An unfortunate reality of our business is that we don’t win all of the projects we propose on. It may not be fun to dissect your sales process to learn why you lost a project, but it’s a great way to sort out—and put to good use—the signals you’re receiving from the market.
A client once told me that one consultant’s reaction to losing a project was to warn the client that he (the client) was making a big mistake and would regret it. This approach is not likely to earn much respect from clients. Instead, the goal should be to convert today’s bad news into future wins.
You Can’t Win ‘Em All
“We liked your proposal, but…”
When a client call starts like that, you’d probably rather endure a two-hour wait at airport security than listen to the bad news coming. Once you hear, “we’re going with another consultant,” it’s natural to try and swing the apparent loss to the win column.
Through questions and clarifying comments, consultants have been known to persuade clients to reconsider a decision. If nothing else, most consultants try to keep the door open for future opportunities by asking if it’s ok to stay in touch. It’s rare for a client to say “no” to that request, which is a small victory.
If the decision to use another consultant is final, though, there’s still a wealth of market intelligence buried in that decision that’s too valuable to leave unearthed. To vastly improve your odds of winning in the future, figure out the meaning of the signal the client is sending you.
Why Guess?
Your first reaction will probably be to assume you know why a project went to someone else. Maybe you lost because the client hired the CEO’s nephew, not because your proposal was considered inferior. The only way to find out what you need to know is to ask the client the right questions.
read more: http://mindshareconsulting.com/when-a-client-says-no/
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