Masonry Magazine July 2012 Page. 39
Winning More Work: Beyond the Low Bid
If you don't have a personal relationship with the customer that is not related to work, you have no other choice but to differentiate your company. Before you bid the next project, ask yourself why the customer should hire your company. Are you better or faster? Do you have more qualified trained people? Can you help your customer make more money?
As you create a list of reasons the customer should hire your company, include services you can offer that competitors won't, and items not required by the scope of work. Think about how you can help your customer meet goals, build a better project, or reduce risk, while working with your company. If you want to win jobs today, you must do more than the minimum.
After you create a list of the reasons why you are the best choice for your customer to award this contract, include in your proposal a list of past projects and pictures showing how you beat the schedule, delivered results, and made your customer excited about working with your company. Include a draft schedule showing how you will complete the project 10 percent to 20 percent faster than your competition. Take your potential customer to jobsites to show them how you solved difficult problems. Give them a list of added services your company will provide and offer guarantees for completion, punch-list, quality, or extra warranties.
What's the main purpose for your bid?
The main purpose of every bid is to get a meeting with potential customers. Customers can be enticed to meet in many ways. Constantly call to ask for a meeting. Leave messages like, "Regarding the bid we submitted, I have several ways we can save you money, finish faster, make your job easier, improve the quality, help you, do more for less, etc."
If you can't give customers several reasons to meet, you can only hope your low bid is low enough to win the contract. At the meeting, change your role from contractor to a dynamic presenter who sells why they should only consider hiring your company.
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Winning Contracts Takes More Work
Winning contracts at your price is not easy. It takes more work than it used to. Now you must also sell and present your company as the best choice. This takes a restructuring of your time and commitment to excellence. Learn how to upgrade you presentation, improve your proposal, be more aggressive with follow-up, and not take "no" for an answer. IMAS
George Hedley is a licensed, professional business coach, popular professional speaker and best selling author of "Get Your Business to Work!" and "The Business Success Blueprint For Contractors," available at his online bookstore. He works with business owners to build profitable growing companies. Email gh@hardhatpresentations.com to request your free copy of "Winning Ways To Win More Work!" or sign up for his free monthly e-newsletter. To hire George to speak, be part of his ongoing BIZCOACH program, or join one of his ongoing Roundtable Peer BIZGROUPS, call 800-851-8553 or visit www.HardhatPresentations.com.
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July 2012 MASONRY 37