Process Makes Perfect

If you are like most business development professionals I’ve worked with in the past, you enjoy winning. And you hate losing (probably more than you like winning!).

We’ve learned that there are three key ingredients that help pursuit teams record more strokes in the win column than in the loss column. They are:

1. Process
2. Process
3. Process

Having led companies through hundreds of successful pursuits, my partners and I have gained insights on what works and what doesn’t. When looking at the commonalities of successful pursuits, the following becomes crystal clear: Companies that follow established processes have higher win rates, enjoy a higher ROI on their pursuits, and are able to optimize the productivity of their business development teams.

However you may feel about process, it’s an essential component that drives your growth; it’s the anchor that enables business development teams to remain grounded, pursue opportunities efficiently, and reach their objectives. Without process, there is unpredictability and disruption, which derails pursuit efforts and leaves teams scrambling to figure out their next moves.

While there’s no such thing as a “typical pursuit,” there is a replicable process companies can use to prepare to win key opportunities. I have learned that the closer companies stick to their tried-and-true process blueprint, the more wins they produce. Conversely, those who deviate from the system – whether it be for convenience, cost savings, or impatience – are doomed to suffer more losses than necessary.

When you create proven, repeatable, established processes for your business development operation, you eliminate the guesswork from your pursuits. There’s no need to scramble to figure out next steps, no need to seek approval up the chain of command for routine decisions, and no need to delay pursuits with unnecessary debates or conferences. Confusion and inconsistencies are eliminated because every member of the organization understands the process.

Sometimes clients say that they try to adhere to their established processes, but external circumstances force them to deviate. To me, this is not a valid reason to veer away from your process. I’d even suggest that if external circumstances require shortcuts or changes from your established process,?you may want to consider foregoing the opportunity completely.

Why spend the time, money, and energy in preparing proposals and presentations for opportunities that you have little or no chance of winning? Former NHL great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” but I am sure that the hockey legend would agree that it would be prudent to take the time to prepare for a high-percentage shot, rather than hack wildly at the puck with your eyes closed.

To drive this point home, in our next article, I will be sharing real-life examples of the importance of foregoing opportunities where you are unable (or unwilling) to follow established processes.