No surprises

The scenario: you and your team put in a huge amount of effort, building a deep understanding of the customer, their challenges and aspirations. Your proposal clearly described the value you can offer (that others cannot) and the feedback from them was really positive until they called to tell you they preferred an alternative. It’s a deflating and unexpected loss.

You might be surprised at the outcome, but somewhere there is a person who always thought it would go this way. It’s exactly what they expected. They’re not surprised at all.

Perhaps they knew someone you didn’t, or there was something about the decision process or an underlying need that wasn’t uncovered. Maybe you were just outmanoeuvred. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s an experience worth learning from.

As the rate of change in your organisation (and your customer’s) accelerates, your selling work may need to be more thorough. In complex sales environments, the challenges are climbing, the stakes are increasing and the customer’s buying decision is getting harder for them to make.

When it comes to complex buying decisions where two or more competitors are putting their best foot forward, it’s possible that they both think they’re in front. In that case, someone is going to get a big surprise.

There’s no sure way to avoid this (or you would already have read it in a LinkedIn article directing you to a site to buy a $10k book with the solution inside). But there are plenty of ways to reduce the likelihood by exploring further, looking harder, listening better and digging deeper than your competitor.

Keeping up with change matters. After all, it’s only the people hiding around the corner (or in the cupboard you haven’t checked) who can SURPRISE you.