Duplicate Prevention: Avoid Double-Bidding and Conflicts
Nothing kills team credibility faster than two people bidding on the same project. This guide shows you how to prevent duplicates before they happen and handle them when they slip through.
Why Duplicates Hurt
- Client sees two proposals from same company = looks unprofessional
- Internal conflict over who "owns" the lead
- Wasted effort and connects/credits
- Reporting gets skewed (same opportunity counted twice)
Warning Signs of Duplicates
Train your team to check for these before creating a new record:
Same job URL
The clearest indicator. Always search by URL first.
Same company name
Watch for variations: "TechCo", "TechCo Inc", "TechCo LLC"
Same contact person
Different projects from same client should be flagged
Similar project description
Clients sometimes repost jobs with slight changes
Fields That Help Detect Duplicates
Make these fields required or strongly encouraged:
Job/Project URL
Unique identifier for platform opportunities. Make it required.
Company Name
Standardize format. Use official name, not abbreviations.
Contact Email/Username
For cold email: email address. For platforms: client username.
Platform Project ID
Upwork job ID, Freelancer project number, etc.
Ownership Policy
Clear rules prevent disputes. Adopt this policy:
First-Touch Ownership Rules
Rule 1: First to Log Wins
Whoever creates the record first owns it. No exceptions. This incentivizes fast logging.
Rule 2: Check Before You Create
Search by URL and company name before creating. If in doubt, ask in team chat.
Rule 3: 24-Hour Grace Period
If you find an opportunity but can't bid immediately, you have 24 hours to submit. After that, it's open.
Rule 4: Reposted Jobs Are New
If a client closes and reposts a job, it's a new opportunity. Previous owner gets first dibs for 24 hours.
How to Handle Discovered Duplicates
When duplicates slip through, resolve them quickly:
Merge Protocol
Identify the primary record
Usually the one with more history or further along in pipeline
Copy useful notes from duplicate
Don't lose context—merge notes into primary record
Decide ownership
First-touch owner keeps it, unless they agree to transfer
Mark duplicate as "Duplicate - Merged"
Don't delete—mark as duplicate outcome so you can audit later
Notify both parties
Quick message: "Merged X into Y, [Name] now owns it"
Team Rules (Copy This)
Share this with your team as your duplicate prevention policy:
Duplicate Prevention Policy
Before creating a new opportunity:
- Search by job URL / project link
- Search by company name
- Search by contact name/email
- If any match, do NOT create a new record
Ownership rules:
- First to log owns it
- 24-hour hold to submit bid after logging
- No bidding on someone else's logged opportunity
If you find a duplicate:
- Notify the other owner immediately
- Agree on which record to keep
- Merge notes, mark duplicate as "Duplicate - Merged"
Pre-Bid Checklist
Have reps run through this before every bid:
Related Guides
Lead Source Attribution
Proper attribution prevents double-counting
Ownership & Assignment
Clear ownership rules for teams
Prevent Duplicate Outreach
Keep your team coordinated and professional
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