You spend hours on the phone with your potential client, answering questions and giving advice. You call in your team of solo alliances and suppliers that will be needed, to help prepare a whiz-bang proposal. They happily give their time on the promise of a “big” job.
Finally, you’ve dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s, and maybe prepared charts and graphs. Your team has spent time and money creating some slick computer linked examples of what they can do. You put the proposal in a smart presentation folder, say a blessing, and courier it in with copies for all concerned.
Now comes the eager nail-biting wait for some response.
But nothing!
In spite of your emails and phone calls, no response. Not a word. Finally, either directly or through the grapevine, you do get a response with one of the following reasons for your failure to get the job:
Someone else got the job. Maybe it turns out yours was the third “compulsory” quote called for and the result had already been decided.
The client decided to do the job, or part of the job, in-house after all. More than likely using all your information and expertise.
They are not going ahead at this time and were just looking to see what was possible. Chances are no-one mentioned this was just an exploratory tyre kicking exercise.
Full of impotent rage and disappointment you spit chips and wipe the egg of your face when you confront your disillusioned suppliers.
Has any of this every happened to you? It's happened to us and so we don’t get caught again, we’ve introduced some guidelines and policies for dealing with potential clients.
Questions to ask:
- How many quotes have been called for and have they all been given the same brief? If at all possible find out who are your competitors.
- Do you have a budget in mind? This gives you the opportunity to state your rates.
- When are you thinking of doing this? If the answer is too vague, time to be wary.
You will need a policy in place before you start the bidding conversation with your potential client. Then you will know when to draw the line around the value of your time and information.
- If there is a lot of brain picking going on, decide on and give a clear indication of how much advice preparation work you are able to do as an initial proposal. Then if they want more detailed information, but are not yet willing to commit, you have to start charging.
- Find out exactly what the initial brief is and don’t over-deliver unasked for with bells and whistles in the hope of making a great impression.
- With small business clients, talk budget and what you charge early in the conversation and before you get into an informationfest. Find out if they can afford your rates and, if not, refer them on to somebody else. This could save you a lot of time dealing with enquiries that are simply not your market yet retain good will.
What are your tips to avoid wasting time on jobs for potential clients that are never going to happen?
“ Find out exactly what the initial brief is and don’t over-deliver unasked for with bells and whistles in the hope of making a great impression. ”
Wendy Buckingham provides independent information to assist soloists who want to add coaching skills to their portfolio.
