These Bowie lyrics came into my mind when the BQ23 brief came through. Although in a space voyage context, they represent close communication between earth and astronaut, to me they spark an idea of a team on the ground desperately seeking something from those above them – perhaps the recognition, understanding and support they need and deserve.
So, if I was Decision Maker for a Day, here’s what I’d do…
- Cultural change: I’d trigger a top-down attitude change. Bidding would become a respected, resourced function in the business. Through changes to organisational structure, an ongoing training and coaching programme, and changes to interview questions and job descriptions, everyone would learn bidding has equal priority with marketing, selling and delivery. It’s an important part of a continuous process. It’s a team game.
- Qualification: I’d implement a formal, structured, continuous qualification process – one that balances sales conviction, delivery capability and financial viability. New opportunities would have to satisfy agreed criteria to be allowed into the pipeline, and it would be a team effort to re-assess whether or not they stay in. No more top-down ‘must-win’ against all odds nonsense. Focus on the high win probability and ditch the dross.
- Planning: I’d spread the word that planning is the route to success. Yes, miracles happen, but they are not a sound basis for business strategy. I’m not talking about drowning in a sea of paperwork or ticking boxes or, as an old boss of mine used to say, malicious compliance. Just sensible checklists, SMART actions, regular team reviews and holding each other to account for robust territory, account, capture and proposal planning.
Pie in the sky, I hear you say. Not so, I reply. I’ve seen this in action in large, medium and small organisations. I was brought up on this from the 1980s. In the old-style sales boot-camps, qualification, capture and taking bids seriously were routine. Strategic selling and solution selling methods are grounded in this stuff. Best bid practices support it. Why it’s not the norm is a mystery to me.
When I really was a decision maker, I implemented SPIN and Shipley methods in the organisation where I was the Sales and Marketing Director. My role and the size of the company meant it was easy to make changes. But the key is top-down commitment. So, instead of the recurring lyrics, “Ground Control to Major Tom,” let’s add “Major Tom to Ground Control” – top-down, bottom-up collaborative teamwork and mutual respect backed up by the investment to make bidding an equal partner everywhere.
Sarah Hinchliffe
Sarah labels herself a ‘Storyteller, Organiser, Timekeeper’ – three things that come naturally to her. After a 30-year sales career in the IT industry, where she learnt every popular sales methodology and sold millions of pounds of software and services, Sarah decided to share what she’d learnt about winning business using great stories, a systematic approach and consistently delivering on time. She continues learning and sharing through her freelance consulting work and volunteering as a writer, speaker and mentor.
