Not every lost opportunity is a failure. Sometimes the way you respond—and the way you treat people when there is nothing obvious to gain—creates an opportunity you could never have planned.
A few years ago, Learno was working to become a preferred supplier to Suncorp. It was an important opportunity, so I flew to Brisbane to present to their team.
We prepared carefully. We understood what was at stake. Like every business walking into a major presentation, we hoped this would be the meeting that opened a significant new door.
The conversation before the presentation
When I arrived, Lisa from Procurement met me in the lift foyer. As we walked towards the boardroom, we started talking.
She asked about my business, and I asked about her role. One of my daughters worked in procurement at the time, so we spoke about the pressures, challenges and often-unseen work involved in that profession.
It was not calculated networking. I was not trying to impress her. I was simply interested in the person walking beside me.
We delivered the presentation—and lost
Our presentation went well, but we did not win the work.
Like most losses, it was disappointing. We reviewed the result, learned what we could and moved forward. At the time, there was no reason to think that the brief conversation in the lift foyer would matter again.
A few months later, my phone rang.
It was Lisa. She had moved to ConocoPhillips, which was developing a major LNG project on Curtis Island near Gladstone. Before operations could commence, thousands of workers needed effective compliance training. The project required approximately 60 eLearning modules, delivered to a demanding timeline.
“Chris, you were the only person who took the time that day to ask about me and take a genuine interest in what I did. I’d like to invite you to the RFP.”
Then we lost again
We put everything into the proposal. We presented our approach, our experience and our plan for delivering under pressure.
We came second.
It felt like another closed door. But three months later, the phone rang again. This time it was the Head of Learning. The selected supplier was struggling to deliver at the speed the project required.
“Chris, are you still interested in working with us?”
Of course, the answer was yes.
Learno stepped in, delivered the project and built a relationship that has continued for more than ten years.
What looked like failure was preparation
Looking back, neither loss was really a loss.
- The Suncorp presentation introduced us to someone who remembered how she was treated.
- Finishing second on the LNG proposal kept us ready for the moment the project needed a different solution.
- The delay gave us an opportunity to prove what Learno could do when delivery really mattered.
Business culture encourages us to divide outcomes into two neat categories: wins and losses. Real life is rarely that simple. A “no” can be a redirection. Second place can become the right position when circumstances change. A conversation that appears unrelated to the sale can become the most important part of the day.
People remember how you make them feel
The most important lesson was not about proposal strategy. It was about human connection.
Take a genuine interest in people when there is nothing obvious to gain. Ask about their work. Listen to the answer. Treat every person with the same curiosity and respect, whether or not they control the decision in front of you.
You may never know which conversation matters. That should not be the reason you have it.
Four lessons I carried forward
- A lost pitch is not a lost relationship. Leave every room with trust intact.
- Second place is not the end. Stay ready, professional and gracious.
- Capability matters most when pressure arrives. Opportunities often return because the work still needs to be delivered.
- Relationships are built before they are needed. Genuine interest cannot be manufactured after the fact.
Sometimes success is not found in winning today. Sometimes it is found in how you behave when you lose—and in being ready when the phone rings again.
At Learno, we create engaging compliance and capability-building eLearning for organisations that need training delivered clearly, credibly and at scale. If you have a complex learning challenge, start a conversation with us.
