How Do You Present Your Bids?

redwood

I usually send my proposals by email and then followup with a phone call. I usually live a good distance from my prospective customers, so it saves me a bundle of time with this method.

How do you do it?

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Mark
Los Gatos, CA
www.creative-redwood-designs.com

genecarp

when i bid, and its maybe twice a year, i meet mano y mano

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RobertCDF

First meeting they get a folder with refs, letter from building department, brochures from Correct Deck, brochures from me. I then mesure and let them know when I will get back to them. Then I go home and do a 3-d drawing (most of the time) but together an estimate and call them to set up another appointment. I bring my laptop to show them the 3-d design and maybe have a contract in the bag in case they want to sign then and there. NEVER print your 3-d design till the contract is signed.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

rbsremodeling

In the nude??

I can't believe none of the wise asses here posted that

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RobertCDF

Thats a trade secret that I dont usually tell. My competition may be lurkers on this forum.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

rbsremodeling

I usually email my too and follow up with a call or email.

But I am hoping to change that dynamic by opening a showroom and having people come in to recieve the estimate and touch and see displays to give them a warm fuzzy about the company and project and give me an edge on my competitors

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dkillianjr

I do it all sorts of ways sometimes e-mail, then a follow up call. Or sometimes I will set up a second meeting with them and deliver it personally along with pictures, references, and samples and stuff. It all depends who the people are and how big or complicated the job is, or how much I want the job Heck I have even snail mailed some of them.



Dave

RobertCDF

I used to just do whatever but I kind of tried to do them all the same no matter what. 1 time I snail mailed one 2 weeks after I said I would CALL them (never did call them) just dropped in the mailbox. 3 weeks later they called and said "when can you start?" I was really suprised they turned out to be great customers. They never changed anything, never questioned anything and paid whenever I called for it (it was in the contract).

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

dkillianjr

You are right on that one Robert, I have had customers like that before too you think to yourself, well that was a waste, but then all of a sudden they say sounds good. It is probly a smart idea to handle all of them the same cause you never know. I'm sure you guys get the same thing, I got one customer that I swear calls me every couple months and wants a new project bid. They I have only done a couple of the projects estimated and the others have never been done, even by anyone else. I am acctually going there next week to price an addition



Dave

AtlanticWBConst

That reminds me of one (deck) that we priced late summer '07. Met with the new HO's, discussed some things. Did a preliminary layout of the deck (not a detailed design). Looked like it would be about a $18K composite deck.

Sent it out by snail mail, and didn't hear back from them....till Feb. 08.
They called and said get us in your spring schedule.

People can be funny.

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- Build Well -

redwood

I have one of those, I still don't know if I will ever do the job, but I did get a deposit.

I was refered by a architect to a slightly eccentric couple. He had designed their house many years prior and it was time to replace their deck. I now have the feeling he probably did not want to deal with them again. This was in Jan 2007 and at that time the deck was rotten, but low to the ground.

We went around about things for a couple of months and then I didn't hear from them again until Jan. of this year. They wanted to proceed and get on my schedule. I said fine, sign the proposal and send me a deposit. They did, but they did not know what material they wanted to use. I had given them options for redwood, composite, and ipe.

We emailed back and forth for a couple of months and now I haven't heard from them for 3 weeks. I actually had them scheduled a couple of times, but had to put it off because they had not made up their minds.

Do I return their deposit ($1000)?

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Mark
Los Gatos, CA
www.creative-redwood-designs.com