I was recently engaged to strategize with a firm chasing an aviation project that the firm had not worked directly for previously. They had done their homework; they had an impressive number of internal insights and they had decision-making relationships in place that were pulling for them. But! They knew it wasn’t a slam dunk, so they asked me to come in and increase their optics with a solid presentation and team coaching. As I often do, I asked – “what’s our win percentage in your mind?” It wasn’t an impressive number so while we put the strategy together, tied in the background of everything that was said was education for “next time”. Plant the seed.
Here’s Wednesdays Warren Buffett Thought:
*When you get shortlisted – but you are the clear underdog – use that time to intentionally plant bigger picture differentiators and client facing solutions that grudgingly causes the committee to struggle harder with the decision they walked in thinking was a slam dunk. Be great, go big. But if you don’t (can’t) win (yet) you can celebrate that you made a lasting impression on them for the next one.
Sometimes it’s just not your turn and the competitors are well ahead of you in trying to break into a client you also have your sights on. And what about that incumbent competitor that’s been working for them a long time but is losing footing.
Warren Buffet“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
That client I mentioned, they REALLY WANTED to win. But they also wanted to get closer to winning if this wasn’t the right project or time. After giving a great presentation but learning we hadn’t won, they high fived me and said, “We were last in ranking when we started this. But we moved up ahead of others; that’s a win for today – we’ll get the whole win tomorrow.”
You know the list of things you need to do to turn the clients’ head your way, so keep at it. Keep planting trees, keep planting core branding and people in the right places.
If your turn isn’t today, what can you say that helps make it your day tomorrow? Need help figuring out strategy or re-engaging your team?
