We all know about the tension between Sales (Give the client whatever they want! Promise anything!) and Operations (Sell what we already have on the shelf. Sell what we know we can do.). In this encounter, I learned that there can be a similar disconnect between Sales and Contracts, where the former is maybe a little more inclined to hand-waving (Yeah, yeah, they don’t mean that.) and the latter is maybe a little more inclined to anticipatory hand-wringing (IT SAYS WE HAVE TO DO THIS!). Accompanied by a side of hyperventilation.
Everyone brings a useful perspective to proposals. (Well, almost everyone. There was that one guy . . . .) The trick is to give voice to the disagreements in such a way that they’re resolved well:
- Allowing the company to make a good decision on whether to bid
- Enabling the team to develop a winning and yet feasible-to-deliver plan if you do decide to bid