Stockholm, 1628.
Before her maiden voyage, Vasa’s stability was tested. Thirty men ran back and forth across the deck. The ship heeled so violently that the test was called off.
On 10 August, Vasa set sail regardless. Less than a nautical mile out, a gust caught her. She capsized and sank.
More ballast and closed gunports might have helped. But in that state, Vasa was never seaworthy.
The same thing often happens in B2B sales.
A customer sends a request to several suppliers. You can see what is missing from their picture of the problem.
You respond to the brief in full, just like your competitors. That keeps you in the process, but it does not set you apart.
What sets you apart is bringing what the brief does not ask for: what is missing, what it is costing the customer, and what you can do about it.
Upstream is a choice, not a point in time.
That is what an Upstream Sprint helps you do.
You choose a deal you want to win. We analyse the customer. In a four-hour workshop, your sales team challenges the brief and identifies what the customer risks missing.
A week later, the seller has a pitch that shows something your competitors have not.
When did you last spot something in a request that the customer had missed?
