How much respect do you show?

45 replies
Hi folks.

I have a two-pronged question that I would really like answered. I suspect there will be various points of view.

Scenario. You contact somebody because you're thinking of hiring them to do one or more jobs (eg. website design, article writing, editing books, article writing, etc).

Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
Do you respect the person providing the quote?
OR do you simply ignore that person and keep looking?

I won't say what happens to me until I see some replies and feedback that made you decide to make that decision.


***I am clarifying what I have written after a few comments.
I am the service provider and I'm wanting to understand people and reasons they may not reply after I provide quotes for jobs.
I know I used the term "respect." I hadn't considered "desperate" or "untrustworthy."

I appreciate all the answers so far and hope for more.

Thanks for reading.
#quotes #respect #show
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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    Depends why I did not take it.

    Did I not take it because I was not convinced they would provide what I needed as promised?

    Did I not take it because someone I perceived able to provide the same quality for less came into the picture?

    Did I not take it because I don't really want it, I just wanted to find out more?

    Did I not take it because they pissed me off?

    Did I not take it because they came across as desperate?

    Did I not take it because of a general feeling of non-trust?

    Some mean I kept shopping and bought from someone else; some mean I I bought somewhere else and made a mental note to never deal with the provider again; some mean I keep the provider's info on file, for future.

    Whether I respect the person providing the quote has to do with how they behave (you know, polite, not close-minded, not arrogant).

    Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

    Hi folks.

    I have a two-pronged question that I would really like answered. I suspect there will be various points of view.

    Scenario. You contact somebody because you're thinking of hiring them to do one or more jobs (eg. website design, article writing, editing books, article writing, etc).

    Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
    Do you respect the person providing the quote?
    OR do you simply ignore that person and keep looking?

    I won't say what happens to me untgil I see some replies and feedback that made you decide to make that decision.

    Thanks for reading.
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  • Profile picture of the author smartprofitmoney
    Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

    Hi folks.

    I have a two-pronged question that I would really like answered. I suspect there will be various points of view.

    Scenario. You contact somebody because you're thinking of hiring them to do one or more jobs (eg. website design, article writing, editing books, article writing, etc).

    Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
    Do you respect the person providing the quote?
    OR do you simply ignore that person and keep looking?

    I won't say what happens to me untgil I see some replies and feedback that made you decide to make that decision.

    Thanks for reading.
    Hello,

    In this business, I tell people all the time what I do, and ask them, what do you need, and only then I decide if I want to work with them, when I send a quote I don't care if they take it, I show them most of the time a demo or real design live online of what they need.

    Also I don't except all jobs, due to me been busy and not wanting drama, or just not thinking this is a good match for me, many people in this business are drama, since they have no idea how things work, they except you to make it happen and will bug you over and over for something that has nothing to do with you, just because you built something for them, So all you SEO people be careful who you choose. to help.

    So when asking for a quote, it is a quote, quote means you are looking for the best match not price and who can do the job the way you want it.

    So nobody should care, this is business,
    Thanks Rob.
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  • Profile picture of the author fastreplies
    Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

    Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
    Do you respect the person providing the quote?
    OR do you simply ignore that person and keep looking?
    Question. Did you requested Quote or just got it?



    fastreplies
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

    Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
    If you dont take the quote, it needs to be for a good reason. Such as:

    - Not a good decision because of lifestyle preference

    - Not a good decision because you're already fully booked... months in advance

    - You have another income stream/business that's very profitable, and you simply can deny/accept offers at your discretion/will
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I am not sure if I wrote this initial post as clearly as I should have.
    I am the service provider.
    I am simply trying to gauge what people think about once I have quoted them for a job and I know not everybody will get back to me (for many reasons others have mentioned here).
    I have also edited my initial post.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jessica Ambos
    I will respond even if the offer is not what I was expecting and decline the job as politely as I can.. or I would try to haggle. I believe respect begets respect. If you give it to others, it will be given to you.

    P.S. If you're still looking for workers, look up Onlinejobs.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Jessica,

    I am looking for work, not workers.
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  • Profile picture of the author superowid
    Personally I respect their reply. I will let them know that I don't take it and appreciate it. Mostly I'm still connected with them in the other venue such as social media.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ivan2b
      This is the right way to do it. Sometimes you need to act very professional and from that attitude you will provide more chances for the future success.
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  • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
    It's not just respect, it's professionalism. If a householder is looking to have a new roof fitted, he may get several quotes and not feel obliged to get back to each one he rejects. When you're in business, it makes sense to keep a relationship going - you might well need to return to that service provider again.

    So yes, you should probably let them know you've taken another offer. You don't have to go into details, just thank them for their time and say you hope to be in touch in the future.
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    • Profile picture of the author helisell
      Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

      It's not just respect, it's professionalism. If a householder is looking to have a new roof fitted, he may get several quotes and not feel obliged to get back to each one he rejects. When you're in business, it makes sense to keep a relationship going - you might well need to return to that service provider again.

      So yes, you should probably let them know you've taken another offer. You don't have to go into details, just thank them for their time and say you hope to be in touch in the future.
      We all know that's not what happens in reality in the online world.

      I really believe that a provider (of whatever service) should do more than just 'quote'.

      In this fast paced world where commodity (commodity is what you are after all) is available everywhere, you'd have to do something pretty special to stand out and get the work you quoted for over all the others who quoted.

      I think you have to remember that the internet is anonymous, that you most likely won't get a reply to your quote and that the onus is on you TO GET THE WORK OR FIND OUT WHY YOU DIDN'T GET IT.

      The days of polite replies and apologies for not taking your offer....are long gone.

      OP Don't waste your time feeling bad because you didn't get hired.

      Get a better system in place to increase your hit rate of getting booked.....and have a follow up system in place to find out why you didn't get booked.

      In my rookie salesman days, I had to chase the potential customers to see if I got the sale or not, they certainly didn't go out of their way to contact me to say 'thanks but no thanks'

      .
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      • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
        Originally Posted by helisell View Post

        We all know that's not what happens in reality in the online world.
        Happens in my reality. I always respond to a quote, even if it's just a simple thanks but no thanks.

        But then, I tend to deal with professionals.
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        • Profile picture of the author helisell
          Originally Posted by Frank Donovan View Post

          Happens in my reality. I always respond to a quote, even if it's just a simple thanks but no thanks.

          But then, I tend to deal with professionals.


          I'm pretty sure that the OP was posting about 'his' reality...not yours.
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          • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
            Originally Posted by helisell View Post

            Er....if that's what happened usually, then why did the OP post??

            ....as we all know......
            You'll have to ask Laurence about his motives. I was responding to the actual question posed in the OP.
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      • Profile picture of the author helisell
        Originally Posted by helisell View Post

        ....

        OP Don't waste your time feeling bad because you didn't get hired.

        Get a better system in place to increase your hit rate of getting booked.....and have a follow up system in place to find out why you didn't get booked.

        .
        Jason is absolutely right with his answer.....I said the same above

        I know we mostly work in the online world but I've found that just one phone call is all it takes to change the dynamic totally.

        That personal touch is what makes YOU the real deal, and all the others just shysters (in the customers mind)

        It's a surefire way to stand out in this anonymous, faceless online world.
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        • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
          Originally Posted by helisell View Post

          Jason is absolutely right with his answer.....I said the same above

          I know we mostly work in the online world but I've found that just one phone call is all it takes to change the dynamic totally.

          That personal touch is what makes YOU the real deal, and all the others just shysters (in the customers mind)

          It's a surefire way to stand out in this anonymous, faceless online world.
          Right...it's about more than standing out, too...this is a key part of Sales On Fire that I've been teaching for many years. You can't just give a sample or a quote to someone and hope that it works out.

          What if they don't like the sample? You will never know, because all you'll hear is silence.

          When I was 22 I graduated from college and went to work at a power generation company. I put together their worldwide distributorship program (cost/price database, standard equipment specification documents, bid process, and so on). And we produced a lot of bids. When someone faxed in for a bid, we jumped! I was real proud of the fact that I had reduced bid doc prep time from 40 hours to 8.

          And did we accomplish anything? No. We produced a lot of bid documents and paid a lot of courier fees to overnight them around the world.

          Quoting is a bad way of communicating with prospective customers.

          Give them pre-qualifying info, a "Who works with me and why" doc or video series or whatever, and have the call to action be to book that call with you.

          Then you'll have the opportunity to do the digging I described in my last post.

          Opportunities the quote makers will never have. The chances to find out the real reasons why this prospect will buy.

          And if they won't book the call? Not your problem. Serious prospects take processes seriously. They LIKE processes...it shows them you aren't a clown, that you have done this before.

          Maybe I would have made far fewer bids when I sold gas turbine gensets if I had insisted on a call with the lead purchasing engineer. Maybe we would have quoted 1/100th of the occasions. But I bet you we would have had far better "at bat" chances than we did. Now these are $200K - $1M+ power plants and you might sell a dozen in a lifetime as a smaller packager. So wasting your energy on low probability sales activities is not a good idea...if I could go back then with what I know now...

          All quoting does is send your info into a vortex where it's secretly rated behind a curtain, features down the side and bidders across the top, on a spreadsheet. What's the most features I can get for the cheapest rate? If that's the game you get yourself into, you are playing poorly. The prospect thinks about price and features because that's all they KNOW to think about. If you get on a call, you can educate them otherwise.
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      • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
        Originally Posted by helisell View Post

        We all know that's not what happens in reality in the online world.

        I really believe that a provider (of whatever service) should do more than just 'quote'.

        In this fast paced world where commodity (commodity is what you are after all) is available everywhere, you'd have to do something pretty special to stand out and get the work you quoted for over all the others who quoted.

        I think you have to remember that the internet is anonymous, that you most likely won't get a reply to your quote and that the onus is on you TO GET THE WORK OR FIND OUT WHY YOU DIDN'T GET IT.

        The days of polite replies and apologies for not taking your offer....are long gone.

        OP Don't waste your time feeling bad because you didn't get hired.

        Get a better system in place to increase your hit rate of getting booked.....and have a follow up system in place to find out why you didn't get booked.

        In my rookie salesman days, I had to chase the potential customers to see if I got the sale or not, they certainly didn't go out of their way to contact me to say 'thanks but no thanks'

        .
        Sure, it would be great to have courtesy, respect and civility back in our lives. BUT, you are looking for work. It is like a job opening and someone submits a resume, could be one of a few, or one of dozens of potential job doers in the stack.

        Most of us would at least send a "we went with someone else" or the position has been taken.

        And make no mistake about it, you are offering a commodity. A readily available, easy to find, with hundreds of providers available...commodity. A good job offer, a solicitation for quotes could garner into the hundreds, even thousands of responses.

        If you are a Freelancer, it is part and parcel of your job to be constantly prospecting for work, and it would be great to deal with civil people who at least give you an answer, probably soon will be simply a thumbs down emoji.

        It just isn't a productive use of time to worry about the why, when selling a commodity. The answer, as often as not is, we got a lower quote.

        And that is especially true of commodities being sold online.

        Now, you might want to addendum your quote, or insert at the time you make it, something about YOUR time and when you need to hear back from them or your quote is no longer "in competition". Sometimes the busier guy gets the job, maybe from a psychological standpoint.

        Who wants to hire a writer with a lot of time on his hands sort of thing, eh?

        GordonJ
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        • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
          Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

          Now, you might want to addendum your quote, or insert at the time you make it, something about YOUR time and when you need to hear back from them or your quote is no longer "in competition". Sometimes the busier guy gets the job, maybe from a psychological standpoint.

          Who wants to hire a writer with a lot of time on his hands sort of thing, eh?

          GordonJ
          When I do submit proposals, after gathering any info necessary, I include a line that proposal is good for X days (depending on the info gathered from the prospect). It's usually either 7 days or 30 days (for corporate types with more steps in the process).

          I also indicate that I will be following up with them, which I do.

          If all I hear is crickets, then they get moved to my drip list.

          I also have to disclose that I don't bid on projects via sites like Fiverr or Upwork or Freelancer (sorry, guys).
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    Thanks a lot, Frank. I think you hit the nail on the head.

    As you said, you may not accept a quote from Mr X because Mr Y offers a better deal.

    However, part way through the work, Mr Y disappears off the face of the planet and you still need the job done.

    Mr X was the second one in the running so if you had acknowledged him and said you're going with somebody else, when you return to him asking for help, he's more likely to oblige.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I don't get upset if my quotes aren't accepted. I am simply trying to see what other people have experienced. I do have follow up methods, etc in place.

    I also do a LOT more than just "quote" on jobs. However, I was trying to simplify things but it seems so far that most people look at it in a complicated way.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Sure, we're talking about business and real world communication between (hopefully) professionals . . .

    But to me, it's just common courtesy to both thank people for their time and to not leave them "hanging," wondering what's going on with the other party. Sadly, common courtesies don't seem to be the norm in this day and age - I get that. Really - how hard is it to send someone a personal email and in a sentence or two explain your position and thank them for their consideration?

    Don't burn bridges as a business person. It may come back to haunt you; but also it leaves a negative impression of you and your MO.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author helisell
    Ah I see.

    I was responding in a more general way to his question as I thought that might be more useful to him and others.

    The fact that you and I are respectful doesn't mean others are in my experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    There are so many ways to answer and while some methods are more considerate than others, none are wrong.

    If you bid on a project on a freelance site you may or may not be told when the work is awarded. In my experience, the busiest, most successful, highest paying clients are usually the most considerate as well.

    No reason you can't follow up rather than wait for a prospect to contact you. I'd wait a few days and then ask if there's anything else they need to know or ask if they've made a decision so you'll 'know whether to reserve time for their work in your schedule'.

    However, I would not put this as a level of 'respect' - as I don't think it's that personal.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
    Silence is the most common response. It usually means a money tolerance mismatch. The prospect is too embarrassed to respond and tell you you're "too expensive." A person with a higher money tolerance WILL respond to give you feedback.

    But why are you "quoting"? Why are you doing it that way? You should be getting on a booked call to discuss the project with the prospect LIVE, so you can ask questions LIVE, dig into issues you uncover deeper LIVE, hear their reactions (hesitation, excitement, they don't like the color blue that you used on your sample website or the writing style you used in the sample you shared while you were on the call with them, whatever) LIVE.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    I agree to a point - but if you are a freelancer as in this case you WILL be submitting quotes.

    Saying you shouldn't is not practical for a freelance writer. Even long term clients will ask for a 'quote' on a new project if only to know what they need to budget for the job.

    Quoting is a bad way of communicating with prospective customers.
    I think the advice is over the top 'lofty' when discussing freelance writing. We are not talking courier deliveries or sending out samples. As a writer you should have your portfolio available from the getgo.

    The trick (if there is one) is to deliver a quote withut apology and with the expectation of getting the job and being treated as a 'fellow professional'. In my own experience, the higher the price range, the better the working relationships.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

      I agree to a point - but if you are a freelancer as in this case you WILL be submitting quotes.

      Saying you shouldn't is not practical for a freelance writer. Even long term clients will ask for a 'quote' on a new project if only to know what they need to budget for the job.

      I think the advice is over the top 'lofty' when discussing freelance writing. We are not talking courier deliveries or sending out samples. As a writer you should have your portfolio available from the getgo.

      The trick (if there is one) is to deliver a quote withut apology and with the expectation of getting the job and being treated as a 'fellow professional'. In my own experience, the higher the price range, the better the working relationships.
      Well, Kay, I was a freelance writer through elance and craigslist in 2010 and I did not bid the way that most people bid. I got high value clients and was paid double, triple, six times what other writers were getting paid. Through both methods I qualified my prospect and got a lot more info out of them than I suspect people figure they could gather.

      I also did not share samples or offer a portfolio. I don't today, either.

      There is no difference between couriering bid document binders to Taiwan and submitting a proposal on freelancer.com. Both are cases of sending information into a vortex where it'll be assessed behind a curtain.

      And if that's the only method a freelancer is using, bidding sites, they are operating at a low level that's holding them back.
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  • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
    I was raised to have manners, and to show common courtesy in any situation.

    A simple response, without the need to go into detail, only takes a minute, hurts no one and allows one to maintain their own self-respect and personal dignity.

    Just my 2¢ and if you don't like it, tough shit. :-)
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    • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
      Originally Posted by OptedIn View Post

      I was raised to have manners, and to show common courtesy in any situation.

      A simple response, without the need to go into detail, only takes a minute, hurts no one and allows one to maintain their own self-respect and personal dignity.

      Just my 2¢ and if you don't like it, tough shit. :-)
      Sure, I'd bet all of us here would show respect and reply. But that isn't the question. The question is/was, if you get crickets from a quote, how would you respond or if a course of action is warranted?

      Say GE asks for a quote on a job of editing a handout which will be distributed to millions of people. The job, editor, is a commodity.

      Courtesy, even only a minute of it, given to hundreds or thousands of quotes rec'd is a luxury the guy at GE can't afford.

      Expecting it, well, that is indeed up to you.

      GordonJ
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      • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
        Originally Posted by GordonJ View Post

        Courtesy, even only a minute of it, given to hundreds or thousands of quotes rec'd is a luxury the guy at GE can't afford.
        Well, of course every situation is different. Trying to determine a 'one size fits all' approach to handling the question is not realistic.

        I have a basic precept that I use for almost everything I deal with on a daily basis. That is, that life is short, most people forget any encounter in minutes (unless you leave a negative impression. Not so much if you leave a positive one) and just do the best you can in any individual situation and move on. If it's doable - just do it. If not, forget about it.

        Not every question has an answer and if it does, it's highly unlikely that the same answer will resonate as correct for every person. There are pros and cons to almost every way of dealing with anything in life, both at a personal and business level. There are very, very few absolutes in life or in working a business model.
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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I want to thank everybody who has offered an opinion/feedback/experience here.
    It has given me plenty to think about because I am making some changes to my business this year and I appreciate ALL the posts, whether I agree with them or not. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and nobody is wrong because it's all based on individual experience.

    I will keep reading with an open mind and gathering the information so I can put it all to good use. Sp please don't stop replying just because I have written this post. Thanks again everybody, so far, for your input.
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Hi Laurence,

    Usually, if they do not respond, they have hundreds of people to speak to daily. So they could be awesome, loving folks with hundreds of things to do today, and they physically cannot respond to everybody who provides them quote or who has a business idea or even folks they have worked with in the past....time issue, and nothing else.

    My advice; move on Never take things personally. Put yourself in other people's shoes and you will not only respect them, you will fully understand how it feels to have hundreds or even thousands of things to do daily.

    Ever since I became genuinely business with a high volume of engagements daily I understand why folks email me with 1-2 word responses, or why some folks never respond. They have hundreds of things to do daily, and owe me nothing. Nobody ever ultimately owes us nothing, which is a difficult concept to grasp until you cultivate a sense of gratitude and appreciation throughout your life.

    Ryan
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  • Profile picture of the author Dana Crippen
    You respect it, but you don't have to accept it
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  • Profile picture of the author Jamel Hassell
    I find it best to communicate regardless if the candidate was successful of securing the bid or not .
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  • Profile picture of the author simone22
    Well, at least a short reply would be nice. Respect is a two way street, you know?
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  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    Hey Laurence,
    I guess I'm just old school but to me I will let them know that I decided to go with someone else and tell them that I appreciated their offer to help me. And possibly in the future I may need them
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  • Profile picture of the author Brent Stangel
    Hey Laurence,



    Kinda looks like you, no?

    Brent
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan 2.0
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    Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

    Scenario. You contact somebody because you're thinking of hiring them to do one or more jobs (eg. website design, article writing, editing books, article writing, etc).

    Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
    Do you respect the person providing the quote? OR do you simply ignore that person and keep looking?.
    Well I just think it's "nice"/etc ... to follow up with them. Sometimes common courtesy is overlooked ... Yet makes a World of difference.

    2C
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    Originally Posted by laurencewins View Post

    Hi folks.

    I have a two-pronged question that I would really like answered. I suspect there will be various points of view.

    Scenario. You contact somebody because you're thinking of hiring them to do one or more jobs (eg. website design, article writing, editing books, article writing, etc).

    Question. What do you do if you get a quote and you don't take it?
    Do you respect the person providing the quote?
    OR do you simply ignore that person and keep looking?

    I won't say what happens to me until I see some replies and feedback that made you decide to make that decision.


    ***I am clarifying what I have written after a few comments.
    I am the service provider and I'm wanting to understand people and reasons they may not reply after I provide quotes for jobs.
    I know I used the term "respect." I hadn't considered "desperate" or "untrustworthy."

    I appreciate all the answers so far and hope for more.

    Thanks for reading.
    Be honest and up front. Try to be as nice as possible. That's my approach.
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    • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
      Originally Posted by ChrisBa View Post

      Be honest and up front. Try to be as nice as possible. That's my approach.
      I totally agree, Chris.
      Treat people the way you expect you to treat them. You never know where it can lead you.
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      Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    @ Brent. I have no idea whether you're paying me a compliment, being rude or being funny.
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    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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  • Profile picture of the author JohnVianny
    If you receive a massime amounts of quotes, it's virtually impossible to respond to all of them.

    So it's better focusing on the people you hire.

    Thats the thought probably in mind of the entepreneurs that didnt answer to you.

    The real question is: why didnt they answer to you?

    Probably of one of both causes:

    1) you apply for a job that u can't do and they become aware of it

    2) you can't show them probably what you can really do, maybe you use common words or common presentations, and they feel that you are one of the crowd.

    Fix it.
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by Connann View Post

      If you receive a massive amounts of quotes, it's virtually impossible to respond to all of them.

      Fix it.
      If you are submitting quotes on jobs that are drawing so many quotes that the job poster can't reply to all of them, you are bidding on the wrong jobs, or in the wrong places.

      Laurence, you've been at this game long enough that you should be past this stage.
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      • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
        John, I get asked for quotes from every source and I don't use the bidding sites.

        Please don't get me wrong in that this post was created to help me understand the situation from other people's viewpoints. I do usually follow up once and then that's it (mostly as some come to me a few months later).

        I don't get "upset" over not hearing but I just wanted opinions.
        Yes, John, you're correct in saying I have been around for quite a while and I have changed a lot from when I first started. I am in the midst of making some major changes to my business so this helps heaps.
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        Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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    • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
      @Connan. I am NOT guilty of either of your negative points so there's nothing to "fix" as you say.
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      Cheers, Laurence.
      Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

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