Top Ten Reasons You Should Say No to Fixed Bids

Fixed bids has long been the standard process to establish a contract between a web agency and the buyer. They've been favored by customers who want control. But fixed bids only offer superficial control and are the root cause to why many projects fail to deliver on the customer's expectations.

In this session, we will:

  • Show the problems fixed bidding is set out to solve and why it is favored by so many buyers
  • Prove that the reasons for preferring fixed bidding are mostly unfounded
  • Describe the process usually used in fixed bidding, as seen from both parties
  • Summarize the problems caused by the fixed bid process in the form of concrete arguments and reasons
  • Help you make a convincing case for your colleagues and customers as to why fixed bidding isn’t in their interests
  • Cover the top ten alternatives to fixed bidding
Schedule info
Status: 
Proposed
Session Info
Speaker(s): 
svettes
solipsist
Track: 
Business + Strategy
Experience level: 
Beginner

Comments

BrockBoland's picture BrockBoland replied on

Love this idea. If more shops refused to do fixed bids, there wouldn't be so many clients demanding them.

svettes's picture svettes replied on

Brock, you astute stud you, glad someone has completely understood the point! Hopefully this will get picked and we can all stop doing fixed bids. Jakob and I are really excited about the ideas popping up in our prep work.

rcross's picture rcross replied on

I think this session will only be helpful if it focuses strategies for avoiding fixed bid and how to propose alternatives.

Most people I know are keen to avoid fixed bid contracts, but most don't know how to approach projects (more so talk to the client) in an alternative way.

When a client comes to you saying fixed bid - what do you do next? We need more tools/strategies for doing work with those clients (and convincing them) rather than just saying "no, we don't do fixed bid".

robertDouglass's picture robertDouglass replied on

You'd be an idiot to not say no. Don't believe me? See this session.

CandaceChapman's picture CandaceChapman replied on

Great session topic! Get ideas on how to change the expectations of your clients and improve the outcome.

BJ___'s picture BJ___ replied on

Fixed bids can be a path to sadness and tragedy. Awesome that you guys are working to change that culture . Great topic !