Book recommendation: “The Win Without Pitching Manifesto” by Blair Enns

No, this is not a book on baseball strategy but a manifesto for a successful business model. Business development consultant Blair Enns defines pitch in the preface: “to attempt to sell or win approval for one’s ideas by giving them away for free, usually within a competitive, buyer-driven process.” Enns, a veteran of creative agencies, rejects the industry standard of clients soliciting free products from graphic design or other creative firms in the initial bid to secure a work contract. Creative professionals strive to come up with a design solution without much knowledge of the problem to be solved and are coerced into giving away work for free for a chance at the job.  The pitch process wastes time, devalues the firms’ artistic efforts, and does not result in the highest quality work for the clients.

How to break out of this no-win cycle?  Enns insists that artists, to truly step-up and own their place as professionals in the workforce, must assume a similar role as doctors or other professionals who would never be expected to perform work before conducting a thorough assessment. Enns is calling for the expertization of the creative agencies. Once viewed as an expert in the field, the designers can engage in a dialogue with clients to diagnose what is needed and determine an appropriate solution.

The twelve chapters of the book detail the manifesto, providing clear direction on how to carve out an alternate path from business as usual. Chapter titles are bold declarations such as “We Will Rethink What it Means to Sell” (chapter 4), “We Will Be Selective” (chapter 6), and “We Will Refuse to Work at a Loss” (chapter 10).  The emphasis is on differentiating yourself from the rest of the pack, building a solid product, setting yourself up to be an expert, and acting from a position of strength and confidence instead of fear.

What application does the text have for nonprofits?  If you agree with Enns that we are living in an increasingly specialized society but not one that assigns value to ALL experts, then his advice on how to inhabit the role of the esteemed professional is just as valuable for nonprofit staff as it is for his target audience. Nonprofits are also striving to find their niche in a complicated and ever-shifting society. Like creative firms, nonprofits are not always valued sufficiently for the high-caliber skills, capabilities, and processes that they have developed. Nonprofits, like any business, need to take pride in the quality of their services and learn how to maximize accomplishments. Enns’ twelve-point manifesto contains useful, timely advice for many types of organizations.

- Elissa Thomas