Win-Loss Consulting
A. More focus on winning – than the offer itself
The experience is that offers are prepared with great professional enthusiasm. And with the belief that the organisations understanding of the potential client is adequate. Together you have enough insight to be able to prepare a competitive offer.
The NEW is that you use at least 50% of your resources on understanding how you win the client / project. You do not use 100% of your resources on preparing the offer.
E.g. it must be determined:
- What “purchasing journey” is this client on?
(Do we have a too simple or implicit assumption of the journey?) - Where on the journey are we right now?
(Maybe the client is much further in the process than we assume?) - Who is on the journey?
(There are internal / external influencers who we must have control over) - Who decides what?
(Managers, CFO, users etc. decide what?) - The insight and influence of the contact person?
(Is the contact person a filter or without insight or influence – what do we do then?) - What challenges are the greatest for the client on the journey?
(Internal political relations, overload of information, security / insecurity?) - What is absolutely crucial – if anything?
(Budget, reputation, decency / CSR, references, documentation etc.?) - What can move the decision – if anything?
(Delivery time, innovation, interpersonal chemistry, too complex offers, effective digital solutions etc.) - How does the client decide on the winning supplier?
(The management’s balancing, procurement is in charge, the users have the final say, etc.)
B. Win-Loss study design
C. Higher hit rate
A Win-Loss study has to clarify the 9 questions listed in section A, but they have to be incorporated into the following main themes. It must be recalled that the study is carried out after a lost (or won) project offer:
Our company’s reputation
The substance of the delivered offer
Our customer insight
Our process insight
The progression of the process
The customer’s explanation
Our own organisations explanation
After completion of the study, an analysis of input for the above themes is carried out. Sub-conclusions are compiled along with proposals for a new offer-strategy and offer handling.
All for the purpose of a significantly improved hit rate on submitted offers.
