Have you ever been in a bidding war when you didn’t even realize it? I know I have. I’ll explain in a minute. But first, I want to give you some background.
I work with many clients who find themselves in bid situations. While they would all prefer not to have to bid on work against their competitors, they realize that in many cases they have no choice, unless they just want to walk away.
I understand this dilemma. I also don’t like to bid. I prefer to work with a client as a strategic partner to develop a customized solution. But sometimes I end up bidding, whether I know it or not.
Recently, I was one of two bidders for a consulting engagement. I didn’t realize it was a bid situation until after the decision was made. Thankfully, I was the winner and had the opportunity to see the other consultant’s bid. As you know, this market intelligence is often hard to get and is very valuable.
Buyers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approaches to making purchase decisions. For this reason, companies and salespeople must be aware of the psychology involved and do everything in their power to impact the situation in their favor. Old school cliches no longer apply.
Will I ever knowingly enter into a bid situation for my services? Probably not. Will I unknowingly enter into a bid situation for my services? Every day. There’s no way to avoid it.
P
Posted by philharwood 
