How to brief and interview partners for tenders and actually get what you need
If you’ve ever sent multiple emails chasing partner bios or input, only to receive a two-liner 10 minutes before deadline; or worse, felt like you were annoying or harassing them just by asking - this article is for you.
Getting useful input from partners can feel like getting blood from a stone. They can be intimidating, busy, or simply disengaged.
But approached the right way, you can make the process smoother for them and far more productive for your bid.
Briefing and interviewing partners for tenders is part persuasion, part performance coaching. When done well, it helps surface stronger content, sharper messages, and real points of difference - the kind of things that make your bid much easier to write and help your bid stand out.
Here’s how to approach these crucial tender information gathering exercises with more confidence.
The anatomy of a good partner brief
A partner brief should be structured, focused, and easy to respond to. Avoid general requests like “can you send me something for your section?” and instead offer:
Clear purpose: What’s this bid for and why are we going for it?
Key deadlines: Be specific and highlight non-negotiables.
What you need from them: e.g. a case study, profile, input on approach.
Examples or structure: Show what good looks like.
Optional vs essential: Let them know what you can help with vs what needs their input.
Make it scannable and wherever possible, deliver it in person or over a call. A quick voice conversation often gets you further, faster, than a passive email strategy.
And please, don’t just send out a blank sheet or say, “here’s your bit to fill in.” Here, you're acting as a post box, not a value add to the firm.
Frame the task clearly, offer examples, and try to add value from the outset. The easier you make it for partners to help you, the more useful their input will be.
Structuring interviews or info sessions
A short meeting can be more productive than weeks of email tennis. If you have 10, 15 or perhaps up to 30 minutes, focus on:
Setting the scene: Briefly summarise the opportunity and what the client is looking for.
Targeted questions: e.g. “What’s one matter that shows we’ve done this well?”
Prompting for depth: “What made that tricky?” or “Why did they choose us?”
Framing their contribution: “We’re highlighting you as a key contact - what would you want the client to know about how you work?”
Record the session (with consent) via your phone or on Teams or Zoom or take fastidious notes.
Techniques to tease out win themes and stories
Partners aren’t always natural storytellers, but they do have the gold.
To draw it out:
Use examples: “In the last tender we said X … would you say that still holds?”
Offer options: “Would you prefer I draft something and you tweak it? Could you give me some basics….”
Nudge them beyond the CV: “Is there a client you’ve helped through a similar issue?”
You’re not just ghostwriting - you’re translating their experience into what matters for this client.
When they say “just use what we had last time”
The classic stall tactic. Your options:
Say yes… then adapt it anyway: Reframe, reword, and refresh to suit the current bid.
Ask what’s changed: “Would you still approach it the same way today?”
Play the client card: “This is a big one for [Client] they’ll expect something tailored.”
Use gentle humour: “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that line…”
Final thought: you’re more than a content chaser
BD and marketing professionals are not just messengers.
A well-run tender briefing and interview is a performance coaching session - helping partners hit the right note for the right audience.
Strong inputs mean stronger tenders. And a better experience for everyone.
About the author
Amy Burton-Bradley is a legal tender strategist and the founder of Bidtique. Law Firm Tenders is her resource site for firms who want to sharpen their approach to tenders, bids, and proposals.