We don’t ask for it (business)
July 9th, 2010
Yesterday I spoke with someone at an organization to whom we gave a pitch presentation last week. He explained that we weren’t getting a gig to redesign his organization’s Web site. He said his committee told him one reason they weren’t inclined to give us their business because ‘we never asked for it’.
We don’t mind a bit. We will never ask for business.
Sound crazy? It’s not when you think about it. It’s actually become part of our screening process. Let me explain.
When speaking to potential Clients, it’s my job to demonstrate that we are the experts, that we have the know-how to give them the best Web site possible. We should be able to convince them that our approach and our process will lead to a site that is clearly superior to other options.
If we can’t do that, if the prospect doesn’t end up coveting our approach and our previous work, it means one of two things: we haven’t done our job demonstrating our capabilities, and/or they will end up being a Client who is not a good fit.
In a way, it’s like dating. You’ll form a healthy relationship with someone who likes you for who you are and not because you bought them diamond rings and took them for a ride in your Carrera.
Don’t get me wrong. For the prospect in question, we wrote up a proposal, we prepared and delivered a solid pitch presentation and, at the end we said (as we always do) that we were looking forward to the opportunity to work with this prospect (and we were very forthright in saying that).
But we wanted to work with them because we wanted to build a great Web site, not simply because they waived money under our noses. We won’t say anything or do anything just to get the work (we have plenty already). We’ll propose to do what we think is right – and prospects will either agree or they won’t.
For the health of our company, the Clients we want (and the ones you should want for your business) are the ones who want to work with you, not the other way around.
