understand my business needs has been very impressive. Thank you also for your quick turnaround time and the very professional service you have provided to me.”

Robyn Norman

General Manager – Compulsory Third Party

QBE Insurance Group Australia

“You have taught me a new ‘way of thinking’. No templates can take the place of analysing information for a tender process, formulating strategy and preparing a ‘tailored solution’ to suit the client. I look forward to applying these new skills in my everyday work and future bids.

“You have taught me to see bidding strategy from a different perspective. You reinforced the fact that we have to connect with the client on all levels, not just the economic level but also on the emotional level. The course was extremely intense but you kept us on the right track, keeping us focused to ensure we saw the ‘bigger picture’. It was a very rewarding session.

“Thank you Jordan!”

Steven Chir

Southern Region Sales Engineer

Ecotech Pty Ltd Melbourne (Head Office)

“I’ve been reading through some of the documentation we were sending to clients before we started our coaching with you, and cringing.

“I can see everything we were doing wrong really clearly now.”

Bid team member

Construction sector

North Queensland

“Jordan has really given us the ability to think in detail from a client’s point of view when preparing a bid. Being International Business Manager and dealing across different continents, I can proudly say that Jordan will help you to upgrade your thinking skills when dealing with every type of bid or client.

“Her coaching is very practical, specific, logical and detailed.

“Thanks.”

Manoj Kumar

International Business Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd Melbourne (Head Office)

“The skill sets she teaches are highly relevant to our business. They can make a huge difference in converting opportunities into prospects, or even creating opportunities in the first place. She has a great coaching style, and whenever resistance arose she handled it well in my view.

“She also showed us how to weave some of her own magic through our writing, to create continuity, relevance and a compelling, readable style. I picked up some great ideas, techniques and principles in these sessions, which I’ll be putting into practice immediately.”

Andrew Paterson

Alliance Manager

Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd

“Software Publications Pty Ltd has published four individual and highly successful tertiary level Business-to-Consumer (B2C) marketing textbooks by author Jordan Kelly since 2002.

“These books are viewed as a source of authority on current core components of the tertiary Marketing and Marketing Communications curricula, and they enjoy strong and increasing sales across Australia.

“Not only are these books authoritative and thought-provoking, her style is very readable and easily ‘consumable’. This further boosts the popularity of her textbooks with our client institutions and their students.”

Chris Coulson

General Manager

Software Publications (Australia)

“The training program she produced for us was well-organised, totally interactive and extremely challenging.”

James Agius

Operations Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd

“You made a huge contribution to helping us think, to put ourselves in our customer’s shoes and consider what is important to them, to move away from marketing-speak, and to verbalise the real benefits to the customer.

“You taught us to ask ourselves ‘why, what and how’ questions and to look for the full answer to these questions. It is these principles that I find myself using not only in tender bids but in everyday life.”

Steve Chamberlain-Ward

Manager – Sales Strategy & Marketing

Ecotech Pty Ltd Melbourne (Head Office)

“Her deliberately un-templated method seemed to open up scope for more creative thinking, and the potential to identify additional angles to constructing a successful bid.”

Justin Mellors

Sales Engineer

Ecotech Pty Ltd

“Recently I found myself in a position where I needed to decline an invitation to tender for a large corporation’s travel account.

“Having had a commercial arrangement with the corporation for the past 12 years, I wanted to be in the position of severing the relationship on good terms and keeping the door open for possible future contact.

“Jordan was recommended to me as someone who could assist with compiling suitable correspondence that was beyond the normal ‘thanks but no thanks’ letter.

“Many questions were asked and I had to search the far reaches of my thoughts to be able to give Jordan the answers – at times thinking, ‘What has this got to do with declining a tender offer?’

“However, the end product was a very strategic letter that I could never have put together by myself, and a door that remains very much open (and business that continues to be done) with my most important customer, despite the fact that my company decided not to participate in the RFT.

“Thanks Jordan!”

Bruce Tener

Managing Director

Balgownie World Travel Sydney, Australia

“Having recently completed an intense three-day program with Jordan, I have a totally new approach to identifying the importance of understanding the client’s world.

“I now have a better appreciation of the strategic importance of researching client needs. Jordan taught us to drill down into the detail of a tender and develop the best plan for working with the client to achieve their objectives, underpinned by our competitive strengths.”

James Agius

Operations Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd Melbourne (Head Office)

“When you work with someone as exceptionally talented as Jordan Kelly, you know it right from the start. Add to this her complete focus on understanding both your business and you, and you realise that this is something pretty special.

“Jordan helped me realise exactly what is unique about my business and how to present it in down-to-earth, crystal clear marketable language. She has a gift for words, the words that communicate what you have to offer to those who will want it, and who will become your customers or clients. I have never come across someone so completely committed to helping me get it exactly right. What’s more, you know that you’ve got it right.

“It’s not a one-way street. Jordan supports you to do your own thinking too. Indeed, by supporting you to do this, she finds out from you, and helps you to express, what you have been searching for.

“Her work is a combination of skilful facilitation and brilliant suggestions. Working with Jordan has been illuminating, challenging – and fun! She will keep you on your toes, and you will know that you are dancing in your right direction.”

James Walker PhD

Director

The Synchronicity Institute Sydney, Australia

“You rock!”

Chris Morton

Director

Logic Networks Perth, Australia

“As a marketing strategist, writer and project manager, Jordan Kelly is second to none. From my own experience though, what I value most is her quite remarkable degree of commitment to her clients. Her definition of ‘service’ goes above and beyond the call of duty every time. That she is ‘always there’ if and when needed is an understatement.”

Dr Barry Den

LASIK Eye Surgeon

Sydney, Australia

“It’s hard to know which of Jordan Kelly’s incredibly wide range of skills takes precedence over the other. She has the invaluable talent of being able to quickly and accurately discern an organisation’s business objectives and convert them into cutting-edge marketing strategy.

“She has the ability to then execute every aspect of that strategy to the ‘nth’ degree of accuracy and perfection. She also has the highest imaginable standards and an eagle eye for detail. All of this pays huge dividends for her clients.”

Director

Medical Services Establishment Sydney, Australia

“Kelly, through her unique ability to share both experience and deep insight, articulates the paramount importance of asking, listening and deep thinking in understanding the client’s mind, towards the objective of producing successful business development and bid strategy.

“She challenges us from our complacency, calling us out on our guilty shortcuts of the past, and in doing so provides a salient reminder of the commitment and effort required to consistently win the biggest deals. Moreover, she also offers guidance on how to do it better than you thought you needed to do.

“She provides lessons in humility that anyone in business development or selling in complex environments or markets can well use.”

Rod Naylor

General Manager

Veolia Water North America

(New York)

“I came from ‘out of left field’ as a client for Jordan, following the recommendation of a mutual friend who felt Jordan’s strategic mind and intuitive creativity were exactly what I needed for a particularly challenging marketing goal.

“Jordan is a master strategist. Her unique combination of experience and natural talent gives her the ability to distil a problem down to its essential elements and arrive at the perfect strategy or solution, every time. I am astounded at the speed and ease with which she achieves what she does. She is truly gifted.

“She is also a natural-born teacher and working with her has provided me with an invaluable crash course in marketing as well as strategic thinking.”

Michael Adamedes

Author & Director

Inner Peace Mastery Pty Ltd Sydney, Australia

“Ms. Kelly, I think your book ‘Think & Win Bids’ is a ‘must read’ for anyone who is responding to what we (Americans) refer to as ‘Partnering’, ‘Integrated Project Delivery’ or ‘Requests for Proposal’ (RFP) type contracting.

“In particular, I think this book is essential for anyone bidding on AUSAID, USAID, UN Projects Office (UNOPS) World Bank, Asian Development Bank, NGOs or any other project funded by bi-lateral or multi-lateral donor agencies which are selecting their contractors, vendors and consultants not based on price but on value for money.”

Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo 

(CDT, CCE, MscPM, MRICS)

Sr. Technical Advisor

PT Mitratata Citragraha

Jakarta

“. . . We have included your books for distribution to our teams around the world . . .”

Don Braid

Group Managing Director

Mainfreight Limited

New Zealand

“I enjoyed reading your book as I can identify closely with a great deal of your tuition and the topics you cover.

“Most of all, I value that you have outlined clear and correct processes for conducting relevant research, asking the right questions, and usefully using what has been gained from these processes.

“For those who regularly produce bids as a matter of course, the book is a good reminder to conscientiously make an effort to observe in a quality manner, and to first hear and think through the client’s needs before rushing into the production of a bid.

“For those who are new to bids, the book quite rightly states that they should not expect a specific list of agenda items for bid strategy sessions, as templating is the opposite of thinking.

“Some of my most valued take-aways from reading the book are that strategy formulation is a fluid process, and that we must at all times guard against complacency in the form of assumptions based on past experiences or pre-conceived ideas.”

Dr TING, Seng Kiong

Council Member, Singapore

International Society of Project Managers

“Written in jargon-free terms, ‘Think & Win Bids’ sets out a surprisingly simple premise for successfully bidding for major infrastructure projects; winning (consistently) depends on the bidder’s willingness and savvy when it comes to the simple act of listening, and the not-so-simple act of knowing how to ask ‘quality questions’.

“Jordan Kelly pulls no punches in her perspective of superficial ‘win themes’ and the need for something more insightful and substantial in delivering tailored, attentive proposals. I finished the book with a clearer understanding of how to assist clients in formulating and effecting bid strategy (both before and after the official procurement phases) without the need for gimmicks, but focused on the basic skill of listening. This may well become required reading for all bid managers and others involved in bidding projects.”

David Holden

Partner

Russell McVeagh Lawyers

Auckland

“Bad grammar leads to unintended ambiguity. Even if the context makes the meaning clear in many cases, bad grammar also gives an impression of sloppiness.

“When I read a bid, I need to be able to understand it without struggling, and without getting a bad impression of the professionalism of the bid team.

“Jordan Kelly provides a comprehensive guide to correct grammar and common mistakes.

“Please take her advice.”

David Asteraki

Director – Infrastructure & Projects Group

Corporate Finance Advisory

KPMG, Sydney

“Your ’50 Essential Bid-Writing Tips’ is both an informative, and a pleasant and enjoyable, read. I find it very suitable for junior AND senior members of our estimating team, whose performance is greatly enhanced by its easy-to-read format.”

Geoff Humby

General Manager

Premier Waterproofing

Sydney, Australia

“In the age of social media and the informality of electronic communication, it’s refreshing to be reminded of the importance and relevance of the English language.

“What you’ve produced is a very readable and very constructive guide not only to the bid-writing process but to any professional proposal or report. It creates an awareness of the pitfalls that we all so easily find ourselves in, and provides insight into numerous areas for improvement. It’s a top-quality reference guide that should be revisited often to ensure that bad habits do not re-surface.

“Jordan, these really are great books (with reference also to ‘Bid-Writing Lessons from the World’s Greatest Authors’). I have learned heaps from them. The test now will be to put the learnings into action.”

Henry van Dyk

Partner

Polson Higgs Business Advisors

Dunedin, New Zealand

“Jolly good, Jordan. A truly great book. Really easy to read, really handy and not condescending, either. The observations you make, the suggestions and tips that run through it, the numerous little on-the-money checklists, are fantastic, as are the real-time examples you use.

“I’ve been overseeing bids for years and years and years, but I got so much out of this.

“It’s a great resource both in terms of a valuable reference guide and also as a great read in its own right. I’m impressed at how it so clearly demonstrates how to put strategy together, how to logically progress that into the writing stage, and then how to deal with grammatical issues as well. I don’t know how you did that all in a ‘grammar guide’, but you’ve done it.

“You guide the whole bid process through logically, and still deliver on your core promise – which is to show us how to uphold credibility in our bids through proper use of the English language.

“One more thing. You’ve demonstrated that you don’t need to be a professional copywriter to put a really solid bid together, and I think that will give confidence to a lot of people.”

Ron MacDonald

General Manager – Northern Region

Ebert Construction

Auckland, New Zealand

“Jordan Kelly has produced an easy-to-use and informative resource in ‘The Bid Writer’s Style & Grammar Guide’. I can recommend this book not only to read but also to keep close at hand as a reference when writing presentation letters, executive summaries and other descriptive documents for inclusion in bids.

“It also provides marketing-oriented guidance for the bid writer who may be otherwise coming from a more technical background, helping them produce a compelling bid, focusing on the reader’s concerns rather than on the more usual practice of simply listing the benefits of the product proposed.

“The Guide also offers useful grammar tips to help the writer avoid many of the errors that have become commonplace in modern writing, that detract from the overall quality of the presentation and the impression received by the reader. It is arranged in distinctive sections with a comprehensive index for efficient reference.”

John Ball

Head of Proposals

Siemens Ltd Australia

Energy Sector, Wind Division

“Great information presented this way is both enjoyable and appreciated, and will enhance careers.

“The most effective people at preparing tenders generally come from a trade background. Often communication skills are not understood or promoted in those disciplines, so a “style and grammar guide” that is pleasant to read and easily understood allows the reader to perform at a winning level.

“I see this book having ongoing benefit to the reader, as success leads to improved confidence, and confidence based on ability opens doors and bank accounts!

“Again, sincere thanks for your help, and for filling such an educational void in the building industry.”

Geoff Humby

General Manager

Premier Waterproofing

Sydney, Australia

"The wisdom of great writers such as Shakespeare or von Goethe applies as much to bid writing as to life generally.

“Jordan Kelly has illustrated her valuable lessons on preparing and writing successful bids with apposite quotations from a range of authors over the last 2,500 years.”

David Asteraki

Director – Infrastructure & Projects Group

Corporate Finance Advisory

KPMG, Sydney

“Despite the name, this book deals equally with the strategy considerations of the bid-writing process. That is what really made the book interesting for me – especially the Parts entitled, ‘Writing for Results’ and ‘Style, Substance & Effectiveness’. These chapters are fundamental to how sales organisations should look at bid writing.

“I also particularly liked ‘Avoiding Fashion-Speak’. That Part, too, is about more than just style; it’s about how you connect with the customer.

“Part 7, on ‘Non-Sexist Language’, is something all sales organisations should read. While we’ve hopefully moved past this issue at the level of mindset, I think, in many instances, we can use guidance to make sure our style matches our minds. This Part of the book sheds light on how to ensure we’re not conveying the wrong message – especially to first-time customers.”

Harald Jensen

Executive Vice President, Business Development

Veolia Water North America

Chicago

“This is a delightful book that provides insights from truly great writers into their craft. It’s the sort of book that a reader can dip into at any time and come away with real pearls of wisdom that will assist in any writing assignment.

“I love the way you’ve brought this wisdom and advice together in a way that delivers real and useable value to your reader, and the way you’ve built on them with your own knowledge and experience to create a fascinating entertainment-educational hybrid. What a delightful way to learn!

“Jordan, these really are great books (with reference also to ‘The Bid-Writer’s Style & Grammar Guide’). I have learned heaps from them. The test now will be to put the learnings into action.”

Henry van Dyk

Partner

Polson Higgs Business Advisors

Dunedin, New Zealand

“This is a fascinating little book, and a hell of a lot of research and experience has gone into it.

“It provides so much valuable instruction in such a simplified and absorbable, and really entertaining, manner. People give me business books all the time and to be honest, I rarely look forward to the read. They’re so dry and boring.

“But this book really works. You’ve brought to life the wisdom of these famous authors and philosophers etc to show us how to tell our story, as bid writers.

“Bid writing is about getting your story across – and doing it in a client-centric and compelling way. This book provides real insight into that skill, and that’s huge.

“A little book like this, sitting alongside an engineer to help him confidently translate his knowledge on to paper, is a real power tool.”

Ron MacDonald

General Manager – Northern Region

Ebert Construction,

Auckland, New Zealand

“Jordan has presented an excellent, easy-to-read collection of thoughts and insights by industry leaders. She takes the whole Value for Money concept and debate, and makes sense of it.

“After reading her book, VfM will no longer seem some specialised ‘black box’ procedure (as previously perceived by the industry). Not only does the book look to the past to learn lessons for the future, Jordan also seeks to challenge the industry ‘brains trust’ over the specific potential for collaborative contracting to solve what have thus far proven enduring problems for our sector.”

Wade Arthur

Executive Manager

CGI Consulting

Melbourne, Australia

“This a must-read, as well as a truly valuable check-list for any bid manager or writer.

“The many references to some of the greatest minds in history (not limited to great authors, in fact) add considerable weight to the learning experience. My personal favourite – on the importance of a fluid strategy – is Mike Tyson’s gem, ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.’ Having been punched in the face more than once in bidding large infrastructure projects, I will value this and the many other lessons Jordan shares.

“Powerful and highly readable in its simplicity, the book highlights well the key attributes of successful bid submissions. The style is original and provides effective illustration of its points, as regards the qualities inherent in the better-written bids.

“For me, it reinforces all that is important in the preparation of a well-structured response e.g. a well-researched strategy to underpin the entire process, a proposal that fully acknowledges and addresses the prospect’s situation, and the acceptance that Ernest Hemingway was largely correct when he said, ‘The first draft of anything is shit’.”

Peter Este

Commercial Manager

Siemens Ltd

Sydney, Australia

“She (Jordan Kelly) illuminates – in a way that no-one before her has – the subject of VfM.

“'Cracking the VfM Code™: How to Identify & Deliver Genuine Value for Money in Collaborative Contracting' is a book that is as timely as it is timeless, both in its perspectives and in its content.”

Steve Abson

President (2009-2011)

Queensland Major Contractors Association

“Your book has seen our organisation take an elevated, improved approach to the whole Value for Money (VfM) question. You’ve inspired an additional focus on getting VfM clear – up front. This has worked its way right through the project development phases of our projects; all my project directors now think at this elevated level.

“The book has also opened people’s eyes to the current issues surrounding the direction that alliances have been moving in. You have provided clarity about where we are taking relationship contracting per se.”

Menno Henneveld

Managing Director

Main Roads Western Australia

“I found ‘Cracking the VfM Code in Collaborative Contract Bidding’ an extremely insightful guide to developing winning bid strategies. The book provides clear, concise and relevant techniques, and even though it is targeted at large collaborative infrastructure projects I found the basic principles were equally applicable to all types of bids, large or small.

“It provides real practical examples and promotes a free-thinking and project-specific methodology, rather than trying to impose a cookie cutter approach to bid strategy.

“I found the book extremely valuable and recommend it to anyone who wants to enhance their ability to win competitive bids and tenders.”

Bob Deretic

Bid Manager

Visionstream

Sydney, Australia

“Kelly’s ‘Cracking the VfM Code in Collaborative Contract Bidding’ strikes to the core of how to go about winning bids in a highly competitive and often confused market, and additionally, a market laced with cynicism regarding contractor performance. Her insightful and candid explanations provide fundamental wisdom applicable to both Project Owners and Project Contractors.

“She does not profess any short cuts to trying to achieve ‘quick success’, but rather advocates the disciplined application of intelligence and thinking, to get the best results.

“The usefulness of her book goes well beyond being simply applicable to collaborative contracting, but also extends into the management of projects in general.”

Dr Bill Young

President

Asia Pacific Federation of Project Management

(Former President of the Australian Institute of Project Management)

“I’ve worked with Jordan for six years on many different projects and many different objectives, and I heartily endorse both her skills and her service levels.

“I am always surprised at the challenging briefs Jordan is able to execute. She can take a market sector or subject area that is completely unfamiliar to her and generate smart, insightful and implementable strategies.

“Her strategy formulation skills are complemented by her skilful facilitation, her first-class writing skills, and by the fact that she delivers on time, every time.”

Steve Abson

Chief Operating Officer

Ostwald Bros

Queensland, Austlralia

““I first worked with Jordan when I was with a small but rapidly growing technology company bidding for a major Government project that could reasonably have been considered well above our punching weight, in terms of our size and industry ranking. 

“She quickly realised that we lacked the 'big picture' on how to present ourselves and our proposal to the many and varied stakeholders who would contribute to the final decision. 

“Her strategic thinking led us well outside our normal comfort zone, but she was able to help me convince and win over the doubters and the risk-averse. 

“Along the way she wrote much professional and excellent copy, and also greatly raised the morale of the bid team (who were ultimately successful).”

John Lush 

Principal Consultant

John Lush & Associates

NSW, Australia

“Thanks for your inspiration, support and hard work on the bid. I personally enjoyed working with you and wanted to thank you for challenging me to really think about what I was writing.”

Uldis Clarson

Bid Manager

(Sydney, Australia) Parsons Brinckerhoff

“I’ve worked with Jordan for six years on many different projects and many different objectives, and I heartily endorse both her skills and her service levels.

“I am always surprised at the challenging briefs Jordan is able to execute. She can take a market sector or subject area that is completely unfamiliar to her and generate smart, 

insightful and implementable strategies.

“Her strategy formulation skills are complemented by her skilful facilitation, her first-class writing skills, and by the fact that she delivers on time, every time.”

Steve Abson

Chief Operating Officer

Ostwald Bros Queensland

“Jordan has really given us the ability to think in detail from a client’s point of view when preparing a bid. Being International Business Manager and dealing across different continents, I can proudly say that Jordan will help you to upgrade your thinking skills when dealing with every type of bid or client.

“Her coaching is very practical, specific, logical and detailed. Thanks.”

Manoj Kumar

International Business Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd Melbourne (Head Office)

“In the high stakes, ultra-competitive infrastructure services market, true insight and strategic excellence are invaluable in achieving success.

“Jordan practices what she preaches, and has the ability to provide an independent and insightful critique of the kind that can break the insular group-think that major bid teams can self-create.

“I can recommend Jordan as an advisor to teams looking to check and challenge themselves and their strategies for success before finding out the hard way.”

Rod Naylor

General Manager

Veolia Water North America (New York)

“I have received the final copy of my new-business proposal. Just to let you know that I am very happy with this document. I do feel very fortunate that our paths crossed as you have produced something on my behalf which will provide me with a distinct competitive edge.

“You have made this process very simple; you are obviously a very talented strategic writer and your ability to quickly understand my business needs has been very impressive. Thank you also for your quick turnaround time and the very professional service you have provided to me.”

Robyn Norman

General Manager – Compulsory Third Party

QBE Insurance Group Australia

“Recently I found myself in a position where I needed to decline an invitation to tender for a large corporation’s travel account.

“Having had a commercial arrangement with the corporation for the past 12 years, I wanted to be in the position of severing the relationship on good terms and keeping the door open for possible future contact.

“Jordan was recommended to me as someone who could assist with compiling suitable correspondence that was beyond the normal ‘thanks but no thanks’ letter.

“Many questions were asked and I had to search the far reaches of my thoughts to be able to give Jordan the answers – at times thinking, ‘What has this got to do with declining a tender offer?’

“However, the end product was a very strategic letter that I could never have put together by myself, and a door that remains very much open (and business that continues to be done) with my most important customer, despite the fact that my company decided not to participate in the RFT.

“Thanks Jordan!”

Bruce Tener

Managing Director

Balgownie World Travel Sydney, Australia

“I’ve worked with Jordan for six years on many different projects and many different objectives, and I heartily endorse both her skills and her service levels.

“I am always surprised at the challenging briefs Jordan is able to execute. She can take a market sector or subject area that is completely unfamiliar to her and generate smart, insightful and implementable strategies.

“Her strategy formulation skills are complemented by her skilful facilitation, her first-class writing skills, and by the fact that she delivers on time, every time.”

Steve Abson

Principal

Flagstaff Consulting Group

Australia

“I have worked with Jordan to develop a coaching program for companies and individuals wishing to improve their knowledge of the bidding process for PPP projects.

“Drawing on her considerable experience, Jordan skilfully captured and structured the raw content I provided, then complemented it with her own research and Intellectual Property, to create a coaching program which provides a great jump start into a fascinating industry.”

James Mitchell

Independent Project Director

Public Private Partnerships Australia

“Jordan provided Bombardier Transportation with support to spearhead our tender response strategy for a multi-million dollar overseas rail project.

“For an engineering organisation, more product-focused than ‘market’-focused, Jordan showed the tender team another way to present the tender that was creative, customer-focused, and ensured we stayed on target consistently throughout the tender documentation.

“Jordan has a great feel for a customer’s needs and aspirations, through thorough research of background material to personal contact strategy.

“Jordan demonstrated a keen sense of what mattered to the customer, and her prose in the key frontpiece, the Executive Summary, was appropriate, emphatic and balanced.

“I recommend Jordan to others open to a new way of expression in the difficult world of tendering.”

Alan Burns

Director – Sales and Marketing

Bombardier Transportation Australia

“Our weekend workshop by Jordan Kelly helped me see the bid evaluation process from the client’s perspective. I now cringe when I look back on some of the bids and client communications I have sent in the past. Her unique perspective was exactly what I was looking for, for our sales and marketing team and all the participants were very impressed with both the content and the delivery.

“I can honestly say that the concepts that Jordan uses have already become part of the way we work and interact with our clients, not only in the realm of a bid, but also in day-to-day interactions. Whilst not for the faint-hearted, Jordan’s workshop lead us through the bid strategy formulation process in a way which completely changed the way we approach our clients. She does this, not by formulas or templates, but by a complete paradigm shift, which truly changes ingrained behaviours.

“Thanks, Jordan, for what should become a pivotal moment in the history of our company.

“PS: It is amazing! Even with general customer correspondence, you have managed to instil a deep-set change in the way I am communicating with my customers.”

Nicholas Dal Sasso

General Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd (Environmental Monitoring)

“The training program she produced for us was well-organised, totally interactive and extremely challenging.”

James Agius

Operations Manager

Ecotech Pty Ltd

“Her deliberately un-templated method seemed to open up scope for more creative thinking, 

and the potential to identify additional angles to constructing a successful bid.”

Justin Mellors

Sales Engineer

Ecotech Pty Ltd

“Recently I found myself in a position where I needed to decline an invitation to tender for a large corporation’s travel account.

“Having had a commercial arrangement with the corporation for the past 12 years, I wanted to be in the position of severing the relationship on good terms and keeping the door open for possible future contact.

“Jordan was recommended to me as someone who could assist with compiling suitable correspondence that was beyond the normal ‘thanks but no thanks’ letter.

“Many questions were asked and I had to search the far reaches of my thoughts to be able to give Jordan the answers – at times thinking, ‘What has this got to do with declining a tender offer?’

“However, the end product was a very strategic letter that I could never have put together by myself, and a door that remains very much open (and business that continues to be done) with my most important customer, despite the fact that my company decided not to participate in the RFT.

“Thanks Jordan!”

Bruce Tener

Managing Director

Balgownie World Travel Sydney, Australia

“I worked with Jordan in 2012 on a $100m tender and I recruited her again for a separate company’s tender in 2017.

“Jordan used strategic review and comprehensive interviewing techniques to extract key information from our senior nominated staff. This process provided a concise Curriculum Vitae script tailored specifically to the tender. It was thanks to these scripts that our people were best represented as the experienced face of the company, and as such were shortlisted in 

an extremely specialised field.

“The process Jordan employed was very involved, and the resulting work and subsequent results exceeded expectations.”

Tim Herlihy

Operations Manager

Contract Services Australasia Pty Ltd

“It’s hard to know which of Jordan Kelly’s incredibly wide range of skills takes precedence over the other. She has the invaluable talent of being able to quickly and accurately discern an organisation’s business objectives and convert them into cutting-edge marketing strategy.

“She has the ability to then execute every aspect of that strategy to the ‘nth’ degree of accuracy and perfection. She also has the highest imaginable standards and an eagle eye for detail. All of this pays huge dividends for her clients.”

Director

Medical Services Establishment Sydney, Australia