Course outline
Following up with every client on the same bid
When you've bid a project to several clients, follow up with each one separately — one message per client, never a shared thread or copy, because they're competitors. Track each client's status on its own, change your message once the project is awarded, and stop chasing clients that have lost the job while you focus on the one that won. Cadence and wording are in the bid follow-up guide.
After this lesson you can
- Follow up with competing clients without exposing one to another
- Pick the right contact at each client as the project moves
- Change the message — or stop — when the project is awarded
How often to follow up and what to say are covered in the bid follow-up guide. This lesson is about the part that gets messy when one project went to several clients.
Why separate messages matter
- They're competitors. A shared email tells each client who else is bidding — and invites comparing your numbers.
- Your prices may differ. Each client's proposal reflects its own scope and terms.
- Their statuses differ. One client may be carrying you while another already lost the job.
- BCC isn't a fix. Reply-all and forwarding make it easy for a blind copy to become visible.
Who should you contact at each client?
| Stage | Contact | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before award | The estimator who invited you | They built the bid and know where your number landed |
| After award | The project manager or buyout contact | They write subcontracts and schedules |
| Any stage | One contact per client, plus your own team on copy | Multiple contacts at one client create mixed messages |
How should the message change as the project moves?
| Where the project is | To whom | Message |
|---|---|---|
| Bids submitted, no decision | Every client you bid | Confirm receipt, offer to clarify scope or alternates |
| A GC tells you it's carrying you | That GC | Ask about owner timing; offer value engineering ideas |
| Awarded to one client | The winning client | Ask about the scope review and schedule — see bid day to subcontract |
| Awarded to one client | The other clients | A short thank-you and a request to stay on their list |
| On hold or being rebid | Clients still involved | Offer to re-confirm or update pricing when it restarts |
When should you stop?
- The client confirms it lost the project — close that client's bid.
- The client tells you it chose another flooring sub — close it, and ask for feedback.
- The winner is public — stop chasing the clients that didn't win.
- The project is cancelled — close every client's bid, with a note.
Frequently asked questions
Should I email multiple clients together about the same bid?
No. Send a separate message to each client. They're competitors, your prices may differ, and a shared thread exposes who else is bidding.
Who should a subcontractor follow up with after bid day?
The estimator who invited you before award, and the project manager or buyout contact after award — one main contact per client.
Should I keep following up after the project goes to another GC?
Stop chasing the clients that lost the project, send them a brief thank-you, and focus follow-up on the client that won.
Key points
- One message per client — never a shared thread or copy.
- Estimator before award, project manager after.
- Change the message at award, and stop chasing clients that lost the job.
One draft per client
IntelBid drafts follow-ups for every client still live on a bid — a separate draft for each, so competitors never share a To or CC line — and leaves every draft for you to review and send. Once a client's bid is closed as lost, it stops being chased.
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