How to sell this one?

[NS'Creter]

Hi guys! Every morning I check my emails before starting my day. I get responses to my Kijiji ads that way, responses to my biz cards and a list of jobs put out to tender by the province as well. A few mornings ago there as a job on the tender list that I would love to do. (That doesn't happen very often.) It is the courtyard at the very popular Maritime Museum Of The Atlantic, located in Halifax (100 miles west of me). I received the tender documents in the mail and they call for the removal and replacement of 5500sqft of existing 'crete. The specs are very stringiant because of it being a public place which will remain operating and extreme measures are speced for dust, debris and damage control. Anyway, it is my understanding that the existing slab is structurally sound...it's just old. We all know what can be done there! I'm not interested in doing the replacement, but I want to persuade them to save the existing slab and customize it to suit the theme of the museum. I plan to play the "environment card" with saving the debris which would be headed to a landfill. I also intend to push the theme, cost, mess and yada,yada,yada. So I'm asking for suggestions on how to sell this one. Any and all will be greatly appreciated.

[cfs1]

Sounds like you are the right track with environment card and things you mentioned, dont know if you have the depection software or are realy good with photo shop but take some pics of what they have and show them what they could have. Maritime Museum sounds like you get really creative with something like that. Good luck and keep us posted.

[alexwright]

Yeah what he said. Play the bio card or whatever. If you can get someone if you don't know how to work your software, make multiple pictures and get them into lots of hands involved with this project. Someone will take notice. Good luck buddy.

[NS'Creter]

Well I tried...no sale. The concrete does have some crackes here and there and they're determined to replace. I'm gonna keep workin' on 'em after the new stuff is placed though. It should be customized to their theme. They were interested in that part so it's not totally dead. I do have and use that software. I have no time or interest in the demo and replacement but could I ever sink my teeth into theming a whole courtyard of a museum.

[alexwright]

Well if that concrete is bound to come out and if you have extra materials you can throw into it, why not ask if you can do something to it anyhow and if they don't like it , oh well, it's coming out anyway and if they like it pay your price. Either way they are saving and not putting or losing any money on the experiment. What do they have to lose BUT, what do you have to gain. Publicity, call the paper out when your about done, you can guarantee that a story will be published and maybe even cause a possible stir or/ and more free publicity on the front page possibly. Do you have the time and materials. This is a win win situation for you. You'd even be willing to sign a waiver for the city, relasing them of any and all liability in your working there on that property. What do you think?? There you are, run with it!!

[alexwright]

Oh, what I was going to say is that you can design it with flagstone for the cracks and other stuff that will dress it up and go with their theme. A crack chaser can work wonders for slate patterns and flagstone. Free hand and fast!

[NS'Creter]

Yeah, I haven't seen it but they insist that replacement is necessary. Maybe it is. They do want info about what I do for future consideration.
Could be a budget thing too. Here if government agencies don't use all of their money each year they get their budgets cut and it's very difficult to get back to where they were.