IT Companies: How to Avoid Coming Second in a Pitch

We’ve all been there. We’ve met with a new prospective customer, listened to their requirements, then spent hours or days putting together a perfect solution for them and technically verifying that everything we’re proposing will work.

Then we’re invited to meet with the customer to present our proposal – which is more work, more prep, but that’s all part of the sales process for IT infrastructure companies, and it is the accepted norm in our industry that all this will be provided to the customer for free.

Then the customer informs you that they have given the business to your competitor. And at that, perhaps it’s a competitor who you believe can’t deliver a technical solution or support service that’s half as good as yours.

It’s galling to lose out to a competitor, especially one you suspect cannot technically deliver the standard of service that you can.

But the fact that you didn’t win the pitch means that you didn’t manage to communicate to the prospective customer that you would be the best organisation to meet their needs. Someone else stepped in with the glossy brochure, the slick presentation and an ability to convince the customer that they could meet their needs, such that the customer signed on the dotted line with them not you. 

Whether or not your rival can technically deliver is a moot point. Because they won the business, not you. And yes you have the consolation that if that supplier doesn’t deliver, then perhaps in a year or 2 years time you’ll get the opportunity to re-pitch to the customer.

But wouldn’t you have rather won the business now?

Virtuoso Consultancy work with IT companies to help them achieve new business success by:

• Writing/re-writing your sales materials to be compelling to your target customer
• Qualifying and understanding customer outcomes
• Putting together compelling pitches
• Strategising leads to maximise the opportunity
• Understanding the politics at play
• Proposal writing
• Mentoring business owners and/or sales teams
• Presentation writing and/or delivery
• Effective sales follow-up processes

Being from a reseller background, with extensive experience in how to strategise leads and design winning sales pitches, including a conversion ratio of 70-80% of first meetings into customers, we bring a wealth of commercial experience to MSPs and VARs.

Whether you need us for a few days a week, a few days a month or for a one-off project, we can help you win more business.

If this post has resonated with you and you would like to explore how we can help you win more business, then please do not hesitate to contact me on 07788 227654, or email janeg@virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk

For more information about our services please visit http://www.virtuosoconsultancy.co.uk/IT_Companies

To read more posts covering all aspects of sales, marketing and business development for MSP’s and VAR’s, please visit our blog: https://it-business-growth-strategies.blogspot.co.uk/