The opportunities and perils of hard public bidding

John Poole, in his Constructonomics Blog, posts some insightful observations of the challenges of starting work as a general contractor in this brutal economy. Competition, he has discovered, is fierce, and provisions to ensure fairness and openness invite/encourage cheating or manipulation to game the rules. When upwards of 14 businesses bid for the job in [...]

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Making the “Cold, Hard Truth” work for you

Participants at the Greater Ottawa Home Builder Association‘s golf tournament last summer.  If you enjoy golfing, of course play the game at association functions.  If you don’t golf (or want to make even better connections) volunteer in a role that you enjoy which brings you closer to the golfers you want to know.  I have [...]

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The Cold, Hard Truth

In the most recent SMPS Marketer issue, W. Bruce Lea and J. Rossi remind architectural, engineering and construction marketers of a simple, painful truth:  You don’t succeed by pushing through dozens of responses to RFP proposals and public bid opportunities; you cannot hope to win unless you have established and developed a solid relationship with [...]

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