Ask Andi: We lack a force to increase sales. We submit bids, yet the project is awarded to the lowest bidder. How do we attract buyers’ attention? Should there be more to sales? Or am I smart to keep things lean?
Thoughts of the Day: To increase sales, increase value, and speed you deliver the kind of value people are willing to pay for. Increase buyers’ attention and close more deals. Or responding to bids is highly competitive. Companies that want to grow margins learn how to get additional business without being the low bidder. The owner of a growing firm can’t be its only salesperson. One of the biggest challenges in sales is getting buyers’ attention.
Increase sales
To increase sales when bidding, the greater fool theory takes hold. An enthusiastic optimist bids less in order to get the work. A qualified firm offers an unusually low price to keep the cash flow going or to build its portfolio in a particular niche. An unqualified firm sneaks in and steals the show with a good bid. Over time, bid prices decline and margins deteriorate.
There are advantages to pursuing work through bidding. Getting onto bid lists can increase a company’s pipeline of opportunity. Bidding can level the playing field, limiting a favored seller’s influence. Publication of bid results can reveal information about competitors.
Once your company has submitted a number of bids, it’s time to evaluate the results. Are you winning anything? Or, coming closer to winning – i.e. moving from second runner-up to first runner-up? Can your company do the work at the winning bids’ price and make a profit?
If you can answer “yes”, keep going with more bids. More than one “no” answer? Quickly change your bidding process. Or, quit bidding – figure out what, when, why you lose – then avoid those kinds of bids. Losing bids means wasted effort. Redirect energy into more productive sales activities. Assign someone to work on a list of targets.
Consider customers’ business drivers
Look for companies that don’t typically bid, or that have a reputation for working with key suppliers. Seek out buyers with unique and constantly evolving requirements that, when met, eliminate most other suppliers. Invest in getting to know those buyers. Find out which ones will purchase without going through sealed bids.
Lead the market, rather than following it. Be a problem solver and get favorable sales treatment from forward-thinking prospects. Partner with buyers to develop custom solutions in exchange for preferred supplier status.
Want to build exit value for your company? Commit to building a sales and marketing force. One reason most companies participate in a bidding process is that they don’t get enough work from other means. Break the cycle by thinking long-term.
Add value, boost sales
It may take a year or more to build an effective sales and marketing team. The sooner you get to work ramping that up, the sooner you’ll see the results. And the less vulnerable your company will be, as it no longer depends on you, the owner, for the next sale.
Think you can’t afford to invest in marketing and sales? Consider the margin your company leaves on the table through competitive bidding. Once you get through the ramp-up cycle, a sales and marketing force will pay for itself in multiple ways. Your new team should produce higher margins, greater volume, and a better match with ideal customers who are less difficult to service.
If you don’t want to manage, or can’t afford to build a full-time sales force, consider a rep network. Look for people who are already selling to your target market. Get the training and tools to help them sell your offerings. Help them to increase their income by expanding their portfolio.
Resist the temptation to focus on operations. Business owners often work to perfect what they offer to the market, beyond the point of optimum value. “If you build it they will come” doesn’t work nearly as well as “Be there, ready to serve, before the customer even knows they need something.” The former comes from operations, the latter from sales.
