Ever worked on a “must win” deal?
Yep, I thought so. And what’s the difference between “must win” and “nice to win”? Generally, in practice, often not a lot. A little more involvement (interference?) from senior executives; perhaps a few more review meetings; lots more stress; those on high taking the glory if you capture the business (and preparing to point fingers if you don’t)?
He was asked in an interview:
“Is it reasonable to say that Saturday’s match is a must-win game?”
“It’s not a must win game. It’s a will win game.”
So, next time you’re told a deal’s a “must win”, why not stop and ask whether it really is – or whether it’s actually a “will win”, and what’s going to be done to make it so.