The Re-Tender Trap: Why Good Relationships Aren’t Enough
Your client just announced a re-tender on your most important contract. The procurement team says it’s “just procedure,” but you know better. Behind every re-tender lies one of three realities:
- Intent to Transition: They want out, and you’re fighting an uphill battle
- Commercial Reset: They want to keep you, but at a better price
- Governance Theatre: Box-ticking exercise, but still dangerous if mishandled
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most incumbents lose re-tenders (or lose margin) not because they’re bad suppliers, but because they treat it like a documentation exercise instead of a negotiation.
The Fatal Mistakes Incumbents Make
- Recycling old proposals instead of reshaping the commercial narrative
- Over-relying on relationship capital while competitors focus on influencing decision dynamics
- Reacting emotionally to what feels like betrayal from a trusted client
- Underestimating internal politics and new power structures driving the decision
- Competing on price instead of reframing value before anyone talks numbers
Your competitors are counting on you to make these mistakes. Don’t give them the advantage.
How Impact Negotiation Group Shifts the Playing Field
We don’t write better responses. We reshape your negotiation posture, long before anyone starts evaluating documents.
Our 9-Point Negotiation Advantage System
Stakeholder Intelligence & Power Mapping
Identify real decision-makers, influencers, and internal dynamics driving the re-tender
Decision Architecture & Process Dynamics
Decode how decisions get made and position yourself in the flow of influence
Value Reframing & Commercial Narrative
Transform your track record into an indisputable competitive advantage
Margin Protection & Commercial Strategy
Structure your value story so price becomes secondary
Strategic Positioning & Market Differentiation
Create a narrative that neutralizes cheaper alternatives before they matter
Internal Team Alignment & Message Discipline
Ensure your entire organization delivers consistent, winning positioning
Competitor Analysis & Counter-Influence
Anticipate challenger moves and position to make them irrelevant
Relationship Leverage & Stakeholder Influence
Convert existing relationships into decision-making advantage
Post-Tender Negotiation Positioning
Set up favorable terms discussions regardless of the formal outcome
This Service Is For You If:
- You’re defending contracts worth €1M+ annually
- Complex stakeholder dynamics are at play (procurement vs. operations vs. C-suite)
- Your margins are under pressure from competitive bidding
- Internal teams need alignment on strategy and messaging
- You suspect politics, not just price, will determine the outcome
- The relationship you’ve built matters, but you need to translate it into competitive advantage
Why Impact Negotiation Group
We’re not a tender agency. We’re negotiation specialists who help you win the game behind the game.
We’re senior negotiation consultants, not documenters, but practitioners who’ve negotiated billions in high-stakes deals. We understand the psychology of commercial decisions, the politics of organizational dynamics, and the art of margin protection.
Real Negotiation Experience, Not Documentation
We’ve been in your shoes. We’ve turned defensive positions into negotiation advantage and won against cheaper competitors.
Strategic Influence, Not Response Writing
We align your organization around winning strategy that shapes decisions before anyone reads a document.
Commercial Obsession
Every recommendation is tested against one question: Does this strengthen your negotiation position and protect your business value
Having worked with the team at Impact Negotiation Group over the past two years, I’ve found them to be incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, and a pleasure to work with.
Very good nego training. I have learned a lot; tactics, how to behave, to not be in a competitive mindset.
Absolutely powerful and valuable training. Applicable in most of the aspects in your life
Interesting, fast-paced and lot of pratical examples.
Very useful, high intensity
10 out of 10! Do it it’s a very good training with real examples
This is ROI positive and therefore a must for senior sales
Nice full and rich program, with humor and great balance between theory and practice!
With these experts, you can be sure you have thought of everything and are best prepared for your negotiations. This will give you confidence for the future.
Strategic Questions Answered
How do you win a re-tender as an incumbent?
By influencing the decision-making process before procurement formalities start. Most incumbents lose because they focus on documentation instead of negotiation positioning.
What’s the difference between a bid response and negotiation strategy?
A bid response follows the rules. A negotiation strategy shapes the rules. Impact does the latter.
When should you defend a contract versus walking away?
Defend when the relationship has strategic value and margins justify the investment. Walk away when you’re being used as a pricing benchmark for a predetermined outcome.
How do you protect margins during a competitive re-tender?
By reframing value before price discussions start. Position your track record as irreplaceable competitive advantage, not just supplier history.
What mistakes do incumbent suppliers make in re-tenders?
Treating it as a documentation exercise, over-relying on relationships, competing on price alone, and underestimating internal politics driving the decision.
