BizDev, Barking and Bread: How to Increase Your Winning Percentage: Just Say No

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

How to Increase Your Winning Percentage: Just Say No

I'm not proud to admit that I once answered 127 RFI/RFPs in one year. I went to a Mirren BizDev conference once, and the speaker asked how many people in the room answered 10 RFP's in a year. Everyone's hand's shot up. "25?" Hands went down. "30?" One hand left up. I was embarrassed, so I pulled my hand down at that point.

Like the lottery ad says, the truth is "you gotta be in it to win it." But, seriously, you can't be in all of them and expect to be "New Business Brilliant" every time.

You've got to pick and choose your battles. The difference between a success and failure is sizing up the opportunity and then going after the ones that you know you can win. Easy to say. Hard to say "no".

Donny Deutsch talks about taking his father's company from $40 Million to $400 Million. Do you know what he said his secret was? He "learned to say NO".

Another famous Donny - New York Yankees First Baseman, Don Mattingly (Donnie Baseball) reminds me:

"Get a good pitch. Hit it hard somewhere. The rest is out of your hands."

I have always tried to heed the advice of both Donny's as I approach every new business opportunity.

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Our Daily Bread

Roxie's Favorite Bread Recipe

I've adapted this from the famous "No Knead" recipe from Jim Lahey

(found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html )

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 24 hours. Place in refrigerator for an additional 24 hours.

2. Lightly flour a work surface and place refrigerated dough on it. Stretch and fold the dough over on itself 4 times beginning at the 12 O'clock position and working around to 3 O'clock, 6 O'clock and finally 9 O'clock. over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 20 minutes.

3. Repeat the "Stretch and Fold" exercise three more times at 20 minute intervals.

4. After the final "Stretch and Fold", place the dough ball in a well-floured bread form (round wooden basket). Cover with a cotton towel (not terry cloth) generously-coated with flour. Let rise for another hour in warm place. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

5. At least one-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart Emil Henry clay pot (cast iron, enamel, or Pyrex will work too) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and place in oven.

6. Bake at 475 for five minutes.

7. Reduce oven temperature 450. Continue baking for another 25 minutes.

8. Remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.

9. Turn the oven off, and place a wooden spoon in the door to hold it open a crack. Leave bread in the oven for 5 minutes.

10. Remove bread and cool on a rack for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

BizDev, Barking and Bread

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

How to Increase Your Winning Percentage: Just Say No

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