Quick reply vs. thoughtful proposal - which actually lands the gig?

I keep seeing people say you gotta reply to job posts within minutes or you lose the client. But last month I waited 6 hours to reply to a HVAC system design gig and still got it because I actually read their specs and asked two smart questions. Anyone else think rushing the reply is overrated compared to actually understanding what they need?

3 comments

3 Comments

zarag179d ago

Yeah rushing is overrated. Thoughtful always wins.

keith1649d ago

Honestly, I gotta push back on that 'thoughtful always wins' take. I mean, I get the idea, but in my experience, if you're an hour late, the client might already be talking to three other guys who replied fast. I've lost a couple gigs where I spent like 20 minutes really reading their specs and writing a solid proposal, only to find out they picked someone who sent a short 'I can do it for $X' two hours earlier. Speed shows you're available and hungry, and that matters more than most people admit. Thoughtful only works if you're fast too, otherwise you're just the guy who didn't show up on time.

the_felix9d ago

Flip it around and look at what happens after you win. Rushing the reply usually means you skimmed their specs, so you end up asking basic stuff later that makes you look unprofessional. I snagged a commercial electrical load calc job last month by replying in 90 minutes with a single question about their panel schedule format. The client told me later three other bids came in faster but none of them even noticed the specs listed 208V single phase, not three phase. Fast is fine, but fast with a focused question shows you actually read, and that's what makes them stop scrolling through other replies.