My boss at that startup in Austin said 'just wing it' during our client pitch and I lost a $15k contract on the spot

That was two years ago and now I script every single word of my calls after that guy canceled the deal before I even finished my intro, anyone else seen a casual attitude backfire in a meeting?

3 comments

3 Comments

lee84712d ago

Damn that's rough, I feel for you. Did you ever think about running through it with your boss beforehand and just going "hey I need a solid script for this one"? That's the kind of thing that can really mess with your confidence when you're put on the spot like that, especially when money's on the line. I've seen the same thing happen to a buddy of mine at a sales job, casual attitude just kills the whole mood and makes you look like you don't care. Scripting it out is smart, honestly, it gives you a safety net so you're not scrambling when someone asks a tough question. Better to overprepare than lose another deal like that one.

jade51712d ago

Oh man, that's brutal. I had something similar happen when I was just starting out, a potential client asked a simple question about our timeline and my boss just said "we'll figure it out" and you could practically see the guy's interest drain right out of his face. It's like once you give off that "I don't have a plan" vibe, people immediately start wondering what else you're slacking on. Some people think being casual makes you look confident and easygoing, but it actually just makes you look unprepared and like you don't respect their time or money.

ellis.faith12d ago

Did you ever try just walking them through a rough outline on the spot? I started doing that after I messed up similar, and it helped a ton even if everything wasn't set in stone yet.