How To

 

LEADS 2 QUOTES (L2Q)

A remarkable pricing platform that is used by Contractors to send out price enquiries to Vendors / Suppliers when tendering for contracts, which has made an irrefutable impact with far reaching benefits for its users.

 

Here are some suggestions to the two major key players in this highly competitive industry we call CONSTRUCTION:

To the Vendors that receive the Requests for Quotes (RfQ’s):

• Respond timeously to the RfQ’s by using our fast and easy online links.
• Engage/negotiate/communicate with the Contractor. Be pro-active, contact the Contractor and enquire how competitive your prices are. This will stand you in good stead if the contract is awarded to the Contractor that has requested a price from you.
• Become a Platinum Directory Listing (PDL) subscriber. You will be e-mailed award notifications on tenders that you have been requested to price on (so even if a contract has not been awarded to the Contractor that has requested a price from you, you now have been notified of the successful tenderer and can re-direct your quotation).
• By being a PDL subscriber you have access to our very extensive Directory, make use of it by looking up companies and market yourself by sending out your company brochure/profile from our website, or if you prefer, make contact telephonically.

 

 

To the Contractors that send out the Requests for Quotes (RfQ’s):

•  Acknowledge receipt of the quotations.
• Engage/negotiate/communicate with the vendors/suppliers.
• Acknowledge that you recognise and appreciate the time, effort and cost that goes into submitting a comprehensive quotation, thereby dispelling the vendors impression that you are using their prices as “cover prices”.
• Use the RFQ functionality to communicate with the vendors that you have requested prices from.We strive to create value for our subscribers and recognise the vital role both the vendor and Contractor play in meeting each other’s requirements that are critical in each other’s successes.

 

So let’s foster healthy, mutually beneficial relationships based on solid long-term partnerships.  So why don’t the main Contractors hop onto the L2Q train and see how your tendering world will change? If you don’t, dare I say, you may kick yourself for not doing so.

 

 

Have you ever wondered how a contractor chooses who he awards contracts to or how to get a contractor to notice you?

 

We went in search of possible answers from some of the industry leaders as to what they look for in a vendor and what the winning factor for them could be.

 

Construction moves fast!

 

It’s a fast paced industry in terms of carrying out the building works and having deadlines met.

 

Buyers don’t chase after vendors!

 

Contractors don’t like to be pestered. They don’t have time to sift through superfluous information. Have your documents together and ready to get the ball rolling. Contractors don’t become contractors because they love to communicate. They have more experience doing things a certain way and in a timeous manner.

 

No delays! If you are going to say that you will do something then do it!

 

If you state that you have priced or are going to price, send your prices through and make sure that they are sent on time. A contractor won’t stay in business unless he prices competitively. If your price is too high in comparison to the current market, he will get another quote for comparison.

 

It’s all about establishing good, trustworthy relationships with contractors and having the capacity to perform.

 

Contractors, yes as vendors know, have a preferred list but it’s NOT limited. Contractors DO try to blend in new blood. A contractor will look at past experiences to determine how companies and vendors market themselves, their quality of work, competence of staff and whether one can cope with regards to work volumes and requirements.

 

Just as we, as people, try to market ourselves for a new career, what candidate to vote for in an election, choose a life partner, it all involves a list – a list of various factors, criteria and considerations, which will benefit you, your company and your decisions in life in general.

 

Many thanks to Neels van Staden from Stefanutti Stocks Building for his assistance and insight.

 

Banners are everywhere! As Internet users, they are on almost every site we visit. It is obvious the power that banner advertisements have as a means to promote your business. We want to go out of our way to intensify future growth for your business. However, whether you’re an industry leader or an emerging company, the difference between a poor banner design and a great one could see your ROI and site traffic go through the roof. It’s essential that your banners stand out from the crowd. How can you create a banner that will generate high click-throughs, or have a strong brand impact? First, we need to understand the current trends in Web advertising. Once you have covered this, you’ll have the foundations to prepare effective banners for your business. Even though the Web has been around for some time it is still a relatively new advertising medium.

This serves as an explanation why most banner adverts to date have focused on the generation of a direct response. Those who make advertising decisions are also less willing to take risks with a new medium, and demand to see direct results from their advertising spend. This is also why banner adverts have gained popularity so quickly – they are easy to track, and make ROI calculations simple. The problem with this model is that advertisers have come to demand an instant response from banner advertising and if it fails to deliver an immediate ROI, decision makers want it slashed from ad budgets. The reality is, due to the recent decline in advert rates, click- throughs, and the general effectiveness of direct response banners, many companies have retreated, unsure which way to turn. To remain competitive it is up to you to design a banner that encourages click-throughs that drive traffic to your site.

So how do you design your banner for maximum click-throughs?

Try incorporating some of these ideas into your advert to increase the number of clicks it generates.

Use prompting words: Using words that prompt the user to take action, will have a positive effect on the results of your adverts. For example words such as “Click Here”, “Click to Visit”, and “Visit Now!” can increase the likelihood of click-through.

Create a sense of urgency: In order for a visitor to click on your banner, they must get the impression that the information on your site is more important than the site they’re currently viewing. Create a sense of urgency by including phrases such as “Hurry!, Only while stocks last” and “Available for a limited time!” Keep it simple: Keep your banners clear and simple. Optimise your banner space with elements that generate click-through. Remember that it’s the job of the banner to get the user to click through and it’s the job of the Web site to provide information about your products and services, not the other way around!

Format for success: Your banner’s colour scheme is very important. Keep your colour scheme constant throughout especially if you’re using animation. Complimentary colours that grab the users’ attention work best to ensure key words stand out.

Target your audience: By using our sites your target audience is already construction oriented. Be sure to think about the subject matter this audience would be familiar with, interested in, and are likely to click on.

Security: New security features implemented by Microsoft for Outlook users will prevent a .gif animation from looping through all frames. So please ensure that all relevant information is displayed in the first frame, to accommodate these clients. Also, please keep in mind the fact that the effectiveness of banners decreases over time, so it’s a good idea to create new banners every few months.

 

 

Supply and Demand…. that’s what its’ all about right? Anticipating what your customer or client is going to need before your competition and delivering it at the lowest price but with more benefit and value because that’s what everyone expects!

That seems like a lot of variables and it actually makes my head hurt thinking about it!

But does it have to be this complicated?

Well if you are in the construction industry, lucky for you the answer is NO!

And this is where I break out in Tarzan song and chest pounding… “coz I work for Leads 2 Business!”

A lot of people are under the impression that we purely publish Tenders and Project developments on our site and sure that’s where we shine, but what people don’t know is by using the Leads 2 Business website to its fullest, you can network and market your business, big or small.  So let me run through some of the ways with you.

Welcome to our Directory!

Now here is where it gets fun, because even if you are only subscribed to our Platinum Directory for R 650.00 per annum you are able to email key contacts throughout the construction industry, you can enquire about their services, or introduce your own, upload your profile/brochure and you can customise your email by adding your own company logo and personal signature.

But wait there’s more!

LOL! I feel like I’m in a cheesy infomercial but I can’t help it, my Company and all it does excites me 🙂

So…. by the click of a button you can see every Project, Tender or award that contact you looking at on our Directory is or was involved in and, sure, you would have to subscribe further to access the full details of these items, but isn’t it cool that you can see what you in for before you subscribe, if you ask me, that’s inspired!

Now OK, so you’ve decide to subscribe to our Daily Tenders or perhaps our Private Projects (which includes Daily Tenders FREE I might add).  Now, as before, you can email directly from our website but now with KNOWLEDGE.  The knowledge of knowing exactly what that Architect, Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor etc. is working on.  Imagine yourself as a electrical or security installations company, for interest sake,  then being able to get hold of the Quantity Surveyor months before the Project goes to tender and having your products specified on that bill of Quantities.  Do you know what that would mean for business? That’s right! MONEY!

Everyone of those bidders are going to be calling YOU!

Fascinating stuff right? Absolutely, its what we do!

So to all of you who thought we simply publish Tenders and Projects….. you would be wrong, we offer you the support and give you the tools to take your business to the next level and we love watching you succeed as a direct result of it 🙂

Sometimes the difference between getting that contract or not is who you know… and we help you with that!

So why don’t you take the leap and contact me, let me show you the way! 

You can mail me at Directory@L2B.co.za or go to our website and take a look for yourself first at www.L2B.co.za.

We look forward to hearing from you…. Have a Super day!

 

The completion of a project depends just as much on the weather as on the contractor’s rate of work.

Most projects have standard Main Contract Conditions, i.e. JBCC, NEC or FIDIC contracts, and construction programme periods which outline the conditions for any inclement weather claims the contractor might need to submit for a specific project. Then, there might be other employers who have their own additional conditions as well.

It also does not just depend on the days when it is raining, but also on the days following the rain, as the working conditions won’t allow normal activity for safety reasons, due to excess water or muddy conditions, etc. Strong winds can also prevent construction from taking place.

Different provinces will have their own specific rainfall patterns, and contractors in the provinces will be aware of these, however, each construction site is to keep daily weather records which include rainfall meter and/or wind speed meter.

So, the question is, are contractors able to depend on weather sites and/or reports to predict the days that they will not be able to continue construction due to bad weather?

Given all the technological advances during the last few years, the prediction of the weather has become more accurate. However, given all the variables that need to be taken into account in order to predict the weather, the chances are quite high that should one of the elements change, it will affect the entire prediction. This means that a prediction for the weather for the next three days will be more accurate, but a longer-range forecasting becomes significantly less reliable by the third and fourth day of the forecast.

Of course, there are also alternative ways of predicting the weather, i.e. observation, pattern and folklore. According to wikiHow (http://www.wikihow.com/Predict-the-Weather-Without-a-Forecast), there are four methods of predicting the weather without a forecast:

1. Observing the sky
2. Feeling the wind and air
3. Watching animal behaviour
4. Creating your own prediction methods

I am not going to go into all the details, but they had the following rhymes/proverbs which are quite interesting:

1. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.”
2. “Rainbow in the morning, need for a warning.”
3. “Circle around the moon, rain or snow soon.”
4. “Flowers smell best just before a rain.”

To find out the meanings of these, you are welcome to follow the link above, it does make for interesting reading, although these are for the Northern Hemisphere.

In conducting my research for this article, I came across the COMBISAFE UBIX® temporary roof system (http://www.combisafe.com/news-and-events/keeping-construction-on-track-when-under-the-weather/). This is a British product that they use in construction to keep a project on course and limit the effects of adverse weather conditions. Further to the temporary roof system, it can also feature a COMBISAFE RunWay system. This means it can quickly and safely be rolled open to allow for plant, equipment and materials to be craned in and out as required.

In the end, it appears that although there have been great strides in predicting the weather, it is not possible to only rely on weather predictions for accuracy. A combination of all methods described here might have better accuracy than just one or two of all the methods. But unfortunately, there will still be instances when mother nature decides that she has to vent, and construction will have to bow down and surrender to her will for a day or so.

Special thanks to Neels Van Staden from Steffanutti Stocks Building Gauteng for his assistance.

 

 Putting your Best Foot Forward when presenting Yourself

 

Easy. Follow instructions.

 

If it specifies that the tender document must be filled out in black ink; fill it out in black ink. The odds are there’s a very unamused Supply Chain Manager who’s had to deal with documents filled out in anything from pink crayon to pencil (the ultimate indicator of shady goings on). He will most probably not understand the aesthetic superiority of blue ink or the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of all black pens ever, or any other excuse you might come up with. If it specifies that you have to hand in not only the original tender document, but also multiple copies; be professional and show up on the closing day with the aforementioned multiple copies. Do not put yourself in a position to pull an Oliver “Please sir, can I use your photocopier?”. Anyone else hear a resounding “No!”.

 

Granted, these details do not seem important when faced with pricing and filling out a document that is responsible for the felling of a small forest. These details do not compare with cement prices or transport costs or the fact that your site is slowly turning into marshland, is being disputed by two traditional authorities and a lone extremely endangered frog has decided to take up residence slap bang in the middle of where your new shiny Mall is supposed to go. But that’s not the point. The devils’ in the detail.

 

When I get called by telemarketers and they get my name wrong, all bets are off. My logic being, if you can’t get my name correct, why would I give you my hard earned money? If you can’t even remember to sign your own tender document, why should the Municipality/ Department trust you to build that bridge?

 

Yes, this is a small detail and, I will also concede, petty. But it’s also indicative. There are no business dealings today that don’t involve a contract or some sort of written agreement. These are made entirely up of small details, seemly insignificant details that all parties agree to abide by. Should one of these parties decide to not abide by one of these little details, another profession tends to get involved. They make sharks look fluffy by comparison.

 

In 1999, the Mars Climate Orbiter, sent to observe Mar’s weather, burnt up in the Martian atmosphere. NASA investigated and discovered the use of English units, instead of Metric units in the calculations. Oops. A detail so small and taken for granted, it was never checked. $125 million up in smoke.

 

Do you really want to lose a tender because you didn’t carry a total across? Or because you handed it in too late? Or couldn’t be bothered to hand in your Tax Clearance certificate?

 

In filling out documents, this is not an opportunity to “stick it to the man”. If you want to do business, then be professional and conscientious. It isn’t other people’s responsibility (never mind the Government’s) to give you a break. This is tenders – the competition is ruthless.

 

So I can’t help you with the price of cement or the fact that petrol’s gone up three times in as many months or with your frog-infested marshland overrun with Environmental types. But I can tell you, to watch the details. Those buggers will get you everytime.