Bid busting solutions

3. How to Present the Bid: Make It an Event

The set up conversation: "John, I will have the bid ready tomorrow. Will Pete and Mike be able to make the presentation? If not, let's set it for a time when all the decision makers can be present."

If all the decision makers are not present, we are submitting a bid, not selling.

Find out when. "When will the order be placed?"

Be the last bidder. "Are all the bids in?" is a bid-buster question. If the answer is yes, find out as much as possible about them. If the answer is no, why are we waiting?

Present a final number without specifications. If we are doing highly detailed work or there is some advantage in others seeing our bid, this is a bold and effective move.

Customer: "Wow, that's a great price, but where are the details?"

ANy SELLERS FEEL vlcTlMrzeo by, and thus fall victim to, The Bid Process. "I can't really sell my guy* because he buys off a list. The lowest bidder gets the order. I try to work with him, but he tells me to quote my best price the first time and if I've got the low number, I get the order." ("I got the order! Hooray! I'm the dumbest!")

This is a victim mentality. And if it's true, which it's not, we can have a $l0-an-hour employee do ourjob.

Number I Bid Busting Solution

Prospect for accounts who will buy from us as promotional partners, not people who want us to be their Bid-B's. But if we must bid...

2. De-commoditizing the Bid/RFQAnquiry

Ask about desired outcome. What exactly is the customer trying to accomplish? If we know the desired end result, we submit a bid-a solution-that is better customized (not commoditized) to our customer's needs and, most importantly, to the talents of our company. We rewrite the bid customized to our strengths vis-ir-vis our customer's desired outcome.

Work the bid collector. This is neither my style nor my favorite, but it works and most master sellers have an arrow or two of this strategy in their quiver. Being nice to the person who collects the bids-whether they are the buyer or not-pays dividends. Asking for guidance and friendly conversation will give clues to how the bids are placed. Often information considered unfair is given.

Work the Bid. This is a heavy part of strategy number one. When given a bid, we must query every aspectprice, delivery, availability, penalties for late shipment. That small piece of information and many like it will be discovered going through the bid thoroughly and completely. Everything is important, but identify the most important aspect and prioritize the remainder.

Bold Salesperson: "We stand behind our work 1007o. Our designers are the best in the business. I will give you the details when you give me the order."

This approach can be flipped by giving the specs but leaving out the price-until all decision makers are present, for example-or modified by leaving out one key element in an otherwise immaculate bid. This approach can be delivered in bolder and subtler ways, adjusting it to our style and that of our customer.

Submit an inexpensive bid with a strict time limit. Especially in ongoing business-to-business sales relationships, this is a great bid buster. Submitting a great price with a time limit encourages our customers to work with us. If they come back after the deadline, we must hold firm, even if we lose the business, or this will not work.

Speak assumptively. We must speak as if we are presenting a solution that will be implemented. (Not a bid!) x Our guy is someone who buys from us like a partner. Refer to number one bid buster solution above.

Know the details. Especially when presenting a customized solution, if we fumble on details, the customer will return immediately to the standard bid.

Ask for the order. Speak assumptively throughout the presentation and be prepared to ask for the order many times. Letting the customer walk (consider, think over, discuss on their own) or any other option lowers our closing percentage drastically.

James Olsen Reality Sales Training