A contractor has just asked you for an insurance quote that he'll factor into a bid he's submitting. The first question that comes to your mind is, "Let's say he wins this contract. Will he automatically award me the business of insuring his work? Or will it go out for a bid-so my competitors will get the account?"

You'd like to ask the prospect those questions, but you're between a rock and a hard place. You don't want to be used by the prospect to wring concessions from your competitors, but you don't want to risk offending the prospect and losing the business, either. What can you do?

Go ahead and ask! Before you submit your quote, ask prospects up front what's going to happen if they win the contract: "Will I automatically get the business at the price I quoted, or is the account going out for bid?"

If the contractor promises you the account, make sure it will be at the price you quoted. In fact, check his or her answer by saying, "I appreciate your business. But-although I feel certain you'd never do this-sometimes other contractors ask for my help with a bid then come back after they've won it and ask me to lower my price. If I'm not willing to do that, and someone else is, would that mean I'd lose the business?"

If prospects admit that they'll either renegotiate your price or shop the contract out for a new bid, then put them on the spot: "I'd really love to do business with you, but I'm not sure I understand what you're telling me. Let me see if I've got this straight: You want me to help you get this contract by putting together a proposal for this part of the project. But if you get the job, and somebody else is willing to undercut my price by 10% or so, they're going to get the business instead of me?"

By making them aware of the unfairness-even absurdity-of their plan, you'll probably win their promise to give you the work, and for the price you bid. Sometimes prospects will insist on putting the work out for bid. If that's the case, request (gently) that they get a quote from another supplier, and if they win the job you'll be happy to review and perhaps beat the other supplier's price.

This way you'll still have a chance to get the work, and if you do have to cut your price, you won't be helping your competition or wasting your time on "unpaid consulting." Establish this agreement-your personal contract-up front. Otherwise, you could get squeezed out of more opportunities than you can afford!