Comments on: You’re most vulnerable right after you win a deal

By: msuster

msuster — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:02:10 +0000

Thank you for the feedback.

By: max191

max191 — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:54:13 +0000

Your blog is timely reinforcement about the purpose of blogs and what I aspire to as well. Really good one!
regards
charcoal grill

By: msuster

msuster — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:01:45 +0000

Yes, if you click through and read the original post I go into more details about the loss. But we basically considered alerting the UK competition authorities because overturning the decision was so biased and egregious. In the end we decided to just move on.

By: adityavempaty

adityavempaty — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:48:25 +0000

Wow, eye opening post. I have always thought that the competition would not go away is the case. Even after you have “won”. But to what extent the “enemy” is willing to go depends on how well you gauge them right? Thus Its not over until the ink is dry and check is in the bank is accurate, but also making sure your end of the agreement to deliver services is done to the T and dotted with the I. How did you handle lossing out the contract after having won it? This prolly is the hardest part to recover from correct?

By: Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:19:02 +0000

I think it's “You are most vulnerable when they tell you that you have won the deal but you don't yet have a signed contract and your first payment.” Early stage startups in particular are better served by measuring their progress by counting endorsements from paying customers than telephone calls announcing they have “won” the deal.

By: David Smuts

David Smuts — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:57:13 +0000

Mark, you're being too modest now. You wouldn't be where are you are today without having had to fight along the way- life's just not that easy. So YES it is in your charachter because you're an acheiver- it's just you might have chosen your fights carefully and strategically. No point in fighting every battle- fight the ones that matter most.

By: msuster

msuster — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:17:45 +0000

The funny thing is that the “explanation for the losers” is rarely accurate. That's the hard bit – looking beyond what they tell you and doing the no-holds-barred, no blame, post-game analysis on why you really lost. It's more of an art than a science I think.

By: msuster

msuster — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:15:33 +0000

Great points and admittedly has been some of my past failing. Too often I accepted defeat graciously and moved on. I tried to learn from it but not continue the fight. Sometimes it pays to continue the fight. I guess it's just not in my character.

By: Shaun MacDonald

Shaun MacDonald — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:56:44 +0000

This is certainly a thought provoking article. Patten once said that "success is how high you bounce after you fail" but for the meal to turn out better next time, the chef must have learned a few lessons ... the appetizer of your story serves up time tested lessons of sports and war ... beware the enemy that is injured or down.

The last two super bowls were defined by teams that were down in the last two minutes, and needed knockout touchdowns. The more one has vested in the outcome, the less likely one is to give up when it appears you are done.

In business when a decision is handed down, it normally comes with an explanation for the losers, who in turn will try and turn it on its head --- normally its economic noggin, and rather than complain to the jury, they will go immediately to the higher court. It's how the game is played.

Shaun

By: David Smuts

David Smuts — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:05:43 +0000

Its a real beech when you lose a major contract like this. On the positive side- I can say I've won some public procurement tenders after having been told we "lost". As long as the contract hadn't been signed- it just emboldened me like a mad-man to go out and fight for the business. Comparing that behaviour to that of a complacent winner makes a purchaser think twice before signing. I guess what you're saying is: DON'T BE COMPLACENT!

I would add to this post that in my view, I think you're most vulnerable when you've been told "NO, YOU'VE LOST". It's so hard not to take this rejection personally- its our human nature to do so. It's so easy to accept this rejection, withdraw, accept defeat and feel like sheet.

Rejection makes you either acquiesce or fight and this is what moulds our greatest business leaders, politicians, artisans etc.., I have the greatest admiration for men and women who overcome rejection through perseverance and tenacity. These are the people I seek out, they are the ones who truly inspire me. And if you want to succeed in business- you gotta be one hell of a fighter!

Best of luck to all you fighters out there