Competitive pitches

I've been asked to pitch on a whole-of-Europe roll-out of a new selling system at the end of the month.

It looks to be a huge project and possibly one at the outer limits of my capacity as a smaller supplier. On closer examination something isn't right; the briefing document is suspiciously short and reading it leaves me with more questions than answers. I'm left wondering one of two things: -

• The client doesn't know what they want from the project so allowing me to read between the lines and interpret the brief in a way that I think will best serve the client's long-term needs;

• The brief was written with an existing supplier in mind (who already knows how to read between those lines) and I'm just making up the numbers on the day of the pitch

The first interpretation is highly motivational whereas the second leaves me sulking. I'm giving myself until next Tuesday to get a better sense of the politics before diving into draft project design, building the presentation, booking flights, organising print design and all the rest.

I am also alive to the possibility that being so used to having my reputation precede me has left me short of match fitness where competitive pitches are concerned and I'm already looking for excuses.