DENISE O’LEARY MBE ENCOURAGES SOUTH WEST BUSINESSES TO GO OUT AND WIN MORE WORK

Wiltshire businesswoman opens Bristol’s South West Expo with practical advice on winning contracts and new customers

Wiltshire, October 2026 – Denise O’Leary MBE, Founder and Managing Director of Purpol Marketing, was the opening keynote speaker at the South West Expo in Bristol on Thursday 1 October, sharing her experience of winning business with entrepreneurs from across the region.

Held at Leigh Court and organised by Great British Expos, the event brought together businesses for a day of networking, meeting potential customers and picking up new ideas.

Denise was first on the speaker programme at 9.15am with her presentation, ‘How to Win More Clients, Contracts & Opportunities’.

Having helped businesses secure more than £3.6 billion in contracts, with a 95% bid success rate, Denise had plenty of advice to share.

“I was delighted to be invited to open the South West Expo,” said Denise.

“It’s always lovely to meet other business owners, particularly when everyone is there to make connections and find new opportunities.

“My message was simple. Don’t rule yourself out of winning work just because you’re a smaller business. You might be exactly what a customer is looking for, but you have to give them a reason to choose you.”

It’s not always the biggest business that wins

Through her Wiltshire-based consultancy, Purpol Marketing, Denise helps businesses improve their marketing, prepare successful tenders and win recognition through awards.

She knows from experience that some excellent businesses miss opportunities because they struggle to communicate what they do well.

“I’ve seen businesses spend hours putting together a tender, only to lose marks because they haven’t actually answered the question,” Denise explained.

“You can have all the experience in the world, but the person reading your bid needs to see the evidence.

“Tell them what you’ve done, explain how you’ll deliver and show them why they can trust you.

“And don’t fill your answers with jargon. Nobody wants to work their way through pages of complicated language to find out whether you can do the job!”

Denise also encouraged businesses to be selective about the opportunities they pursue.

“Not every contract is right for every business. It’s important to look at what the customer needs and decide whether you can genuinely deliver it.

“Sometimes saying no to the wrong opportunity gives you more time to concentrate on the ones you have a much better chance of winning.”

Making connections in Bristol

Following her keynote, Denise had the opportunity to meet other exhibitors and visitors at Leigh Court.

“I love the atmosphere at business expos. You meet people from all sorts of industries, and it’s interesting to hear what they’re working on.

“Sometimes the most useful conversation you have all day is with somebody you weren’t expecting to meet.

“It’s also a good reminder that we don’t have to do everything on our own. There are lots of opportunities for businesses to support each other, share knowledge and work together.”

The Bristol appearance came just weeks after Denise launched the updated second edition of her bestselling book, WINNER – How to WIN Business Awards, in September.

The book, which reached Amazon No.1 across seven charts, shares her experience of helping businesses put together successful award entries.

Denise sees a strong connection between winning awards and winning contracts.

“When you enter an award, you’re explaining to the judges why your business deserves to win. When you submit a tender, you’re doing something very similar.

“You need to understand what they’re looking for, give them the evidence and make your answer stand out for the right reasons.

“I’m always encouraging businesses to recognise what they’ve achieved. We can be very good at playing down our own successes, but those achievements could be exactly what helps us win the next opportunity.”

Denise thanked the Great British Expos team for inviting her to speak.

“It was a great start to October and lovely to be back in Bristol.

“Thank you to everyone who came along to my early morning session. I hope you picked up something useful to put into practice.

“And if you’re thinking about going for a contract but aren’t sure whether you’re ready, have a proper look at it before you talk yourself out of it. You could be missing a fantastic opportunity!”