All posts filed under: Pitch presentation

Making the second sale

By Mark Di Somma

People say the first sale is the hardest to make. You have to find the right person in the right company, you have to catch them at the right time in the right mood, make your pitch, you have to convince them to go with you. That’s got to be the hardest thing in the world doesn’t it? I’m not so sure. Because, at least with the first sale, there’s the curiosity factor. There’s the opportunity to try you out, maybe on something small, maybe on something others are struggling with or that issue they have not got round to. First sale takes determination and courage and the willingness to push through against many, many obstacles. But I think the second sale is more difficult. OK, it’s easier in that they’ve seen what you did. You have some small degree of familiarity on your side. The risk of course is also that they’ve seen what you did. They feel they know you. They’re forming their own impressions about your abilities. The real disadvantage though is …

What’s your reply?

By Mark Di Somma

“I can’t believe they got that job. We are so much better than them”. We’ve all heard that. Some of us have said it. Here’s the question. Then, why did they get it? If it was price, what did they do to their cost structures to make their price possible? If it was networks, what are they doing or who do they know that you don’t? If it was credibility, what makes them a more comfortable choice than you? So many companies respond to a competitor’s wins with excuses. The companies I like are the ones that use every loss as an opportunity to re-evaluate if and how they themselves need to change. Sometimes, decisions are a bit like email. It’s not the message you get that counts. It’s the way you choose to reply.