The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
- Downloads：8562
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-12-31 06:54:41
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Blair Enns
- ISBN：1999523504
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A manifesto of business practices for those who sell ideas and advice， The Win Without Pitching Manifesto lays out twelve steps--in the form of proclamations--that owners of creative businesses can take to distance themselves from their competition， regain the high ground in their client relationships and learn to win business without first parting with their thinking or writing lengthy proposals。 The twelve proclamations were written to inspire owners of independent creative businesses （e。g。: design firms & advertising agencies） to rethink how their services are bought and sold。 Anyone who sells ideas or advice will find relevance in their teachings。
Reviews
Logan Seibold
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Probably an excellent and formative book for certain people but didn’t connect with me a ton
Tyler Gooding
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A short book packed with big value。 Every page provided so much insight and change in perspective on how to run a creative-based business。 Thank you Blair！
LK Das
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Started my reading journey with this book。 The proclamations are still in my mind from the first time I read。 Not only it will help you to price better for design services but also motivates you。
Anelia
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In a perfect world， this whole book should not be necessary， but in the world we （creative professionals） live in， it is a required read。 The amendments are guiding the creative professionals how to stand their ground and charge what their work is worth。 Definitely recommend it。
Matias Koskinen
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Such an amazing book — and I can say that even after reading it a few times。 The book is a collection of 12 proclamations on how to do great advisory business。 It is made for creative industries， but I found it inspiring as a management consultant too。 I will surely take heed of the advice。
Arthur Andraus
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Um dos melhores livros que já li。 Recomendo a todos os artistas。
Trav White
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Brilliant read。
Urim Shuku
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"When you find yourself in the side of the majority。 It is time to pause and reflect。" - Mark TwainI。 We Will SpecializeIt is expertise and expertise alone which will give you a position of power over your client。If clients have many alternatives， they drive the price， and you will provide ideas for free。 If clients do not have many alternatives， you will drive the price。Of uttermost importance is positioning and it is a key step in the business development success。 With positioning， we will red "When you find yourself in the side of the majority。 It is time to pause and reflect。" - Mark TwainI。 We Will SpecializeIt is expertise and expertise alone which will give you a position of power over your client。If clients have many alternatives， they drive the price， and you will provide ideas for free。 If clients do not have many alternatives， you will drive the price。Of uttermost importance is positioning and it is a key step in the business development success。 With positioning， we will reduce or eliminate the competition。How to position？1。 Choose a focus。 （Our most difficult Business Decision）2。 Articulate the focus with a consistent claim of expertise。3。 Fill the missing skills and capabilities to support our new claims。A good positioning gives you: sales advantage， price premium， control。！！-We are not paid for our service， we are paid for our expertise。 And also， the customer is not always right。When wanting to have open options。 We must be narrow。 We must walk through one door and close it。 Only then we can see that new doors lie ahead， but the first we should close it。Until we make a brave decision， we will complain about the market or about the clients， when the problem was us since the beginning。II。 We Will Replace Presentations with ConversationsStep One: Improving Collaboration with Existing ClientsStrategy First - We will agree with the client on the strategy before any creative development begins。Continous Reference to the StrategyFreedom of Execution - The client gives suggestions， but never dictates。 The designer should have the freedom to explore and execute。Fewer Options， Better Quality。Step Two: Eliminating Big Reveals in the Buying CycleWhen presenting， we give our ideas for free and we opt for somebody to hire us。 When we converse， we come to an agreement that if we work together， both parties will be well served。IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF BUYING CYCLE！！-Our mission is positioning （Purpose， Calling）。 We will not sacrifice any short-term gains， if we do not position to our clients as the expert practitioner。！！-Our objective is determining the fit。 We are not here to persuade， convince or sell。Think of the role as the role of the doctor or lawyer， not as the role of presenter/commander。 Be free of your own need to present。III。 We Will Diagnose Before We PrescribeWhen clients come self-diagnosed， the best approach should be: "You may be right， but let's see for sure"。！！-Make stepping over and taking control with a diagnostic process， rather than client's self-diagnosis， a second nature。 It is your strength。！！-A good client will begin to relinquish control once he has the confidence that the expert practitioner knows more than he does， or has the tools to learn more。IV。 We Will Rethink What It Means to SellFor a business to succeed it should be good at making things and selling things。！！-We sell ideas and advice， the very content of our heads。If did not specialize and set ourselves apart from our competitor， we are left with convincing。！！-As we progress in the buying cycle， our role as a salesperson should be first helping （the client to be aware of his problems）， second （inspiring and motivating to solving the problem）， thirdly reassuring to act on his intent to solve the problem （with us）。1。 Through thought lidership， you educate clients and it helps them to get at you。 However， thought lidership is not persuasion。 Always write， cause experts always write。 In this way you help the unaware client。2 Portfolios are inspiration。 They can be beautiful outcomes and can also be of somebody elses's， but it helps to inspire the interested client。3。 In the end of buying cycle， clients need reassurance。 Hence， we should do exactly that， but we should focus on their motivation， rather than their request to fulfill this need。Seek those that see a fit between thier needs and our expertise， and are willing to leave us the lead of engagement。 V。 We Will Do With Words What We Used To Do With PaperLeave out persuasion， presentation， pitching and papers （contract）。The poper/conteact is produced only when the agreement is reached。The more heavily invested we are during the sale， the less likely the client will tell us what he is really thinking。Value=Qulity/Price。 In most cases clients are uncertain of the quality， but your expertise should do the work。 Avoid providing reference of services， process and the price。 Things speak for itself。We do not begin to solve problems before we are engaged。 Rememeber: Always charge for diagnostics phase （finding and reccomendations）。VI。 We Will Be SelectiveSelectivity is the defining charcterisitc of an expert。 We will hold our credibility to our yes。！！-"Speak softly and people lean towards you。 Speak loudly and they lean away"。The narrower our claim of expertise， the bigger our integrity。 The claim of expertise build us credibility。Who are we without our passion？ We should walk away when we are not seen as the expert。 Beginnings are always hard。VII。 We Will Build Expertise Rapidly！！！-The truth about average people is that， regardless what they claim to want， they will avoid difficult decisions or undesirable tasks even thought they represent the path to what they want。！！-We do not need to be faster， smarter or more creative than other firms， only more focused。 Start with focus。Write。 As previously cited。 Writing is neccessary， especially writing on what you do。 It should be an exercise， and it will cement your expertise。VIII。 We Will Not Solve Problems Before We Are PaidEvery client reserves the right to change his mind until he is prtes with his money。 ！-Always reassure as the buyer's remorse is inevitable。1/3 to 1/2 of total engagemt payment is appropriate to be charged for the first engagement。IX。 We Will Address Issues With Money Early！！-Minimum Level of Engagement: Set a yearly income for you and the number of clients you want to work。 Then， that is you minimum levele of engagement。 Communicate this to every client。 MLE can be flexible at times， but never flexible without it being spoken as it diminishes your criteria of selectivity。Project work （waiving the MLE） is permisable in case you have the capacity， if it is profitable， if you do not need to compete， if it sears the opportunity to bigger projects and if it does not interfere with clients which you have included in your MLE。X。 We Will Refuse to Work At a Loss4 Step Model: Diagnose， prescribe， apply and reapply。！！-Your highest value offering to client's will be bringing to them new perspective and understaning to their problem。！！-Negotiating success goes to the party most comfortable talking about money。 By talking about money issues as early and as often as possible， we make sure that that party is us。Charity whose causes align with our values; we will work unselfishly and purely for fulfillment。Trading expertise for profit （working cheaply or for free） for a period of time is valid and should be sincerely communicate to the clients。XI。 We Will Charge MoreIf you're not losing business on price occasionally， you are pricing low。！！-Charging more allows to invest in oursleves our enterprise （research and development） and most certainly to improve the outcome and the experience for the client。！！-Healthy profit margins give us the opportunity to fix mistakes/problems。 Hence， best service is delivered to most profitable clients。 We will be paid well and we will take care of the client， in such way， we make the little problems go away。Time or thinking？ What are we selling。Our clients should be in a situation that is hard to not take our advice。 Because we are the experts， we are commited and should be trusted upon。Larger companies should be charged more because our services have a greater dollar value to them。XII。 We Will Hold Our Head HighIf we continue to choose not to choose， the decision will be made for us。As artists， we do not work for money， but for the sake of creating something and hopefully making a positive change in the world。Focus， selectivity， respectful selling， continous learning and conquering money - these are but steps on our path。 。。。more
Eddie Egesi
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A must-read for anyone in the creative or marketing industry。 Especially if you are trying to transition from selling services to selling expertise。
Charmaine T
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Good read for all creatives。
Angel Segura
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Tips arriesgados para profesiones creativas
Jake Guy
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This book is worth more than gold。 A classic that will be on my shelf forever， maybe even when my shelf becomes my great grandchild's shelf。 Blair Enns has managed to distill the business of art into clear philosophies that can be applied practically in my everyday creative work life。 It's given me permission and the requirement that I think about my work how I've always wanted to， while making me aware of the weaknesses that can have and how to watch out for them。 It's rare you read a book， tha This book is worth more than gold。 A classic that will be on my shelf forever， maybe even when my shelf becomes my great grandchild's shelf。 Blair Enns has managed to distill the business of art into clear philosophies that can be applied practically in my everyday creative work life。 It's given me permission and the requirement that I think about my work how I've always wanted to， while making me aware of the weaknesses that can have and how to watch out for them。 It's rare you read a book， that is as pure and strong as this one。 10/10 。。。more
Angie Shoemaker
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I read this so I can have business-related discussions with Jeff。 I did not care for the writing style at all。 The concepts of the book were worth discussing， though。
Anna Bautista
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The book I have to thank that got me out of my reading slump。Would recommend this to any creative thinker/business owner。 This book helps so much in terms of properly presenting an idea and the value of that idea。 Truly a book that I would always keep within reach， especially before presenting or collaborating with a client。
Maksudur Rahman
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A must-read book for a creative professional or if you don't know what to charge for your service。 A must-read book for a creative professional or if you don't know what to charge for your service。 。。。more
Dwayne Small
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Great book。 Hard readThough the book is small， it sounds like a person reading offf a list of dos and don’t。 However the information is invaluable。
Liseudis Ruiz
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I’m a makeup artist but it did help me， great book for people that are within the series industry。
Chloé
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Dit boek is een absolute must read voor iedereen die een succesvolle onderneming in de creatieve industrie wilt uitbouwen。 Het wordt ongetwijfeld een van de Tijdloze Bureauplakkers die ik op onzekere momenten opnieuw doorblader。
Alison Meeks
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Great points and key to know。 Will be listening to this again and probably again after that。
Raluca Mitarca
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A great set of rules and way of seeing the design business。 It's a book every freelance / studio owner needs to read and position herself regarding it。It's a short listen， a great head raiser and a back straightener。 A great set of rules and way of seeing the design business。 It's a book every freelance / studio owner needs to read and position herself regarding it。It's a short listen， a great head raiser and a back straightener。 。。。more
Arantxa Orig
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I can’t stress enough how much this book has helped me change my mindset with regards to engaging with clients and pricing my strategy and creative deliverables 😩😩😩 I have been putting too little value on myself and my abilities as an illustrator 😓😓😓 I cringe looking back at how much I used to stoop down to nuisance clients and apologize for raising my rates 😫Chris Do from The Futur has been recommending this book to everyone and I finally checked it out; and you know what， he has every right to I can’t stress enough how much this book has helped me change my mindset with regards to engaging with clients and pricing my strategy and creative deliverables 😩😩😩 I have been putting too little value on myself and my abilities as an illustrator 😓😓😓 I cringe looking back at how much I used to stoop down to nuisance clients and apologize for raising my rates 😫Chris Do from The Futur has been recommending this book to everyone and I finally checked it out; and you know what， he has every right to rave about this book and Blair Enns 🙌🙌🙌 There are so many nuggets of wisdom on every page， I feel like I’ve highlighted almost every line 😂 This is one of those books that I can guarantee I will reread and refer to when I finally open my illustration business 😤😤😤✊✊✊ Blair Enns， you are a gift to the world 🙏🙏🙏 。。。more
Chevaan Seresinhe
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A must read I came across this book following a recommendation。 This has without a doubt been one of the most insightful， provocative and inspirational books I have ever read。 Most businesses strive to achieve the goal of winning business without pitching - Blair provides a fantastic strategy and the way forward to achieve just that with this must-read book。
Robert Green
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A new world of valueThe clarity I feel about the value of what I do is incredible。 I'm starting my business this year。 Thank you。 A new world of valueThe clarity I feel about the value of what I do is incredible。 I'm starting my business this year。 Thank you。 。。。more
Annelies
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Zeer boeiend manifest dat me doet nadenken/stilstaan bij hoe wij het in ons agency aanpakken。 Niet alles is even haalbaar imho， maar vond dit echt inspirerend。 Ga er nog vaak aan denken。
André Fonseca
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An interesting book with some key ideas on selling。 From my notes I could essentially take the following:- Until we embrace the fact that we are business people too， and we learn to master this craft as well， we will not achieve the success that we desire;- It is easier to establish a relationship when we reach the client in an early stage of business development;- It is crucial to establish the rules of engagement clearly and soon;- You must set yourself apart from the competition;- Always try An interesting book with some key ideas on selling。 From my notes I could essentially take the following:- Until we embrace the fact that we are business people too， and we learn to master this craft as well， we will not achieve the success that we desire;- It is easier to establish a relationship when we reach the client in an early stage of business development;- It is crucial to establish the rules of engagement clearly and soon;- You must set yourself apart from the competition;- Always try to get the inside track - constantly gauge whether the client recognizes our expertise， ask for concessions， negotiate what you will write or not write in a proposal， measure the client's words and behaviour。 In the end， the written document does little;- Have a concern on "weeding out" bad clients; Use requests for retainers for such purposes;- Try to have a small number of high quality clients;- The client should be able to understand how our expertise fits his needs;- Use the expression "it is our policy that。。。" in order to establish rules;- Make an habit of barging along undesirable tasks;- A client will not be fully committed until he has parted with his money; Therefore， get paid soon; Talk about money early and often; Paying brings commitment; - If you want to make a discount， be it the last thing you do; Refuse to work at a loss;- Be well paid and in exchange， have enough comfort to take good care of the Client's needs;- Continuous learning and perpetual progress are always mandatory;- Make a promise to yourself to see how far you can go;- Reinvest in yourself。 。。。more
Agris Locs-Dārznieks
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Amazing！
Esteban Mulki
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I read this book for the first time almost 4 years ago and even when it has been written in 2010 it gets better and better as time goes by。This is the DEFINITIVE book on creative services sales。 It's short， concise， up to the point and full of wisdom。 There are no stories nor examples because they are not needed。 This is not a collection of articles （as most of the books you'll find today） and it's so deep and interrelated that you realize this can only be the result of years and years of practi I read this book for the first time almost 4 years ago and even when it has been written in 2010 it gets better and better as time goes by。This is the DEFINITIVE book on creative services sales。 It's short， concise， up to the point and full of wisdom。 There are no stories nor examples because they are not needed。 This is not a collection of articles （as most of the books you'll find today） and it's so deep and interrelated that you realize this can only be the result of years and years of practice and field expertise， but combined with true knowledge of the concepts that work beneath them。 I wish I could have this one in my hands while I still had my design agency。 At least I know which mistakes I'll surely not go over again in the future。 。。。more
Ricardo
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A must read for creative agency owners/leaders that will definitely shift the way they manage client engagements。
Honza Jaroš
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That was One of the best book I have ever read about not selling yourself short。 12 principles how to pull the price up and select the best fit of clients for yourself
Andrej Hribernik
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