We’ve all been there. We put our heart and soul into a proposal only to find out that we didn’t win the project. For many, the process ends there…but in fact, it can be just the beginning. You can find a lot of articles that will provide tips on how to win proposals, but nary a one that will tell you how to turn a proposal loss into a business win. So, here are my tips…
1. Contact the winning bidder
Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and congratulate the winning bidder. Ask if there’s anything you can do to help them on the project. You’d be surprised how many people win the pitch, then try to figure out how they’re going to get it done. Building a bridge may allow you to work on the very project you just lost.
2. Use it as an opportunity for improvement
Find out why you didn’t win. If possible, schedule a face to face to discuss this with the customer. I do want to caution that if you don’t know the customer very well, the likelihood that they’re going to be totally honest with you is not high (that is, unless their decision was purely price driven). Think about it, if your proposal was lacklustre or one of your presenters had distractingly bad breath, you probably won’t hear about it. Another strategy is to ask why the winner won. It’s easier to deliver good news about someone else than negative news about you. Either way, remember that even the smallest feedback can garner great business insights and help you submit a better proposal next time around.
3. Leave the door open
Just recently I interviewed 3 headhunters to fill a position for my company. After making a decision to go with one, I called the other 2 to deliver the news that they handn’t won our contract. One left the door opening by saying that if, after a few weeks, we weren’t satisfied with the results we were getting with our headhunter they would honor the awarded rate and, more importantly, reiterated how they could address all of our service requirements. I can guarantee you that if we encounter any issues, that recruiter will be top of mind. The other?…not so much.
Care to share your own success stories or tips?
Lara McCulloch-Carter
Author of the Special Event blog ready2spark
Director of Marketing – Regal Tent Productions
President – ISES Toronto
. Follow me on Twitter
. Connect with me on LinkedIn
. Become my Peep at EventPeeps
. Befriend me at Events Network