Want To Increase Your Win Rate?

Do you want to increase your win rate?

Whether you are pitching for business with clients outside your organisation, or inside a corporate where you want to land a project and get internal sponsorship, you are always dependent on the people factor.

Often, what's standing in the way of your success has nothing to do with your idea but has everything to do with who you are, or are not, connected to and how much influence they have over the outcome. 

Intentionality is everything

How intentional are you being about identifying the key players within an organisation, not just keeping friendly contacts warm? The same goes for how you use LinkedIn. Are you adopting the spray and pray approach and connecting to anyone and everyone, or are you being more laser focused?

Know your allies and your enemies

The Allies and Enemies Matrix is a simple but powerful tool to increase your intentionality when it comes to your connections. The one axis plots the level of power each person holds in influencing the decision while the other represents their level of support for you/your company/business/idea.

I picked up the Allies and Enemies Matrix from a client of mine, Bob Bradley CEO of MD2MD in the UK. He, in turn, attributes it to what he has learnt from Phil Jesson and Jeff Grout who originally introduced the concept to him.

Here is a simple explanation of the matrix:

• TOP RIGHT: Champions

These are your ideal contacts – high power and strong supporters. They advocate for your solution and champion it within the organisation.

• TOP LEFT: Obstacles

These individuals hold significant sway over the decision but are currently not on your side. This is where you need to focus significant effort. Understand their concerns and tailor your approach to address them.

• BOTTOM RIGHT: Unimportant

These individuals may not like you, but their lack of influence makes them a low priority.

• BOTTOM LEFT: Friends

These are pleasant contacts who are friendly but hold little decision-making power. While maintaining rapport is good, don't expend excessive energy here.

By visually mapping out the key players, the Allies and Enemies Matrix delivers a clear picture of who truly matters in the deal. 

This allows you to:

📈 Focus your sales team's efforts on those who truly matter. Invest your time and resources in influencing those with the most power to sway the decision.

📈 Develop targeted strategies to address the concerns of key decision-makers.

📈 Increase your win rate for complex, high-value deals. Improve sales team efficiency by understanding where their efforts are most impactful, your sales team avoids wasting time on dead-end contacts.

Reduce noise and time wastage

Reduce the noise and time wastage by tracking and measuring your success rate with the Allies and Enemies Matrix. I have found it really helpful.

Have an empowered week and increase your win rate!

"I have not stopped talking about how you made me think and feel differently about leadership and myself as a business leader. Your high impact frameworks are so human-centred, powerful and practical to implement. In summary, I got a goodie! 😁 I have found a real gem in you! Thank you for your wise counsel." - Shadi Chauke , Group Executive: Market Development and Sustainability, Sanlam