Cheeky emails

[Brown and Boris]

I wonder if I am being a bit cheeky here...

As business has suddenly slowed I have recently started looking again at tenders (don't start me). One site tells you who won the contract and who the contact there is.

One thing I did this week was to email the contact at the company who had won the contract (contracts too big for me to have tried for) congratulating them and to see if they needed technical help. I outlined our company experience in the area, and our unique skills in areas where I thought they might need support (without saying I thought they couldn't cope). As a very small company (just the 2 of us) we were never going to be competitors and I probably wouldn't do it if we had been in the tender.

One sent a very short snotty reply saying they wee the market leaders, why would they want support? The second said they were still looking at their technical needs but would keep me on record anyway as they have other large projects where they need expert advice/skills, and the third replied saying she had sent my details to two named individuals in their resourcing unit who were planning the work. That gave me enough information to find out how many qualified staff they had on the payroll, suggesting they might need help.


My thought was that alot of people submit tenders painting a nice picture that they can cope with a big contract, knowing they can get the technical staff if need be, and may now be looking.


Worth a punt or making yourself look desperate? (or both).

If you got the email how would you view it?

Edited by Brown and Boris on Wednesday 25th February 11:00

[randlemarcus]

Absolutely worth a punt, as amply demonstrated by the response you received.

Specialist resources are always in demand. If the winner of the tender has the resource in-house, your offer now frees them up to chase the next bit of business while you complete this one, even if it cuts their margin a little to pay for you, so never a bad thing.

[JustinP1]

Brown and Boris said:

One sent a very short snotty reply saying they wee the market leaders, why would they want support?

Thats what Ferrari said to a tractor manufacturer once.

The tractor manufacturer became quite famous in the years afterwards and called his cars after his name. Mr Lamborghini.

[Landlord]

Brown and Boris said:

If you got the email how would you view it?

If I needed resources I'd think "great - some leads". If I didn't, I'd think it was an irrelevant email.

Either way - the email would have, at worst, a neutral effect on me - at best it would be a god-send.

[ginettag27]

Agreed, I've had people approach us before, but we didn't need the resource then.. So let them know. Think I'll start to keep a list of those who contact us, as work does tend to ebb and flow, sometimes we need some extra resource..

[_Voyager_]

We get business all the time this way. The other thing is once you are in with a SI, they use you for all sorts of tenders you have never heard of.

Just remember to agree a price you are happy with stating any discounts/loss leaders are for a particular project only.

Also watch the payment terms. We tell them to shove any payment terms with > 28 days. Some try 90 . All have relented and broken their "internal rules" for us and I'm talking Logica, Atos, Atkins et al.

[Mr POD]

Brown and Boris said:

If you got the email how would you view it?

Edited by Brown and Boris on Wednesday 25th February 11:00

I'd think "Cheeky sod has done his homework, I'll contact him and discuss how at the later stages of the project with penatly clauses looming, we might use him to get us out of the crap, and I'll chase up his references and get his mobile number"

You need to convert those positive reponses from email contacts into personal contacts.

[Brown and Boris]

Mr POD said:

Brown and Boris said:

If you got the email how would you view it?

Edited by Brown and Boris on Wednesday 25th February 11:00

I'd think "Cheeky sod has done his homework, I'll contact him and discuss how at the later stages of the project with penatly clauses looming, we might use him to get us out of the crap, and I'll chase up his references and get his mobile number"

You need to convert those positive reponses from email contacts into personal contacts.

Oddly the snotty company have a meeting with another client of mine in a few weeks and I have got them to put in a good word because they may not want my time, but they do want a product I designed and this client sells. If I can get them to put 2 and 2 together it may be time well invested.

I have names on the other two I wil follow up if I hear nothing by next week.

[H6CJF]

[quote=Brown and Boris]One site tells you who won the contract and who the contact there is.[quote]

I have to say that sounds like a really good idea. We are sales and management training specialists and we're happy to work on whole projects or equally happy to deliver courses etc for others - so it could well work for us too.
We have tended to avoid these tender sites as we can never really compete with some of the big boys - Plus I think writing tenders is a skill in itself, one which I never seem to have mastered!

Would you care to reveal which site that is?


Edit.... Hmmm why didnt my Quote work I wonder!

Edited by H6CJF on Wednesday 25th February 15:17

[IainT]

Very very clever strategy B&B. Might have to employ it in the near future as my current conttract is due to end soon.

Don't suppose you need and Geo-spatial consultants do you?

[blackcab]

I do a very similar thing just to get the contact name and will send an introduction E-mail

I think its a great idea doing what you doing

[Ginge R]

Its better to be looked over, than overlooked.

There is nowt wrong with a crisply worded, polite business approach. Good luck, and don't forget to follow the e-mails up!

[seaninog]

H6CJF said:

Brown and Boris]One site tells you who won the contract and who the contact there is.[quote said:

I have to say that sounds like a really good idea. We are sales and management training specialists and we're happy to work on whole projects or equally happy to deliver courses etc for others - so it could well work for us too.
We have tended to avoid these tender sites as we can never really compete with some of the big boys - Plus I think writing tenders is a skill in itself, one which I never seem to have mastered!

Would you care to reveal which site that is?


Edit.... Hmmm why didnt my Quote work I wonder!

Edited by H6CJF on Wednesday 25th February 15:17

I think you forgot the forward slash in the end quote box; like this only with square brackets --> {/quote}

Edited by seaninog on Monday 9th March 07:50

[muppetdave]

Good work there. I don't do this, we're not a 'sub-contracting' type of business, but I know others who also do this to good effect - and as someone said earlier - you've clearly shown success doing this already.

[Brown and Boris]

Just has an email from the people who won the SE contract looking to meet me! same company I have been trying to get to see on another product I am developing so double winner for a cheeky email.

[Simpo Two]

A phone call might be more succesful than an e-mail because you can adapt your approach/style on the hoof - but essentially, yes, why not - the worst they can do is say no.

[Ordinary_Chap]

I've some experience in this are and I've found there is two good strategies for this.

1. Send a letter and information about your skills and any recent work you have completed, follow up with a call to the director. Avoid emails as people will often delete them off the bat, particularly is the person has a gatekeeper.

2. Visit the company and drop off information, expect to get intercepted by the gatekeeper (read secretary). When this happens just casually ask for the directors surname for sending more information to. Now armed with the surname of the director call the following week and say assertively I want to speak with Mr X. Secretary will ask if you know him and you say yes and hey presto you have a chance in front of the director.

I know we've not always agreed on here Brown and Boris but if there is any way I can help let me know as I know exactly how hard it can be right now.

I've successfully got contracts by finding my way into companies.

[Brown and Boris]

Ordinary_Chap said:

I've some experience in this are and I've found there is two good strategies for this.

1. Send a letter and information about your skills and any recent work you have completed, follow up with a call to the director. Avoid emails as people will often delete them off the bat, particularly is the person has a gatekeeper.

2. Visit the company and drop off information, expect to get intercepted by the gatekeeper (read secretary). When this happens just casually ask for the directors surname for sending more information to. Now armed with the surname of the director call the following week and say assertively I want to speak with Mr X. Secretary will ask if you know him and you say yes and hey presto you have a chance in front of the director.

I know we've not always agreed on here Brown and Boris but if there is any way I can help let me know as I know exactly how hard it can be right now.

I've successfully got contracts by finding my way into companies.

Looks like (1) has done the trick. They want me to take along examples of the ty[pe of work I have done. I have checked out their HR staff and it looks like they have the contract because of their backroom , not their technical skills. I think they know I am a suppier not a competitor because we are so small.