Rate Auction?

[BHicks]

So I'm potentially looking at a couple of offers in the next week or so (touches wood) and was wondering if there isn't a better way to handle the back and forth that's likely to go on?

You know what I mean. The old "the client loves you but there's a mystery person who they like at £50 less per day" tripe that I'm sure more than a few of us have heard in our time.

This got me to wondering (a dangerous exercise at the best of times ) if anybody had ever auctioned their rate on something like eBay to effectively play the agents off against each other? It could have a "Buy it Now" button along with a suitable reserve and a deadline by which the bids must be cast.

Would be interested in comments/feedback.

[portseven]

So I'm potentially looking at a couple of offers in the next week or so (touches wood) and was wondering if there isn't a better way to handle the back and forth that's likely to go on?

You know what I mean. The old "the client loves you but there's a mystery person who they like at £50 less per day" tripe that I'm sure more than a few of us have heard in our time.

This got me to wondering (a dangerous exercise at the best of times ) if anybody had ever auctioned their rate on something like eBay to effectively play the agents off against each other? It could have a "Buy it Now" button along with a suitable reserve and a deadline by which the bids must be cast.

Would be interested in comments/feedback.

Sounds like a good PlanB!??? What shall we call the domain name?

[BolshieBastard]

So I'm potentially looking at a couple of offers in the next week or so (touches wood) and was wondering if there isn't a better way to handle the back and forth that's likely to go on?

You know what I mean. The old "the client loves you but there's a mystery person who they like at £50 less per day" tripe that I'm sure more than a few of us have heard in our time.

This got me to wondering (a dangerous exercise at the best of times ) if anybody had ever auctioned their rate on something like eBay to effectively play the agents off against each other? It could have a "Buy it Now" button along with a suitable reserve and a deadline by which the bids must be cast.

Would be interested in comments/feedback.

Once you start the rate auction game, there's no gauranteed winner except the lowest bidder. Agent says someone will do it 50 quid cheaper so you say I'll do it for 60 quid cheaper. Agents says ok I'll get back to the client.

Instead, agent goes back to the other bidder and says other contractor will now do it 60 quid cheaper, can you beat it? He says yeah ok. And so it continues. (Cynical? Me?)

If you get presented with this scenario, you shouldnt say yes, I'll do it cheaper. You should say you'll do it better and re sell your skills and experience the client and agent will get for your rate.

Dutch auctions are a mugs game.

[eek]

You need to be reassuringly expensive. If your not that is a problem which you need to rectify.

I'm quickly moving out of the "my bum on a seat" model if you want to be around long term you need to do the same.

[BolshieBastard]

You need to be reassuringly expensive. If your not that is a problem which you need to rectify.

I'm quickly moving out of the "my bum on a seat" model if you want to be around long term you need to do the same.

Surely we've all (well most of us) have been moving away from that MO for some time?

[Anubis]

Don't bid lower - only the man in the middle (agent & client) knows the rules of the game and the players involved.

Don't make things more messy than they need to be. Your services cost X and if they want you then they have to pay X - the end. See yourself as a product - not all products are the same but if your confident in its ability then someone will eventually pay for it.

If you don't get it, so what? There are other roles out there and so long as you've priced yourself fairly then don't worry about it.

TBH, are clients really willing to lose a good contractor for the sake of saving £10-£20 a day? I don't think many are - you already cost hundreds. You are what you are at the end of the day - take it or leave it.

[BHicks]

Don't bid lower - only the man in the middle (agent & client) knows the rules of the game and the players involved.

Folks, I think there may have been a bit of a misunderstanding here.

The point of the auction wouldn't be for me to bid lower, my suggestion was that the bidders would be the agents. The idea was that whichever agent was prepared to bid the *most* for my services would be the one whose offer I would accept (subject to contact, naturally).

[jmo21]

TBH, are clients really willing to lose a good contractor for the sake of saving £10-£20 a day? I don't think many are - you already cost hundreds. You are what you are at the end of the day - take it or leave it.

Maybe not, but agents are happy to put anyone in at the margin that suits them.

They don't care if you are the best, if they can pay someone less.

This is of course a short term view and does everyone a disservice.

[kingcook]

Folks, I think there may have been a bit of a misunderstanding here.

The point of the auction wouldn't be for me to bid lower, my suggestion was that the bidders would be the agents. The idea was that whichever agent was prepared to bid the *most* for my services would be the one whose offer I would accept (subject to contact, naturally).

I can't see how that would work.

Normally a client will engage with an agent and say "I need a contractor to work on project X". So the client/agent are shopping around to get the best deal. There are plenty of contractors out there. It would be pretty daft if they went shopping around looking for the most expensive deal. (Buyer's market?)

It could work if you have a very very niche skill, so unique that practically no one else does it, and your skill is in high demand. Only then would you get clients/agents competing against each other to hire you. (Seller's market?)

[northernladuk]

Erm... isn't this the peopleperhour et al model?