Tinder / Tender – For the love of business.

The world of dating can be a minefield. Trying to find ‘the one’ in a sea of ‘ones’. But the moment a potential partner catches your eye, the ‘game’s’ afoot.

Are they going to come over here? Should I go over there? How’s my hair? Try not to trip on the way. The butterflies are building the closer you get to the first interaction. I hope I don’t have something in my teeth, god they’re attractive, what if they tell me to go away!?….then, “Hi, my name’s….”

And you’re away, no safety nets, no ‘do-overs’, just you and them. From that point on my friend, you are along for the proverbial ride…

So, once talks have begun and you haven’t been rejected from the get-go (which is always a great way to start). It’s good to establish a common interest to begin building the relationship. You can then try and mention some of your best attributes that they may be interested in, as while not to boast (too much). You have to listen to what the other person wants while thinking about whether you can fulfil their ‘requirements’ and vice versa. Or even figure out if you’re a good fit for each other after all.

But that was way back in the olden days, you know, the early naughties and beyond. I mean sure, if you’re a purist you can still do it this way but you better be either super confident or have some thick skin.

via GIPHY

The ‘Paradox’

Tendering for a commercial contract can sometimes feel like you are running a similar gauntlet. For example, if you are a company that is on the ‘hunt’ for business, it can be a nerve-racking time while you await a response to a proposal that you have submitted. On the other side of this coin are the companies who are fortunate enough to have their well-earnt reputations afford them the luxury of potential clients coming to them. Even when something like this happens it’s not all plain sailing however as there is still plenty of work to be done by both parties.

We live in the age of technology where the computer is king and knowledge is power. If technology can help us in business, why not let it help us in the world of dating? Who doesn’t want a digital wingman or wingwoman in their corner to help them find their ‘soulmate’?

The ‘Game Changer’

Tinder’ is an internationally known mobile dating app that allows you to cut out all of the stress and worries of the dreaded initial encounter. All you need to do is set up a profile; add some pictures and a short blurb about yourself. Change the settings to what you are interested in in your chosen ‘catchment area’ and you are away! Immediately images of your potential future partners who match your chosen criteria will magically appear on the screen of your chosen device. From here you can then, at your leisure, swipe either right to show your interest or left to discard said profile, never to see them again. If they do the same to yours, you match and then my friend, you are off to the races!! How easy is that!?

The Crossovers

The tender process has many similarities to the Tinder dating app. You create your profile (application) and put it out in the world for your prospective partner (client) to see. They will either show interest or they won’t. Rejection can be hard on the best of us, especially when you think that you would have been a great match for the aforementioned partner/client.

Remember when I said that if you were a purist you could still take the direct approach and strike up a conversation you would either have to be super confident or have thick skin? Well sometime this approach can pay off BIG in both scenarios, but especially when it comes to tenders. If we at Culina Group hear that a contract is up for tender then we will arrange to meet with the client (introduction at the bar) and begin a dialogue. We will listen to their needs (we show that we share an interest) and what they want from a 3PL provider. We then acknowledge those points while discussing what it is that we do best and how those qualities can benefit and add value to the client’s business (while still trying not to boast too much). And remember, you definitely don’t want cost to be the first thing out of your mouth. Everyone likes a bargain but nobody likes a cheap anything, especially when you can pay that bit extra and get far better quality.

It’s all going to plan.

So you have had your initial meeting and swapped numbers. Now you go away and do your homework. You analyse what it is that the client requires and you produce a plan of how you can use your assets most effectively to benefit them and to create value. Essentially you are trying to ‘woo them’ and my Grandad would say. If you have done everything right and they feel that you are as right for each other as you do, the pair of you could end up spending some very happy years together. In some cases even decades because ‘You really just get each other, you know’ (proceeded by the sound of popping bubble gum).

If you play your cards right and form a bond in either Tinder or with tenders all parties involved could be very happy together. Another thing my Grandad used to say to me was, ‘nothing worth doing is ever easy’. I think a lot of people and businesses forget that these days. In a world of instant everything and where we are assisted in our day to day lives by technology and apps, it can be hard to remember sentiments like this. There’s nothing quite like creating a face to face relationship, and yes, Culina Group is a forward-thinking business, ever investing and developing how we operate but if the fundamentals are forgotten, I believe, that we will all be worse off for it.