As the buyer, you had put out an RFP to four business service vendors and received a high bid, a moderate bid, a low bid, and a no bid (from the incumbent, your favorite). It's certainly not the outcome you had hoped for.  

How would you handle this situation as the buyer or as the incumbent?  

Explain your solution in 200 words or less. The individual with the best response will win a $500 credit toward any Scotwork course or consulting service.  Email us with "solution" in the subject line by Nov. 10.    

See the solution to last month's contest below. 

Congratulations to Christine Schumm of Straumann, who earned a $500 course credit for her solution to last month's question, "How would you handle this negotiation issue?"

Here's the conversation she thinks the supplier needs to have with the other side (after learning that the buyer wasn't being truthful about another supplier's low bid):  

"If you'd be willing to schedule a meeting with me to discuss how our company can focus on increasing your top-line revenue, I'd be willing to prepare a preliminary business plan in advance of the meeting. I'm confident that we can deliver a strategy offering geometric returns that will, at a minimum, offset the 3% price increase."