Change the Rules

The bid process distorts the sequence of the Measurable Phases along with your ability to sell value. With price being the main consideration, bids skip MP 1: Spark Interest and MP 2: Measure Potential, and instead begin the bidding process in the third phase, MP 3: Cement Solution. With bids, hard-fought, low-profit orders go to the last competitor willing to offer or match the lowest price. Everyone strives to be in a position to get the last shot at the order. Most important, if owners' goals do not consist of lowest prices or quickest deliveries, bids do them a great disservice. Many salespeople choose to play the bidding game, and take the risks that they will receive their fair share. Whenever possible, do not play along.

Act as if owners do not exist, and you play the price game. If you think owners desire no contact and do not influence purchasing decisions, you contend with bids. At least, until someone—make sure that someone is you—boldly asks if he or she really believes the following:

• Strong-ego executives abdicate 100 percent of their decision-making authority to third-party intermediaries.

• Owners buy products and services for the sole purpose of seeing how cheaply they can get them.

Of course not! They want to achieve specific goals that are cost effective but not necessarily in the cheapest manner possible. In fact, every sales opportunity—even bids—involves owners or beneficiaries wanting to discuss the best ways to measure and achieve goals. Great selling involves tapping into those discussions. Owners welcome discussions with professional salespeople who explain how to make their goals measurable. Do not disappoint them by making product pitches on the first call. If that is all you have to offer owners, the bid system works just fine.