Winning business in competitive situations

A tale of boredom, anguish and itchy boardroom chairs. By Andrew Heslop.

I can't tell you how awful it was. Sitting there, day after day. Hardly daring to look at the bottom left hand corner of the screen, which was certain to read: "PowerPoint, slide 5 of 47". I found myself sinking lower into the coarse fabric of the boardroom chair, dragged down by the sheer weight of another tedious sales presentation.

I spent a chunk of my career as a buyer for really big businesses. This means that to sales people, I represent a prime example of 'the guy on the other side of the desk'.

If you think the buying game is easy, think again. Sure, it's probably easier than selling, but you need to factor in the sheer life-sapping-boredom involved in reading dreary proposals, and suffering deadpan and formulaic presentations. Sometimes the task of reading drab proposals and being tormented by dire presentations would drag on for days, without respite.

Why do they do it? Why do prospective suppliers - many of them huge businesses in their own right - prepare such ill considered, standardised and boring materials? Many of the people tasked with presenting must have interesting personalities, but the more endearing aspects of their humanity is consistently left at home or in the car park - perhaps even accidentally dropped when signing in at reception. Why don't more people find a way to be professional, persuasive, and (what's the word, oh yes...) interesting?

Buying is more about emotion than rationality, and salespeople need to understand this. I've been a professional buyer, so if I say it's true you might like to believe me. Many professional buyers pretend to be wholly rational, but the first person they are kidding is themselves; the second person is you.

Successful pitching - whether in written proposals or live presentation - involves telling a story. This means investing in words; finding new and interesting ways to convey meaning; having a personality; discovering an exciting tone; being imaginative, passionate - even playful.

Many businesses are obsessed with branding and image. Outlandish sums are spent on sophisticated logos and the ruthless enforcement of corporate branding guidelines. But they so often miss the bigger picture; words are a branding issue too, and frankly, many businesses would do a lot better if they spent more time on content rather than obsessing with visual aspects of presentation. The best way to produce a more striking proposal is to write a more striking proposal. Sure, the new logo can make a difference, but if the story isn't right all you have is a few colourful squiggly lines at the top of each page.

You really can do a whole lot better. If only for the sake of the poor buyer.