Tendup’s Bid + Marketing Manager, Sarah is an energetic person who meets every aspect of her life with enthusiasm. From managing myriad tenders to keeping pace with her three children – Sarah hits the ground running in everything she does in life.
1. Before joining Tendup, you held diverse marketing roles. How did those early experiences shape your career?
In my graduate year of university, I joined Vodafone’s national marketing department. It was a foundational experience, giving me the chance to work across a range of marketing disciplines, including CRM, direct marketing, advertising and product marketing.
After five years at Vodafone, I was offered an opportunity in the marketing team at a global infrastructure organisation. This role grew to be national marketing manager and as part of the Asia Pacific marketing team, I really enjoyed working with a diverse global team to produce marketing campaigns that would resonate across a range of cultures. This role allowed me to deepen my technology knowledge while also refining my B2B marketing skills.
During my time there, I was involved in the tendering process for a significant component of Australia’s national broadband network. It was a big one. Back then, once the hard work of responding to a tender was done, it was time to print it out. And this one was so big that it filled my entire car boot!
2. After gaining this incredible corporate marketing experience, you decided to freelance. How did you take your experience and translate it into running your own consultancy?
I like to say that advertising and marketing is my blood. My family has an ad agency, and from a young age, I was initiated into the family business. It started out with accompanying my dad to the odd print run sign-off, always very late at night due to the production process and such a thrill. In my teenage years I helped out with production on TV ad shoots and during my university years, I worked part-time at the agency.
In 2010, it was the perfect time for me to continue that entrepreneurial spirit by starting my own business. To start with, I consulted on marketing strategy and helped a range of technology start-ups with getting their brand and marketing activity established.
In 2020, Tendup Founder and Director, Kat Barter and I connected on LinkedIn. It felt like a natural fit – we had a similar ethos and clicked from day one. I loved being back in the thrill of the tender. I particularly love the people side of it. Our team is here to support our clients to deliver work that they would otherwise struggle to have the time to do.
3. What do you think is the most important element of being an effective Bid Manager?
For me, it’s all about end-to-end client support—jumping in, working alongside the team, and getting things done fast and to a high standard.
I see my role as bringing to light the best thinking across a team of contributors, each bringing their specialised knowledge, with Tendup helping to turn it into a compelling and interesting proposal. The trick is to get the client’s value clearly positioned during the tender planning process so that every section of the response tells a cohesive story that showcases their strengths and the winning aspects of their bid.
4. From qualification to contract signing, Tendup is known for their ability to deliver high-quality tenders. How have the team developed a reputation for delivering excellent results every time?
Most customers initially seek out help to finesse the writing and format the document.
But what our clients commonly tell us is that they are really grateful for how we help manage the response.
Tendup’s agile-based bid and proposal management methodology has been developed through our delivery of many large-scale tenders. Our process brings the best out of everyone while ensuring the team stays motivated and energised. Our focus is to provide a calm and stress-free space where we shoulder the weight of a large piece of work, helping to provide a sense of order and productivity in what is usually a sprint to the finish.
5. How do you work with clients to tailor a nuanced approach that provides the level of resourcing appropriate for their individual requirements?
No one tender is ever the same. We conduct an incredibly detailed review of the document set, reading every word to ensure that we are 100% clear on the particularities of each opportunity.
Recognising that every team is different, I rely heavily on tailoring my approach to each team. It’s about being attuned to the small cues that people give you and working with them in a way that is supportive and engaging.
I try to lock into the style and tone of the different teams I work with. Essentially being part of the team – seamlessly blending into their culture. Given that most tenders will involve vendors and partners, I am also conscious of providing a service that elevates our clients’ standing with their external teams.
6. What do you feel sets Tendup apart from competitors?
So often the tender process is task-based. Write a proposal, edit it, refine it, submit it. And that’s fine when all contributors have enough time to do so. Tenders are usually completed in high-pressure contexts by time-poor people. And that’s no way to deliver your best work!
At Tendup, we are focused on setting up an experience with bids and tenders that relieves stress and creates a highly collaborative and engaging environment to bring out the best of all people involved. It’s far more than a task to complete a tender, it’s akin to running a marathon.
The other differentiator for us is our contextual understanding of both the tender marketplace and Australian government/large enterprise procurement environments. With our deep understanding of the landscape, we bring a strategic view and are trusted advisors to our clients. There’s a whole discipline to bid strategy, from win themes to partnering, competitor analysis and requirements analysis – we help bring clarity to the complexity.
I think the Tendup team do an incredible job bringing together the disciplines of strategy, writing, editing and production.
7. Where in Australia are you located and why do you feel having a geographically diverse workforce is a unique advantage?
I live an hour north of Sydney on the NSW Central Coast, close enough to stay connected with our Sydney clients and build Tendup’s network there. Being nationally dispersed is big benefit to a company with clients right across Australia. Tendup was designed to be a virtual agency from the outset. We were already successfully collaborating with some of the team in the remote work model pre-covid and we continue to thrive as a team operating across Australia, supporting clients near and far.
8. What do you love to do in your spare time?
We are lucky to have the beach just down the road and living by the ocean is my happiness. There is not a day that goes by that I do not breathe in the salt air. Our Bordoodle, Ralph, is my best beach buddy and shares my enthusiasm!
I have a very full family and professional life – and I would not have it any other way. It is a big, active life and I love it.
Meet the Tendup team
You can learn more about Tendup’s talented team here.