In this economic climate ‘Tender enquiries’ are difficult to come by and so you will need to ensure that  every opportunity is used  to the full.  Using a Tender Register is vital if you are to maintain a record of all your enquiries in one place.  The Register will give you a record of the architect or company sending  the enquiry, the site or project name for reference, the received and return dates and finally the outcome or result.

It will have taken some time and effort to get those tender documents through the door and although some architects or Quantity Surveyors will send out a standard letter with the results for your information; most will not.  This is your opportunity to call them for some feedback.  Don’t moan about not receiving feedback but rather use this opportunity to your advantage and give them a call.

“Lost tenders are still good sales opportunities.”

Managing your enquiries is vital because you will begin to compile statistics which you can use to your advantage including;  how many enquiries received, their value bands, what percentage of jobs you are winning each month and of course you will be able to identify which jobs are  most profitable.  If you don’t yet use a Register start one today and manage your workload.

Don’t walk away from lost tenders

1. It is very important that you get feedback on each tender submission.

2. Call the client and ask for feedback on your bid.

3. Thank them for this opportunity to bid and then ask them about future work.  Talk about timescales involved,who   the decision makers are, the value of the work and other key details.  You’ll be glad you made that call.

4. Confirm your continuing interest in working with them and you will find that your relationship with them will continue to grow effectively.

Finally, the longer I work within construction marketing the more I realise that we need to talk more often than we do to our clients, customers and contacts.  I will ask my clients regularly, ‘How often do you talk with your own customers and clients about future work opportunities?’  To my amazement, the answer is often, ‘Not at all!’

This should not be and you can ring the changes within your own business by making your staff aware of the need to be ‘relationship builders’  Talk to people and you’ll be surprised at the results.