Rescuing lost work
We designers are often sensitive types.
We pour our heart and soul into winning new work. But if we’re unsuccessful, we tend to lick our wounds and move on to the next opportunity.
We shouldn’t.
My previous newsletter posts have included guidance on the business development process, from lead generation by networking, structured qualification, presenting credentials and negotiation.
But even if we’ve done all of that perfectly, there are times we still don’t win the work.
The pain
There are lots of reasons why you can be unsuccessful, many of which are entirely out of your control.
Client priorities change.
Budget is frozen, or allocated elsewhere.
The project sponsor moves role, or leaves the company.
If you were competing against others for the work, you may have been a ‘sacrificial lamb’. Some companies need to get a certain number of quotes, particularly for more substantial pieces of work.
Often they know who they’re going to work with from the outset, but have to get other parties to make up the numbers. You might change their minds, but it’s extremely unlikely – especially if you’re up against an incumbent.
If it’s your first engagement with them, perhaps the client didn’t understand your strengths.
Or maybe they felt it was too high risk to go with you, if it was a big job.
Not a sunk cost
If you don't win the work, all the time and effort you put in is not a sunk cost*.
It should be treated as an investment in building a relationship and trust.
* A sunk cost is money, time, or effort that has already been spent and cannot be recovered.
The gain
When you've lost a new business opportunity, you should have achieved several key things.
Firstly, you’ve had the chance to impress your prospect – visibility you wouldn’t have otherwise gained.
They should understand your capabilities much better now – and know what you’re really good at.
Secondly, they’ve got to know you. Hopefully throughout the process you built some rapport and trust.
That’s a much better position to be in than where you started. You’re well ahead of your competitors who just have the client on their future wish list.
Third, you’ve learned all kinds of things about your prospect that you didn’t know before.
Despite your best efforts to qualify thoroughly in advance, the process of trying to win a piece of work probably taught you all sorts of things about your potential client:
Lastly, depending on the client, their process and how far you got, you may have navigated their procurement process. Being ‘on the books’ can be a significant advantage for next time.
Turning things around
Debriefs are a key tool in turning losses around.
Internal meetings with your team, questioning how things could have been better.
And externally with your client, understanding why you didn’t secure the work – and most importantly how you can win some in the future.
These learnings will inform your decision about whether to continue pursuing work with them – and if so, how to maximise your chances of success.
As unnatural as it might feel, especially while the rejection is still raw, losing initially can often lead to wins later. Some of my best client relationships started with a loss.
But only if you learn from the experience.
Not this time
The way ahead can seem like an uphill battle, but it pays to persevere. Try to think of the “No” as a “Not now” or “Not this time”.
In the face of a loss, don’t just cry into your beer. Take a deep breath and keep a positive attitude.
Adopt the mindset of: ‘We lost this battle, but we’ll win the war!’
My Commercial Skills for Creatives training follows the five steps agencies go through to win work.
The fifth course in the series is called Turning losing into winning.
It covers everything I’ve referred to in this article in more depth, and more:
Outcomes
You will:
✔ Recognise that losing isn’t all bad
✔ Feel confident running internal and client debrief meetings (equipped with a practical guide)
✔ Be able to identify learnings and use them to win future engagements
Here’s a link to the training course. Click the red ‘View course’ button for more content info.
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I built a 100-person international design consultancy, before selling it.
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2moIt's so important to keep the relationship flowing and building upon what you have achieved so far. Turning away with our tail between our legs, having seen it as a personal rejection should not be an option, when positive gains have been made.
Design Engineer, IP development specialist
2moWe lost an engagement recently and in reviewing our interactions with the prospective client we recognised that we were proposing a solution to a problem that the client didn't fully understand. They were experts at making their spercific product. We could see more opportunity but communicated it badly.