03/16/2026
When you're thirty-five negotiating a seventy-million-dollar government contract, and ๐ณ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐๐, you realize positioning isn't just marketing language.
It's everything.
We didn't win the bid.
But we were one of only three companies in the final round. I had a one-in-three shot at a deal most small businesses never even get invited to compete for.
Initially, I wanted to be sad for not winning. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that three years ago, I wasn't even in rooms like that at this level.
Now I am.
What changed wasn't hustle.
It wasn't luck.
It was positioning.
Here's how the opportunity actually unfolded.
First, the Prime contractor invited us to participate based on the relationship and trust we had built over time. That didn't happen overnight. It came from years of working together and proving we could deliver. ๐ค
In the first round of the bid, the government evaluated the creative capability and past performance of the bidders. The Prime leveraged our video production and our creative campaigns for the submission.
Our creative work received one of the highest scores in that round. ๐ฌ
That result moved the team forward, and we were down-selected to compete in the next phase of the opportunity.
As a subcontractor, our role was clear: ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐๐ถ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ
After seven years working as a subcontractor, I've learned something simple but important.
๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ.
Anticipate what they need. Deliver work that elevates their proposal. When the Prime succeeds, the entire team moves forward. ๐
From there, we learned the field had narrowed.
Eight companies had originally been considered. Now it was down to three.
That meant we had a one-in-three chance at a seventy-million-dollar contract.
We ultimately lost the bid.
But the experience reinforced a few lessons that changed how I think about growth.
Relationships in this space are a slow cooker. ๐ฒ
Trust built over time opens doors that cold introductions never will.
Opportunity usually follows demonstrated value.
People invite you into larger rooms after you've already shown that you can contribute something meaningful.
And when the pressure is high, consistency matters more than charisma.
Decision-makers want partners who remain reliable, calm, and steady when the stakes rise.
Here's the truth.
๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐๐ป'๐ ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐'๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐ป.
But it guarantees you're playing a completely different game.
You stop being asked what you bring to the table, and you start deciding who sits at it.
_____________________________________________________
P.S: I'm teaching a free training on how to elevate your brand positioning on March 26 @ 12pm EST. Here's the link if you want to register - https://nuewaywebinars.com/
