<start of post>
Stop acting like a waiter in a five-star restaurant
Would you like the RFP with a side of extra discount?
Is that the value your sales team brings?
There’s a problem with being 'at your service'
By the time the customer asks for a proposal, they’ve already decided what they want, how much they’ll pay, and who the 'preferred' winner is
(Spoiler: It’s usually not the person who just turned up)
Which means your influence is zero
You’re just there to make up the numbers and help them tick a procurement box
The real margin is made in the 'messy middle' before the document exists
So how do you stop being a waiter and start being a chef?
It’s about shaping the menu
The VALUE Framework helps you do that
🔸 Validate = right opportunities
Stop chasing every 'order' that hits your inbox. Focus on where you can actually change the outcome
🔸 Align = right research
Understand the business problem, not just the technical spec. Who is losing sleep over this?
🔸 Leverage = right conversations
Ask the questions that make the customer rethink their own criteria
🔸 Underpin = right solutions
Position your unique approach while the requirements are still written in pencil, not ink
🔸 Evolve = right outcomes
Focus on the long-term success, not just the 'win'
If you’re waiting for the RFP to land, you’ve already lost the lead
You need to be in the kitchen while they’re still deciding what they’re hungry for
Otherwise, you’re just delivering the bill
Are you taking orders or shaping the strategy?
#OrangeHatThinking
<end of post>
